The Port of San Diego has long played a valuable role in the economic vitality of the San Diego region, safe keeping of San Diego Bay, and providing important services which link the people and businesses of San Diego with local and international markets. Through its work across San Diego Bay, the Port has built a dynamic maritime portfolio suited to serve as a hub for the plethora of industries that utilise the Port’s diverse offerings. We were thrilled to catch up with Greg Borossay once again, Principal of Maritime Business Development at the Port of San Diego, to see how the Port has begun to utilise the two new all-electric heavy lift cranes and continues to enhance the capability of its container service business line.
When we last spoke to the Port of San Diego, we saw how the Port had implemented new electric cranes into its offerings, which more than doubled the Port’s lifting capacity whilst providing a more sustainable aspect to its operations. In speaking with Borossay, he outlined how the cranes have been invaluable to the Port’s operations over the last year and are now being utilised across its cargo operations by both the Port and its tenants to enhance their operations at Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal (TAMT) serving the heavy-lift market.
In just the first nine months of operation, the cranes have discharged numerous mega-yachts from Europe, handled rail-to-ship transfers for NASSCO shipyard, and handled import project moves headed to Arizona. In the near future, Dole Fresh Fruit, the Port’s anchor tenant at TAMT and its regular container service, will begin making use of the electric cranes to reload their vessels. Dole’s cargo includes fresh produce within its northbound business and a small number of retail items in its southbound operations. Thanks to the cranes’ tandem lifting capabilities and 400 metric-ton lifting capacity, the Port has opportunities to work with larger container vessels. The Port will be targeting vessels that are up to 6,500twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in size. In comparison, larger ports like Long Beach service vessels that are 12,000 TEUs.
Borossay did note that one of the exciting developments the Port is working on is extending its container business to Japan with a niche transpacific container service, a once-a-month service from Australia and New Zealand, and an expansion of an existing service. These would enhance its existing global network and hope to increase the Port’s container business over the coming years across more international markets.
However, throughout every expansion, the Port ensures that all operations are conducted for the benefit of the people of San Diego and the environment. This multi-layer commitment saw the Port of San Diego awarded a nearly $59 million (USO) grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support the Port’s Clean Cargo Project (CCP) in late 2024. The CCP aims to reduce emissions across all port operations. In recent years, the project has focused on the electrification of operations across TAMT and the National City Marine Terminal, and to support zero-emission (ZE) freight movements. Therefore, the grant from the EPA will help the Port continue electrifying its operations across its two cargo terminals to bring significant cargo and container service offerings, whilst cutting down on emissions produced in the process.
On top of the EPA grant, the Port of San Diego, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District (APCD), Dole Fresh Fruit, PASHA, Skycharger, and SSA Marine have collectively provided a further $28 million (USO) in match funding. With the help of these vital institutions, stakeholders, and tenants, the Port of San Diego’s CCP project now has a combined $86 million (USO) to conduct
the continued electrification expansion of the Port and provide a more operationally competitive yet sustainable future for the Port. Whilst the Port conducts these development plans, it is also committed to implementing a stormwater treatment system at TAMT that will capture water on the terminal and re-utilise it across the terminal to add yet another sustainable aspect to the Port’s existing infrastructure. The Port’s modernization and expansion of TAMT and the National City Marine Terminal are expected to be ongoing until 2028.
As the Port of San Diego looks towards the future, it is hoping to continue its focus on its container service offerings, whilst expanding its cruise line business in 2025. The Port predicts 100 cruise calls in 2025 and a further 150 in the following season. The expansion of the Port’s cruise business is incredibly valuable as voyages that begin and end in San Diego add roughly $2 million (USO) to the state’s economy. According to Borossay, even ships that originate from other ports and make stops in San Diego will generate between $600,000 to $700,000 (USO) for the local economy. Therefore, with the tourism and cruise line market being such a lucrative venture, the increase in cruise operations and implementation of the facilities at the Port to support this expansion is incredibly valuable not just to the Port of San Diego’s international network but also to the local economy.
What remains evident across the Port of San Diego’s operations is a firm commitment to transforming their two terminals and cruise waterfront into a thriving hub that brings economic prosperity to the region, whilst working to support the local community and environment at every step. From the expansion of its container services line with the continued implementation of electrification to the development of its cruise business over the coming years, the Port continues to solidify its place as a vital hub along the U.S. West Coast. We look forward to catching up with Greg Borossay and the Port of San Diego again soon to see how the Port continues to develop its role within the global maritime market.
