PhilaPort Receives $246 Million in State Funding to Bolster Port Development

Feb. 7, 2022 - Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf on Feb. 4 announced a $246 million state investment into the Port of Philadelphia to continue modernization efforts and improve regional economic stability. This funding builds upon the Governor’s comprehensive $300 million Capital Investment Program at the Port of Philadelphia announced in 2016.

In 2016, Governor Wolf announced his Port Development Plan to redevelop underutilized areas of the Port of Philadelphia by investing more than $300 million in the port’s infrastructure, warehousing, and equipment. Critical infrastructure investments included the purchase and implementation of three new super post-Panamax cranes at the Packer Avenue Marine terminal, the building of two new state-of-the-art warehouses, and the development of the SouthPort Auto Terminal, the first new port terminal in more than 45 years. Since implementing the infrastructure improvement plan the port has realized record breaking cargo volumes, nearly 60 percent container growth, and created thousands of new jobs.

“Governor Wolf’s leadership and vision breathed new life into the Port of Philadelphia,” said Executive Director and CEO of PhilaPort Jeff Theobald. “He has given us the tools to take our meaningful place as the gateway of choice for global cargoes.”

U.S. Senator Bob Casey said, “The Port of Philadelphia is one of the most critical links in the country’s supply chain,” said U.S. Senator Bob Casey. “Its success is vital to the economic health of Pennsylvania and its impacts ripple throughout the commonwealth. This investment will create jobs not only at the port, but also for workers who transport goods across the region and the country.”

Senator Nikil Saval added, “PhilaPort is the fastest growing port in the United States, serving as a crucial point of connection between our country and the rest of the world, and providing our region with good, family-sustaining jobs. This investment in PhilaPort will help solidify Pennsylvania’s preeminence along the Eastern Seaboard in ensuring the smooth transit of essential supplies.”

SOURCE: Port of Philadelphia

Port of Dundee Welcomes Timber Shipment Direct from the Far East

Feb. 1, 2022 - The Port of Dundee (UK)  welcomed the arrival of the 177-metre long deep sea vessel the Ha Long Bay with her cargo of 12,000 packs of plywood on board.

The large cargo vessel sailed up the Tay direct from the Far East (China) and is one of the largest cargo vessels to be handled at the busy port. The 12,000 packs of plywood were discharged in record time by the expert port team who completed the job in just 15 days.

“We are used to seeing large rigs in the Port of Dundee, but it is unusual for the port to handle such a large vessel direct from the Far East,” said David Webster, Director of Energy for Forth Ports. “Vessels like the Ha Long Bay are normally frequent arrivals at large London ports, however with the Tay’s deep water, our upgraded quayside facilities and available land we were able to berth and discharge the ship in record time.”

The large shipment of plywood is destined for UK construction projects around the country.

About Forth Ports

Forth Ports Limited owns and operates eight commercial ports in the UK, including Port of Dundee. Within and around the Firths of Forth and Tay, Forth Ports manages and operates an area of 280 square miles of navigable waters, including two specialised marine terminals for oil and gas export and provides other marine services, such as towage and conservancy. The Port of Tilbury has invested £10 million in overhauling their four rail terminals to support increased bulk and domestic intermodal flows, as part of a hub-to-hub model with Grangemouth. To learn more, visit: Forth Ports

SCA Logistics Opens Its New Terminal at Port of Tilbury in UK

Jan. 31, 2022 - SCA Logistics announced that on January 22 it opened a new port terminal in the Port of Tilbury in Essex, UK. This coincides with the closure of SCA’s terminal in the Port of Sheerness (UK).

The objective of the move is more efficient distribution, SCA said.

SCA explained that the process of integrating SCA’s digital information flow with the Port of Tilbury has been ongoing for some time and mid-January a SCA RoRo vessel leaving from Sweden could make its first call at the port.

“While moving a complex operation from one location to another is a challenge, we managed to be ready in time and according to plan,” said Steve Harley, former managing director of SCA Logistics’ UK terminal.

Tilbury is not unknown territory for SCA Logistics, which first established a terminal at the Port of Tilbury in 1967. The operation moved to Sheerness in 2015, further downstream on the Thames and closer to the North Sea, only to return to Tilbury seven years later.

According to Steve Harley, the additional 20 nauticalRev and the lock that must be navigated to reach Tilbury are compensated for by the shorter distances by land to customers and improved access by road.

“Tilbury is significantly closer to the M25, which is the main artery connecting England’s motorway network,” he explained. “There is also space for collaboration with new customers.”

SOURCE: SCA

SSA Marine and The Northwest Seaport Alliance Welcome First Vessel Call to Modernized Terminal 5 in Seattle

Jan. 10, 2022 - Phase one of Terminal 5 is open for cargo ships to call the NWSA gateway. The MSC Monterey is the first vessel to call the newly modernized terminal with four new Super-post Panamax cranes ready to work the ship.  The Terminal 5 Modernization Program launched in 2016 to expand gateway cargo capacity and enable The Northwest Seaport Alliance to service the largest vessels in the Transpacific trade.

“The opening of Terminal 5 will add an additional berth to our gateway at a time when the supply chain is under increased pressure. We are the only gateway bringing additional berth capacity to our harbors on the West Coast at this critical time. By adding additional deep-water terminal space, we can serve the largest vessels in the industry and increase cargo volumes that benefit our local, state, and regional economy for years to come,” said Port of Tacoma Commission President and NWSA Co-Chair Don Meyer.

“The modernization of Terminal 5 was a strategic decision made by Managing Members at the establishment of The Northwest Seaport Alliance. The opening of phase one of Terminal 5 is a significant milestone for our gateway. This investment will increase our ports’ competitiveness, support additional maritime jobs, and reduce our environmental impact by enabling ships to use shore power rather than running their generators while at berth,” stated Port of Seattle Commission President and NWSA Co-Chair, Ryan Calkins.

“We are proud to have invested along-side and work with the Northwest Seaport Alliance to bring on this much needed additional T5 terminal capacity. Larger ships and increased volumes are coming and we want to be ahead of the curve in meeting our customer’s needs” stated Ed DeNike, President of SSA Terminals.

“The opening of Terminal 5 adds another berth to the Seattle harbor and supports more jobs, local businesses, and economic growth across our region. The men and women of the ILWU continue to be ready to move more cargo through The Northwest Seaport Alliance gateway”, stated Rich Austin President of ILWU Local 19.

Construction on the new facility launched in July 2019, fueled by the combined investment from the NWSA Managing Members and SSA Marine of approximately half a billion dollars. The strategic investment of modernizing Terminal 5 will increase cargo capacity and job opportunities in the Puget Sound region. The terminal renovations include two reconfigured berths to support larger cranes, on-dock rail, 1,500 refrigerated plug-ins, and shore power capability.

Terminal 5 is equipped to support both efficiency of operations and the surrounding environment. On-dock rail will play a significant role in helping to reduce truck traffic around the Terminal with discretionary cargo headed for the mid-west being loaded directly onto railcars instead of loading on trucks to move off-terminal. The terminal’s shore power capability will reduce vessel emissions while at berth. Vessels will be able to plug into the electrical grid and utilize cleaner energy than burning fuel. This will reduce negative impacts to surrounding near-port communities and help the NWSA reach its emission reduction targets.

SSA Terminals purchased four Super-post Panamax cranes which were delivered to Terminal 5 and commissioned for use in 2021. Each crane stands 316 feet tall with a 240-foot outreach boom and can lift 65 tons providing increased capacity and job opportunities for our region. Labor began working the first vessel on January 7th.

Phase Two of the Modernization program is underway with operations in the south berth expected to be complete in mid-2023. At full completion, Terminal 5 will boast 185-acres of additional capacity. Beyond import cargo, the opening of Terminal 5 will also help increase opportunities for agriculture exporters from the mid-west and eastern Washington to move their goods to overseas markets.

SOURCE: The Northwest Seaport Alliance