The Gantry 6 crane was repaired and returned to service by the Port Authority of Guam following its two day offline status.

Early January, ABB engineers noted Gantry 6 was not performing to standards and was in need of repairs.

The computer needed replacement and communications between the Crane Maintenance Station (CMS) and Programmable Logic Controls (POC) needed to be reestablished. The computer was replaced and a secondary port was reconfigured so communications to both the CMS and POC were restored.

Gantry 6, also known as Bumuchåcho, was returned to service yesterday at 11:30 a.m.

Port General Manager Rory J. Respicio said, “The Port currently utilizes three used gantry cranes that are more than 40 years old and based on consultant reports, they will reach the end of their expected service life and will need to be replaced next year.”

“Our efforts to replace the cranes have included an aggressive approach by Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio in national forums and in face-to-face meetings with federal partners in past years,” he added.

The investment of new STS gantry cranes would be the first new crane the Port would procure in its 47 years of autonomy as past and current cranes have been second-hand equipment owned by other American ports.

Respicio added, “We have all been proactively communicating with the Department of Defense, Department of Transportation (MARAD), FEMA, INDOPACOM, key House and Senate members, and the Joint Region Marianas emphasizing the crucial need for robust infrastructure support as a matter of commerce, economic growth and now, more than ever, national security with growing geopolitical tensions. The downtime experienced serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in throughput capacity that will impact military readiness programs.”