JAXPORT Growth Outlook Includes Business Diversification, New Trade Lane Connectivity

Feb. 6, 2025 - During today’s State of the Port address, Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) Chief Executive Officer Eric Green and Chief Commercial Officer Robert Peek discussed how the port’s business diversification, increased global connectivity, and ongoing terminal upgrades position the port for growth and success in 2025 and beyond. 

Cargo activity through Jacksonville’s seaport supported more than 228,100 jobs in Florida and $44 billion in annual economic output for the region and state in 2024, according to newly released data.

Hosted by the Propeller Club of the United States – Port of Jacksonville, State of the Port provides an update on JAXPORT initiatives and supply chain trends impacting Northeast Florida’s maritime industry to a crowd of approximately 600 transportation and logistics professionals.

“From the addition of new trade lanes to the completion of major growth projects, 2025 is shaping up to be a transformational year for JAXPORT,” said JAXPORT Chair Wendy Hamilton. “CEO Green has a clear vision for the continued growth and development of JAXPORT—strengthening the supply chain and creating an environment where the port’s customers and partners can thrive.”

As new global ocean carrier alliances begin this month, JAXPORT is maintaining and growing its container services through strategic partnerships with the world’s top ocean carriers. These new and modified service routes provide JAXPORT with access to more global markets than ever before, expanding the port’s connectivity to new and emerging markets.

“Our mission is to be an economic engine and job creator for the community,” said CEO Eric Green. “We achieve this through strategic growth across our lines of business and major initiatives to expand our capabilities across our key cargo types – containers, autos and breakbulk. Public and private investments in our terminals ensure JAXPORT continues to generate business growth benefitting our region and state.”

Significant investments to enhance JAXPORT’s cargo-handling capabilities that will be completed in 2025:

• SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal: The $72 million modernization project to expand the SSA Terminal will be completed this spring. The facility features 97 acres of newly paved asphalt and can accommodate about 650,000 TEUs annually, bringing JAXPORT’s total TEU capacity to approximately 2 million TEUs annually, nearly double its current throughput.
• New Cranes: JAXPORT is investing more than $70 million to maintain and upgrade its container crane fleet, including three new cranes that will arrive later this year. The three new Liebherr cranes will serve the Puerto Rico trade as well as international volumes.
• Southeast Toyota Distributors: Construction of a new 340,000-square-foot state-of-the-art auto processing facility at Blount Island will be completed this summer. The new facility, funded with $120 million in private investment, enables Southeast Toyota Distributors to process more vehicles annually through Jacksonville and supports more than 800 jobs.
• Auto berth upgrade: Last month, JAXPORT completed the expansion of Vehicle Berth 22 at Blount Island to accommodate larger ships calling the terminal more efficiently.

Other initiatives include:

• Increasing the air draft: JAXPORT is working with local electric provider JEA on a project to raise the overhead powerlines near Blount Island to an operational clearance of 205 feet. Increasing the air draft allows more ships to utilize Jacksonville’s 47-foot deepwater shipping channel and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.
• Breakbulk: Terminal operator Enstructure will expand its current operations at the Talleyrand terminal once Southeast Toyota relocates to Blount Island. The project includes the addition of a 250,000 square foot warehouse, which will increase the port’s on-terminal covered capacity to handle non-containerized cargo such as forest products by 20 percent.
• Autos: A $54 million project to build a new vehicle berth 20 at Blount Island will be completed in 2027.

The advantages driving growth on the cargo side, anchored by Jacksonville’s location in the heart of the fast-growing Southeast U.S., is also driving demand for the port’s cruise business. Last year, Carnival marked 20 years of cruising from JAXPORT and 206,000 passengers set sail, a new port record. This fall, JAXPORT will welcome Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) Norwegian Gem, marking the first time an NCL ship has been homeported in Jacksonville.

Located in the Southeastern U.S. at the crossroads of the nation’s rail and highway network, JAXPORT is a global gateway to Florida, the nation’s third-largest state. Jacksonville is Florida’s largest container port and one of the nation’s largest ports for vehicle handling and non-containerized (breakbulk) cargo. The port offers fast and efficient vessel operations with a 47-foot deepwater shipping channel, two-way ship traffic, and same-day access to nearly 100 million U.S. consumers.

SOURCE: JAXPORT

WALLENIUS SOL and BB Logistics Create Warehouse Partnership in Kemi, Finland

Jan. 17, 2025 - WALLENIUS SOL and BB Logistics recently signed a long-term agreement to provide warehouse services in Kemi, Finland.

The contract became effective January 1.

The contract includes a 12,000 m² warehouse in the Port of Kemi, which will be operated by BB Logistics. This collaboration will enable WALLENIUS SOL to offer comprehensive warehousing solutions for its customers on the weekly liner service to Kemi.

“Through this agreement, we are securing essential warehousing capacity in Kemi, which is vital for meeting the increasing demand in the region. This capacity will support both ongoing projects and the steady flow of regular cargo in the years to come,” says Jonas Wåhlin, Chief Commercial Officer at WALLENIUS SOL.

The Port of Kemi is well connected within the WALLENIUS SOL network, linking major cargo hubs such as Travemünde, Zeebrugge, and Antwerp. Cargo arriving in containers, trailers, cassettes, or SECUs will be efficiently unloaded into the warehouse for storage and further distribution across northern Finland, Sweden and Norway.

“We take great pride in serving the logistical needs of northern Finland and Sweden through the Port of Kemi. Our strong partnership with WALLENIUS SOL enables us to swiftly address the challenges of the logistics sector,” says Kim Lindström, Managing Director of BB Logistics.

On the export side, the warehouse will serve as a key hub for the consolidation and storage of goods, ensuring efficient and smooth handling of outbound shipments.

Jonas Wåhlin adds, “The region is rapidly developing, driven by major industrial investments, particularly in green technologies. Our Enabler vessels provide a sustainable shipping solution that supports these projects and the expected growth in exports.”

Euroports Finland owns a substantial part of BB Logistics and offers services along the entire coastline from Kemi to Hamina.

SOURCE: Euroports

Port of Savannah’s Ocean Terminal Receives Four New Electric Ship-to-Shore Cranes

Jan. 27, 2025 - The Port of Savannah received four new electric ship-to-shore cranes on January 25, 2025, bringing Ocean Terminal’s fleet to eight Super Post Panamax cranes, all designed by Finland-based, Konecranes.

Once all cranes are commissioned and berth construction is completed, the eight ship-to-shore cranes at Ocean Terminal will have the capability to service two vessels simultaneously.

“The completion of this project upgrade in 2028 will enable Ocean Terminal to accommodate the largest vessels serving the U.S. East Coast,” said Ed McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer of Georgia Ports. “Our goal is to ensure customers have the future berth capacity for their larger vessels’ first port of calls with the fastest U.S. inland connectivity to compete in world markets.”

Ocean Terminal, while still open and operating, is currently in a renovation phase. The GPA board approved a $29 million exit ramp from the terminal enabling direct to local highways which will allow trucks direct highway transit to Atlanta without any traffic lights until entering Atlanta. The ramp project is 70% complete and is designed with the local community in mind to keep container trucks off local neighborhood roads.

SOURCE: Georgia Ports Authority

Port of Vancouver Installing New Navigation Aids to Enhance Marine Traffic Safety in Eastern Burrard Inlet

Jan. 15, 2025 - The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has commissioned the installation of new navigation aids in eastern Burrard Inlet that will enable safer and more efficient ship movements through the busy Second Narrows waterway.

This work includes installing two solar-powered range lights and a sector light off Berry Point, and illuminating the pillars of the Second Narrows Rail Bridge. Installation will start mid-January and is scheduled to be completed in the spring, with the navigation aids expected to be turned on and trialed by the Pacific Pilotage Authority and BC Coast Pilots starting late-April.

What are range lights?

Range lights provide spatial reference points to cargo ships transiting through confined waters such as the Second Narrows waterway. Captains and pilots use these visual markers to centre ships within navigational channels and maintain safe courses. Because their glow is only visible to large ships in transit, range lights are non-disruptive to surrounding communities and ecosystems.

“The new navigation aids will enhance marine safety and offer ship operators moving through the Second Narrows and terminals located in eastern Burrard Inlet more flexibility in their scheduling — in line with our role as a Canada Port Authority to oversee the safe and efficient movement of goods and vessels on port waters,” said Sean Baxter, the port authority’s Acting Director of Marine Operations and Harbour Master. “They will also boost efficiency and fluidity by allowing nighttime eastbound transits for larger ships — increasing the transit windows available for cargo vessels to move through the Second Narrows traffic control zone by up to 38%.”

The navigation aids will support more than 500 cargo ships calls a year to seven marine terminals located in eastern Burrard Inlet and enable large ships to move through the Second Narrows in an eastbound direction at night, increasing transit capacity and fluidity in this key trade area at the Port of Vancouver.

Second Narrows (also called Traffic Control Zone 2) is the only area within the port where nighttime transit restrictions are in place. These restrictions — applicable to vessels above a certain size — are part of a suite of standards and procedures to facilitate safe transit through a narrow and constrained shipping channel and support other safety measures such as tug assist and pilot requirements.

This initiative builds on comprehensive risk and site assessments conducted in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, Pacific Pilotage Authority and BC Coast Pilots.

SOURCE: Vancouver Fraser Port Authority