SC Ports Posts Milestone 2018 Fiscal Year
Jul 18, 2018 02:17PM ● By Emily Stevenson
South
Carolina Ports Authority posted strong performance across multiple
business segments in fiscal year 2018, achieving new records for monthly
and annual container volumes as well as progress of key capital
projects.
“SCPA
had an ambitious growth plan for the 2018 fiscal year, and our progress
across all business segments is a true accomplishment,” said SCPA
president and CEO Jim Newsome. “Growth of 3 percent in FY2018 on the
heels of 10 percent growth last fiscal year reflects broad-based
expansion of the Port’s cargo base as well as strong operational
performance of our port. Our container volume growth is further driven
by the upsizing of vessels, with 18 of SCPA’s 26 weekly container
services utilizing neo-Panamax ships.”
SCPA
handled 2.2 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) in
FY2018, a peak in fiscal year container volume for the Port. March
through June marked the highest months of container volume in the Port’s
history.
In breakbulk, or non-containerized cargo, Charleston handled 760,501 pier tons from July through June. Within the breakbulk business segment, SCPA moved 232,075 vehicles across the docks of the Columbus Street Terminal in FY2018.
Expansion
of cargo at Inland Port Greer played a key role in the Port’s overall
growth. The facility handled 10,184 rail lifts in June for a total 117,812 rail
lifts during the fiscal year. Success of Inland Port Greer was a driver
in SCPA’s decision to open a second facility, Inland Port Dillon, in
April.
Terminal Modernization and Capacity
In
addition to volume growth, SCPA achieved significant progress of key
projects in FY2018. The nearly three-year effort to strengthen and
refurbish the Wando Welch Terminal wharf will be completed on July 23,
when all three terminal berths return to normal operations in
conjunction with the commissioning of the terminal’s sixth ship-to-shore
(STS) crane with 155 feet of lift height. By the end of the year, two
additional cranes of the same size will become operational, with one
additional crane to be delivered in late 2019, for the efficient
handling of two 13,000 TEU or larger vessels simultaneously.
A
$370 million project underway at the Wando Terminal will increase
capacity by 700,000 TEUs by the end of 2019. Upon completion, the
terminal will offer 13 STS cranes, including nine cranes with 155 feet
of lift height; 62 rubber-tired gantry cranes and 23 empty handlers;
3,800 feet of wharf, capable of handling three neo-Panamax ships; an
enhanced traffic pattern and 40 gates, including 27 inbound and 13
outbound, for continued efficiency and low turn times; and a new 35-acre
chassis yard for the proposed Southern States Chassis Pool.
“SCPA
has an aggressive target of 1.3 million pier containers for FY 2019,
volume growth that is consistent with our expectations for the further
development of the region’s cargo base along with the capable
infrastructure provided by the Port,” Newsome said. “We will continue to
closely monitor the development of the multilateral trade and tariff
discussions for potential impacts.”
Charleston Harbor Deepening
Construction
on the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project to 52 feet, which began in
February, is well underway with three Great Lakes Dock and Dredge
Company dredges currently at work in the Entrance Channel. The next
construction contract will be awarded in the fall for dredging the
harbor to the Wando Terminal. This contract will include widening the
turning basin to 1,850 feet, a benefit that will be realized prior to
the slated completion of this construction phase in March 2021.
Cargo Base Expansion
Beyond
infrastructure projects, FY2018 also marked successful milestones in
the expansion of SCPA’s cargo base and the addition of new facilities to
serve growing markets.
Frontier
Logistics successfully opened a transloading operation on Union Pier
Terminal in August to support growth of the Port’s plastics and resins
business. Frontier has been operating in Charleston since 2011, handling
bagging and seabulk transloading for both import and export resins and
plastics producers.
SCPA
recently closed on the purchase of a nearly 950-acre industrial tract
in Ridgeville, South Carolina to support import and export distribution
growth. The rail-served site offers nearly 750 developable acres for
port-related industry use.
Board Action
At
their monthly meeting today, the SCPA Board approved a $53.8 million
contract for construction of the wharf structure for Phase One of the
Hugh K. Leatherman, Senior Terminal. The new terminal will open in 2021
to accommodate growth of the Port’s containerized cargo business.