Port infrastructure

News and analysis of port infrastructure, expansion projects, equipment, financing

The latest Port infrastructure News & Analysis

Ashcroft Terminal to expand railcar storage to alleviate Vancouver congestion

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
The project, in coordination with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, is due to be completed in late 2024 and will help move cargo faster through Western Canada.
North-American railTrans-PacificNorth American portsPort infrastructure

GPA invests $262 million to upgrade Brunswick’s ro/ro facilities

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
GPA's ability to handle growing volumes has attracted the likes of Rivian and Hyundai, both planting roots in Georgia to export vehicles from new facilities through Brunswick.
Ro/ro cargoHeavy-haul transportNorth American portsPort infrastructure

Volume growth underscores need for expansion at Port Tanger Med

Peter Shaw-Smith, Middle East Contributor |
Given the current growth rate, Morrocco’s Tanger Med could reach its nominal annual container capacity of 9 million TEUs as early as next year.
International portsContainer Shipping NewsPort infrastructure

Planned bridge raising opens door to upgrade of North Charleston Terminal

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
SC Ports says the work will allow the terminal to attract growing volumes of cargo moving through the Suez Canal on large ships that are too big to call the facility now.
Port infrastructureContainer Shipping NewsNorth American ports

Savannah seeks new dredging project to attract larger ships, India cargo

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
Deepening Savannah’s shipping channel, which would take about 10 years to complete, would put the port on par with other major Southeast ports such as Charleston and Norfolk.
North American portsContainer Shipping NewsPort infrastructure

Savannah working through unexpected backlog of anchored vessels

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor and Ari Ashe, Senior Editor |
While shippers say the situation — which could linger through mid-November — is less than ideal, many noted there have been no real impacts yet.
North American portsContainer Shipping NewsPort infrastructure

Jaxport receives $30 million in state funds for new cranes at Blount Island

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
The cranes are part of overall improvements to update and expand Blount Island operations and double its current capacity to 500,000 TEU by 2025.
North American portsPort infrastructure

Terminal operators launch renewed push to expand in emerging markets

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe |
Demand for container shipping in major destination markets remains subdued, so some of the world’s largest port operators are channeling their attention — and money — on growing business in emerging nations.
Port NewsMarine terminalsInternational portsPort infrastructure

Hot summer turning up climate change heat on supply chains

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |
Familiar reminders of the disruptions to supply chains caused by climate change, such as low water levels on the Rhine River and in the Panama Canal and wildfires in North America, are becoming more frequent and intense.
Supply chainContainer Shipping NewsPort infrastructureRail NewsNorth-American rail

House bill would allow use of tax-deferred income to fund cargo equipment upgrades

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
The National Association of Waterfront Employees says terminal operators are potentially on the hook for “tens of billions of dollars” to upgrade their cargo handling equipment and allowing them to use tax-deferred funds would increase their purchasing power.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsNorth American portsPort infrastructure

Savannah reopens berth at Garden City Terminal, boosting capacity by 25%

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
The Georgia Ports Authority has acknowledged the added berth capacity was sorely needed during the worst of the pandemic-driven port congestion when Savannah’s queue hit more than 30 ships in September 2021.
North American portsTrans-PacificMarine terminalsPort infrastructure

GPA’s Brunswick seeing significant growth in auto imports

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
Brunswick’s growth comes amid rising automotive production, pent-up consumer demand and an easing of the semiconductor shortage that occurred during the pandemic.
Ro/ro cargoPort NewsNorth American portsPort infrastructure

Volume boost, construction snarls Jacksonville’s Blount Island drayage traffic

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, and Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
The problems flared in recent weeks after Ocean Network Express shifted a vessel service out of Jacksonville’s other primary container terminal, Dames Point, causing a volume imbalance between the two terminals.
North American portsContainer linesPort NewsPort infrastructureSurfaceTrucking News

USDOT awards $40M to boost port emissions reduction, surface projects

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
The US Department of Transportation is funding infrastructure projects that include carbon neutralization plans, updating miles of century-old rail and improving port access roads.
Port NewsNorth American portsPort infrastructureSupply chain

US DOT opens $5.6 billion in funding for projects to strengthen supply chains

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor |
The funds will come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with three separate grant opportunities soliciting applications under a single program called the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant program.
Port infrastructurePort NewsNorth American portsTransport, Trade, and Regulation News

House bill wants security checks of port cranes made by US ‘adversaries’

Teri Errico Griffis |
The bipartisan legislation does not identify specific countries that manufacture the cranes that would be subject to inspection, but a statement from the co-sponsors specifically mentions China.
Transport, Trade, and Regulation NewsPort NewsNorth American portsPort infrastructure

Savannah wins environmental clearance for new inland terminal

Teri Errico Griffis |
The Georgia Ports Authority expects to begin construction on the approximately $170 million terminal in early 2024, which will have a focus on manufacturing imports and poultry exports.
North American portsPort NewsPort infrastructureNorth-American rail

Jaxport looks to redevelop land at Talleyrand terminal

Teri Errico Griffis |
Jaxport is seeking a new tenant or tenants for a 79-acre parcel at the Talleyrand Marine Terminal in preparation for Toyota vacating the property in 2025.
Marine terminalsPort NewsNorth American portsPort infrastructure

Planned Vancouver mega-container terminal wins environmental clearance

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor |
Vancouver’s proposed Robert Banks Terminal 2 cleared a major federal environmental hurdle this week, putting the focus on who will construct and build the facility with a planned annual capacity of 2.4 million TEU.
North American portsContainer Shipping NewsContainer linesTrans-PacificMarine terminalsLongshore laborPort infrastructure

Virginia expands inland facilities ahead of port dredging completion

Teri Errico Griffis |
The improvements are planned ahead of the Port of Virginia’s dredging project that will deepen Norfolk Harbor to 55 feet and widen its ship channels so the port can accommodate two-way vessel traffic.
Marine terminalsNorth American portsPort infrastructure

APM plans to double container capacity at Rotterdam terminal

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
APM said the new section of the terminal will operate with net-zero emissions and be fully automated and prepared for shore power installation.
International portsContainer Shipping NewsAsia-EuropePort infrastructure

Two niche container lines launching trans-Atlantic services

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
Newly launched ocean carriers Kalypso and Ellerman are debuting trans-Atlantic services for US shippers that want to bypass the delays and congestion seen over most of 2022.
North American portsPort infrastructure

Feds award $93 million to Jacksonville dredging project

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
The award of two federal grants to the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) will help fund a dredging project that will allow the port to handle larger vessels.
North American portsPort infrastructure

Hamburg widens Elbe ‘passing box’ to boost mega-ship access

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
It has taken many years, but tangible progress is finally being made in the engineering works to widen and deepen the Port of Hamburg’s key access waterway.
International portsPort infrastructure

Dredge project will prepare Mexico’s Altamira port for 14,000-TEU ships

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
Altamira, Mexico’s fourth-largest port by cargo volume, is moving ahead with dredging work and a bridge repair project that port officials hope will attract larger cargo volumes.
International portsPort infrastructure

Virginia unveils plan to reverse falling export volumes

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor |
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam unveiled an international trade plan to boost exports by 50 percent in the next 15 years, a key initiative since laden exports fell between January and August for the second consecutive year.
North American portsPort infrastructure

JAXPORT expansion gets federal funding boost

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor |
JAXPORT received a $20 million grant from the USDOT, which will fund a portion of the $238 million cost of expanding the Blount Island terminal in Jacksonville as part of a long-term plan to drive more traffic and larger containerships to the port.
North American portsPort infrastructure

PhilaPort counts on volume growth as expansion nears end

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
The Port of Philadelphia is planning for an increase in rail cargo and refrigerated goods as it as it prepares to handle larger vessels when the dredging of the Delaware River is complete.
North American portsPort infrastructure

Mobile seeks $250 million to advance 50-foot dredging

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
Vessels of up to 14,000 TEU could be calling at the Port of Mobile by 2024 if a $400 million dredging project approved three weeks ago by the US Army Corps of Engineers goes according to plan.
North American portsPort infrastructure

JAXPORT gets $35.3 million toward dredging

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor |
The state of Florida has appropriated $35.3 million dollars to deepen the Jacksonville Harbor to 47 feet along a 11-mile stretch to the Blount Island terminal by 2023.
North American portsPort infrastructure

Houston looks to accelerate channel-widening project

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
The Port of Houston is looking for industry and public support as it tries to accelerate the pace of a project to widen the Houston Ship Channel amid growing cargo volumes.
North American portsPort infrastructure

Elbe dredging serves notice to Hamburg rivals

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
It has taken many years, but finally dredging work on the crucial river access to Europe’s third-largest port has begun.
International portsPort infrastructure

Houston adds $300,000 for channel widening study

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
Private businesses that would benefit from a project to widen and deepen the Houston Ship Channel could speed its completion by helping fund the $1 billion project, officials said.
North American portsPort infrastructure

ILA, USMX urge Texas to reject Houston ship limitation

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
Non-container vessel operators and users say the increasing size of container ships, and the narrowness of the channel, means that other ships are sometimes restricted from using the channel because container ships are so large no other vessel can occupy the channel.
North American portsPort infrastructure

Houston port authority seeks flexibility in channel restriction

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
While the Port of Houston Authority ruled that only one container vessel larger than 9,500 TEU could traverse the port channel each week, the authority argues that enshrining the limit into law could have sweeping consequences that would damage the port economy.
North American portsPort infrastructure

Limit on big ships in Houston raises concerns

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
Resin industry and other exporters are bracing for the impact of a new Port of Houston regulation limiting mega-ship transport on the port’s main channel to one a week.
North American portsPort infrastructure

NY-NJ lays ground for 18,000-TEU ships

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
The Port of New York and New Jersey is preparing for the future arrival of 18,000-TEU vessels by raising cranes, planning new dredging, and looking to improve the efficiency of ships through its main channel.
Marine terminalsPort infrastructure

Project to allow dual mega-ships at Baltimore advances

Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor |
A $6.9 million federal grant will enable the Port of Baltimore to dredge to 50 feet a berth at its only container terminal, enabling the terminal to better handle growing cargo volumes by hosting two mega-ships at once.
Port infrastructure

Low water highlights need for Hamburg port deepening

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Port of Hamburg marketing joint CEO Ingo Egloff said the vital infrastructure project was being blocked by objections from environmental pressure groups, which he said was unacceptable.
International portsPort infrastructure

Santos dredging deal allows ships to carry more cargo

Rob Ward, Brazil Special Correspondent |
A deal between the port of Santos and pilots will allow more cargo to enter the port and provide carriers with more operational flexibility.
Port infrastructureContainer lines