US port news: Full steam ahead

Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) has announced that trade with India grew faster than with any other country among the top 20 over the past fiscal year.

India is the world’s fastest growing major economy and is expected to become the third largest economy by 2027. Its global exports were one-tenth of China’s in 2021, but now exceed all other emerging markets except Mexico’s and Vietnam’s, according to World Bank data.

The Port of Savannah handles more India trade than any other US port except NY/NJ and GPA imports from India over the past five years were up 52%. In FY23, imports constituted 63% of GPA’s total India volumes, signalling well-balanced trade.

No other US port expanded India trade by more containers than the Port of Savannah, by a margin of 14,000 twentyfoot equivalent container units, according to PIERS-Enterprise loaded cargo data.

“Our growth trajectory with India is extremely strong and we are actively taking steps to increase our presence in the market,” said Griff Lynch, president/CEO, GPA. “As production shifts to India and as demand in its economy rises, that trade increasingly favors the Port of Savannah’s strategic location over West Coast ports, due to time and cost.”

Import-export volumes between Savannah and India totalled 279,149 TEUs last fiscal year, for an increase of 18% or 43,333 TEUs.

GPA announced exports to India grew by 50% in FY23 vs FY22 and by nearly 80% in the past five years and overall GPA trade with the South Asian nation grew by 18% in the past fiscal year and 61% over the past five years.

GPA has weekly container services with India’s major ports of Nhava Sheva (India’s commercial and financial hub – and largest port), Mundra and Pipavav.

India’s infrastructure is currently being upgraded and the nation plans to invest $82 billion in port projects by 2035.

HYDROGEN FUEL CELL CARGOHANDLING

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have announced they will receive a portion of the US Department of Energy’s grant funds to advance the use of hydrogen fuel in goods movement.

The funds, which will be equally matched by the ports and their tenants, will involve deploying hydrogen fuel cell cargo-handling equipment and mobile hydrogen-fueling trucks or stations in the ports’ terminals.

Subsequent phases will add additional cargo-handling equipment and support the statewide deployment of 5,000 hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks.

The US Department of Energy will award up to $1.2 billion in grant funding to a public-private partnership formed to lead California’s bid to create a hydrogen hub.

ARCHES – the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems – administered California’s grant application for a green hydrogen hub under the US Department of Energy’s Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the H2Hubs program will be one of the largest investments in the history of the Department of Energy.

“We’re thrilled to play a significant role in this hydrogen hub public-private partnership,” said Lucille Roybal-Allard, president, Los Angeles Harbor Commission “Transitioning to hydrogen fuel technology in the maritime and transportation industries is critical as the Port of Los Angeles moves toward our ultimate goal of zero emissions.”

“The Port of Los Angeles is eager to partner with ARCHES in our quest to zero-emissions operations,” said Gene Seroka, executive director, the Port of Los Angeles. “We’ll use this grant, along with unprecedented levels of port funding, to support the purchase of hydrogen fuel cell-powered equipment on all modes of transportation throughout the port complex. We are excited about the transformation that hydrogen will play in our zero-emissions future.”

Together, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles created the landmark Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) - a strategy to tackle every source of port-related air pollution.

Updated in 2017, the CAAP aims to accelerate progress towards a zeroemissions future while protecting and strengthening the ports’ competitive position in the global economy.

Since 2005, port-related air pollution emissions in San Pedro Bay have dropped 90% for diesel particulate matter, 61% for nitrogen oxides, and 95% for sulphur oxides. Targets for reducing greenhouse gases from port-related sources were introduced as part of the 2017 CAAP. The document calls for the ports to reduce GHGs 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The Clean Air Action Plan was originally approved in 2006.

PORT OF HOUSTON

Lineage, temperature-controlled industrial REIT (Real Estate Investment Trusts) has celebrated the opening of its newest facility in Houston, Texas.

Houston ColdPort is located near the Jacintoport Terminal at Port Houston, essential for the Houston Ship Channel and an integral component of Houston’s international trade activity.

Spanning approximately 315,000 square feet, the facility marks the sixth location in Lineage’s Greater Houston network and is designed to support many customer and business needs, complementing the company’s additional locations across Texas as well as its global network of more than 400 facilities.

Houston ColdPort offers integrated and streamlined transportation and drayage operations within the market to support import, export and domestic demand.

“We are excited to strengthen our presence in Houston at such a pivotal time for the market,” said Brian Beattie, president, Lineage North American West. “The city has recently seen a surge in port demand amid congestion and other issues at the big ports on the West Coast. By adding ColdPort to our Houston network, Lineage’s customers have another option to help manage their costs and increase productivity. Additionally, they’ll have better access to our world-class global network.”

Lineage currently employs more than 1,200 team members across its 19 facilities in Texas, which have a combined capacity of more than 189 million cubic feet and approximately 532,000 pallet positions.

Leaders from Lineage, Boomerang Interests, ARCO Design/Build and the Houston Port Authority attended the opening of the facility during a ribboncutting ceremony recently.

“We’re thrilled to deliver Houston ColdPort to the Houston community, and extremely proud to partner with Lineage, the leading operator of temperaturecontrolled facilities,” said Andy Cyrus, co-founder/managing partner, Boomerang Interests.

“This ribbon cutting is an exciting day for a whole team of contributors as we mark the completion of a vision that started in 2019 as a speculative cold storage facility and is now the home of Lineage in 2023,” said Eric M. Safko, CEO, ARCO Design/ Build Houston. “Maintaining flexibility in the design and construction process was key to our success, allowing Lineage’s operations to work within it. The facility contains approximately 36,000 pallet positions, 192 QFR Zone pallet positions and is temperature-controlled by the EXPERT Refrigeration System. We appreciate the ARCO team - everyone from our designers and construction staff to our third-party vendors who turned the vision into a reality. I also want to extend a special thank you to Boomerang Interests and Lineage for allowing us to be part of this incredible project.”

PORT OF BRUNSWICK

The Port of Brunswick has launched a short sea service to Mexico, with the first shipment of more than 1,000 vehicles delivered through the national gateway in November.

The Gold Star service offering from Zim (dangerous cargo operator) delivers more timely, efficient, and secure delivery of Rollon/ Roll-off cargo compared to shipping overland, port officials said.

“We are proud to welcome this new service, a key option for automotive manufacturers looking for a fast, secure link when shipping into the US via manufacturing sites in Mexico,” said Bruce Kuzma, VP of Trade Development, Ocean Carrier & Non-Container Sales, Georgia Ports Authority.

The Gold Star Service’s maiden vessel, the Sebring, called on the Port of Brunswick during the first week of November, marking a new route for carmakers to ship vehicles into the national gateway for autos and machinery.

The Port of Brunswick is currently experiencing a major increase in cargo volumes, as the Georgia Ports expands infrastructure there to establish the gateway as the No. 1 Ro/Ro port in the nation.

In September alone, the Port of Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal saw a monthly volume increase of 61%, handling 70,645 units of Ro/Ro cargo compared to 43,900 units the same month last year.

The Port of Brunswick is currently undergoing more than $262 million in improvements, with upgrades including 640,000 square feet of auto and machinery processing space across five buildings, including 350,000 square feet of near-dock warehousing; and an additional 122 acres of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo storage space.

“It’s an exciting time for Georgia Ports as we continue to invest in the Port of Brunswick to meet our customers’ evolving supply chain needs,” Kuzma added.

GPA is pursuing a two-pillar strategy to specialize and scale operations for customers, with the Port of Brunswick handling all Roll-on/Roll-off cargo and the Port of Savannah all container trade.