US EAST COAST\\\


Alabama signs crucial dredging deal


Alabama’s seaport modernization program reached another milestone on 17 June with the signing of an agreement between the State and the US Army Corps of Engineers for the deepening and widening of the Port of Mobile in late 2024 or early 2025. The latest deal allows the Corps


to move into the contracting and construction phases to take the Port of Mobile’s federal channel to a depth of 50ſt. Construction on the $366m project is expected to begin by the end of this year. The modernisation program


received full federal funding in February this year upon passage of the Energy & Water Development and Related Agencies Act which


makes


around $377.6m available to qualifying projects in Alabama and other US Gulf states. Senator Richard Shelby said


that the signing of the agreement was “yet another milestone in the process of the deepening and widening the Port of


US’s competitiveness in the global market, he said. Governor


Kay Ivey, who


signed the Rebuild Alabama Act that allocates a portion of state fuel tax proceeds to help meet the costs of the harbour project,


He added: “The Port of Mobile


is now poised to become a major hub for export activity, and this is yet another giant step forward in supporting our industries in the Americas and beyond.” Other


events during


South Carolina looks forward to a bright future


South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) said it would weather the Covid crisis thanks to its long-term planning for infrastructure and business. President and chief


executive Jim Newsome said: “We are in the final year of a six-year capital improvement plan. We are preparing for our major infrastructure projects to come online in 2021, while also continuing to ensure that our port works incredibly well. We have the best team in place to execute our goals.” SCPA’s board of directors


have unanimously approved a $319 million capital spending plan for the 2021 fiscal year, most of which will be used to finish building Phase One of the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, set to open in March 2021. It will be the first new container terminal in the US since 2009. Phase One will have a


1,400ft wharf, five ship-to- shore cranes with 169ft of lift height, 25 hybrid rubber-tiered gantry cranes, and the ability to handle 19,000teu vessels. The Leatherman Terminal


and the upgraded Wando Welch Terminal will enable SCPA to handle four 14,000teu vessels simultaneously. The Charleston Harbor Deepening Project will achieve a 52ft depth in 2021, further enabling mega container ships to access its terminals. “The opening of the


Leatherman Terminal will mark an extension of the successful container operations concept at the Wando Terminal with the transfer of four large ship services to that location at


the


Mobile. The completion of this historic project will transform Alabama, expanding economic opportunities throughout our state and the region.” Modernization of Alabama’s primary port will increase the


said: “Beyond the impact on the local and state levels, the Port of Mobile serves as a catalyst to our nation’s competitive position in the global economy. I have been proud to support The Mobile Harbor Modernization project, and I look forward to watching the growing benefits our port will have in the years to come.”


Issue 6 2020 - Freight Business Journal


past year included the Port Authority’s completion of a $50 million, Phase 3 expansion that added 20 acres of container handling yard and extended the dock to allow simultaneous berthing of two Post-Panamax sized ships. It complements previous investments totalling $450 million in marine and rail container intermodal facilities. Alabama State Port Authority


(ASPA) and AutoMOBILE International Terminal (AIT) signed a concession agreement in January for a $60 million finished


automobile ro ro


terminal, due to be completed in early 2021.


between


AIT is a joint venture Terminal


Zarate, a


Grupo Murchison company, headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Neltume Ports, headquartered in Santiago, Chile. The new 57-acre terminal is


located on the ASPA’s main port multimodal complex, and when completed, will have an annual throughput of 150,000 units. The new facility has a draſt of 40ſt and is serviced by five Class I railroads and a rail ferry service with connections throughout North America and immediate, unencumbered access to the US main highway systems.


its opening, while leveraging SCPA’s existing workforce,” Newsome said. SCPA handled 169,705teu at


the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals in May. The Port of Charleston handled nearly 2.2 million teu thus far in fiscal year 2020, from July 2019 to 30 May. The two inland ports in Greer


and Dillon had a combined total of 159,917 rail moves fiscal-year-to-date. Volumes remained steady


for the first 11 months of the 2020 fiscal year compared to the previous year but May volumes were down year- over-year due to Covid crisis disruption. “We were on track for


another record fiscal year until the pandemic happened,” Newsome said. “Nevertheless, ports are a long-term business requiring long-term planning. We have great fundamentals as a growing port in the Southeast. We will continue to thrive. Our future is very bright.” He said that the ports had


continued to operate normally without any interruptions to gate hours, services, terminal operations or workforce.


across the Pond Port-centric


Port-centric distribution has its fans on the other side of the Pond too. Walmart has announced plans to build a $220 million distribution centre near Ridgeville, South Carolina which, when fully operational, is expected to increase volumes at the Port of Charleston by around 5%.


The new storage and cross-


dock facility will span nearly 3 million sq ſt and will supply several regional distribution centres, supporting 850 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs across South Carolina and beyond. South Carolina (SC) Ports


Authority president and chief executive, Jim Newsome said: “Walmart is the recognized leader in supply chain innovation and performance. Having this world- class company choose our market for their distribution centre is the


ultimate vote of confidence in SC Ports and in South Carolina. Walmart’s investment will create jobs for South Carolinians and boost cargo volumes at the Port of Charleston. We are experts at moving goods just-in-time for global companies. We are thrilled to partner with Walmart to further their growth and impact for years to come.” Chairman of the Charleston


Regional Development Alliance Board, John Hagerty, added: “The Charleston region is perfectly positioned for global distribution, offering prime access to one-third of the US population and the deepest seaport on the East Coast. This historic announcement aligns with the One Region Global Competitiveness strategy, which identified distribution centres as vital to the growth of the region’s advanced logistics sector.”


25


Jaxport breaks ground on terminal extension


Officials from Jaxport and SSA Marine broke ground in November 2019 on a new container terminal for the port’s Blount Island Marine Terminal, expected to be complete in 2023—coinciding with the completion of a federal project to deepen the Jacksonville shipping channel to 47ſt. The SSA Jacksonville


Container Terminal is an expansion of SSA’s current leasehold at Blount and phased yard improvements are underway at the terminal that will allow the facility to accommodate up to 700,000teu a


year. Berth


expected to be completed in 2021 and will allow the terminal to simultaneously work two post-Panamax vessels. The Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project includes construction of a vessel turning basin that will allow larger vessels calling on the terminal to turn at Blount Island. The SSA Jacksonville


upgrades are


Container Terminal offers 80 acres of terminal operating area, with the option to increase up to 120 acres as space becomes available. The facility features three post-Panamax electric container cranes and plans include the addition of three more container cranes.


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