(T-5 construction photo from NWSA slide deck)

Tomorrow, the Seattle and Tacoma port commissions meet together as managing members of the Northwest Seaport Alliance. Their agenda includes the quarterly update on West Seattle’s Terminal 5, and agenda documents reveal two notable updates:

STILL NO SHORE POWER: As we reported about a month ago, despite the modernized Berth 1 at T-5 having been built with the capability for ships to plug into “shore power” and therefore avoid burning fuel while docked, it still wasn’t happening. But it was finally going to start this month, NWSA told us. It hasn’t, according to an agenda document with this update:

The first shore power plug-in was scheduled for early October and had to be postponed due to configuration issues. A solution to the issues is being coordinated between the shipping line, the terminal operator, Port of Seattle, and NWSA.

We have an inquiry out asking what the “configuration issues” are and what kind of timeline is expected for their resolution. Added Tuesday morning: Here’s the response to our questions from NWSA spokesperson Melanie Stambaugh: “The shore power configuration issues indicated in the briefing memo are related to electrical issues that emerged when the initial plug-in was tested. The NWSA, Port of Seattle, and SSA are working toward a solution that will correct the electrical wiring and enable ships to plug-in. The timing is difficult to estimate at this time. Our team is hopeful the timeframe will be weeks or a month or two at the latest.”

SOUTH BERTH ESTIMATE: While the first modernized berth at T-5 opened early this year, the second berth – the south side of the dock – has been under construction. Last year, there were hopes it would be done by the end of this year. Agenda documents for tomorrow’s meeting say it’ll be closer to the end of next year:

Phase 2 (South Berth) construction project is currently behind the contract schedule date of December 31, 2022. Likely completion is September 2023, in time for the delivery of the South Berth cranes. … Activities are behind schedule due to concrete strike and the additional scope of the pile repair.

The public session of the meeting is expected to start around 12:30 pm Tuesday; here’s the agenda, and here’s where the meeting will be streamed.