Marine Link
Friday, March 29, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Port Of Charleston News

05 Dec 2022

Charleston has Deepest Harbor on US East Coast

(Image: SC Ports)

Charleston Harbor is now the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet.At 52 feet, the biggest ships calling the East Coast can access South Carolina Ports’ terminals any time, any tide. Ships filled with record imports and heavy exports can seamlessly sail through Charleston Harbor to SC Ports’ terminals.This depth makes SC Ports more competitive, helping to attract new ship services, first-in-calls and more cargo to South Carolina.Governor Henry McMaster and other state elected leaders…

03 Feb 2020

SC Ports Constructs New Container Terminal

South Carolina (SC) Ports has celebrated the structural completion of the operations building at Hugh K. Leatherman Sr. Terminal, a new container terminal along the Cooper River, which will open in March 2021.S.C. Ports celebrated today the structural completion of the terminal’s new operations building. More than 300 people — contractors, port employees, elected leaders and community members — cheered as a steel beam and tree were placed atop the steel structure as part of a traditional “topping out” ceremony.The 34,853-square-foot building, built by Samet Corp., will have offices, meeting spaces, crane operator rest and training areas, and a full-service kitchen, as well as the backup power required to maintain critical infrastructure in the event of a power outage.Sen. Hugh K.

06 Jan 2020

MARAD Awards Marine Highways Grants

Š vitec40 / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Monday announced more than $7.5 million in grants to nine Marine Highway projects. The funding, provided by MARAD’s America’s Marine Highway Program, will go toward enhancing existing services in Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington“This $7.5 million investment will improve our country’s vital fuel-efficient waterway transportation system, which makes an important contribution to exports and economic growth,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L.

04 Nov 2020

INSIGHTS: Loy Stewart, Jr.

Loy Stewart, Jr., President, Detyens Shipyards

Loy Stewart, Jr. is President, Detyens Shipyards. He is a 1991 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point where he earned a degree in Marine Engineering. After several months sailing on the Sealift Atlantic, Loy began working at Detyens as a Ship Superintendent and coordinated work on numerous commercial and navy contracts. In 1996, when the Detyens Shipyards were divided into separate profit centers, Loy Jr. was promoted to Profit Center Manager of the Wando facility.

05 Sep 2019

USCG's Dorian Response in Bahamas Continues

Coast Guard personnel help medevac a patient in the Bahamas during Hurricane Dorian. The Coast Guard is supporting the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency and the Royal Bahamian Defense Force with hurricane response efforts. (Coast Guard Photo)

Coast Guard Hurricane Dorian response operations are underway in support of the Bahamas.As of Wednesday at 1000 hours:Coast Guard crews from across the Coast Guard have rescued 61 people and rescued four pets in the Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian began.The Coast Guard is currently conducting air operations based out of Andros Island, Bahamas. Other aspects f the USCG response are as follows:Port Condition Zulu is set for the Port of Palm BeachPort Condition Four for the Ports of Fort Pierce…

04 Sep 2019

USCG Sets Port Condition Zulu for Charleston

Photo: NOAA

Effective 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) set Port Condition Zulu for the Port of Charleston due to the anticipated arrival of sustained gale force winds from Hurricane Dorian within 12 hours.During port condition Zulu, no vessels may enter or transit within the port without permission of the COTP. The Coast Guard and port partners will assess the condition of the port as soon as it is safe to do so in order to expedite the lifting of vessel restrictions.WARNINGThe Coast Guard’s search and rescue capabilities degrade as storm conditions strengthen.

11 Jul 2019

SC Ports Reports Record Cargo Volumes

Image: South Carolina Ports Authority

South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) handled record cargo volumes at the Port of Charleston in fiscal year 2019.SCPA handled nearly 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) from July 2018 through June, an 8.8% increase in annual TEU container volume.SCPA moved 200,406 TEUs across the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals last month. As measured by the total number of boxes handled, SCPA moved 112,988 pier containers in June for a total of 1.36 million pier containers annually…

24 Jun 2019

Shipping Company Pleads Guilty to Environmental Laws

Portline Bulk International S.A. pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston, South Carolina, to one count of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and one count of Obstruction. The charges stem from the falsification of the Oil Record Book onboard the M/V Achilleus, a Maltese-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier ship managed by Defendant Portline.From April 2017 to August 2018, senior members of the vessel’s engineering team oversaw and participated in the bypass of the ship’s Oil Water Separator utilizing a yellow plastic hose, referred to as a magic pipe. The ship’s Chief Engineer made a series of fake entries and key omissions in the Oil Record Book in order to conceal the illegal overboard discharges of oily bilge water. On Aug.

15 May 2019

OP/ED: Is Short Sea shipping on the horizon along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway?

Are paradigms shifting on the increased role of inland waterways with respect to short sea shipping and the Nation’s marine transportation system? Investigation and implementation of new commerce shipping avenues are becoming more common along the Eastern seaboard of the United States with each new announcement of a Port Authority supporting the development of shipping routes for container on barge services.In the past few weeks, the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) furthered their quest to develop a marine highway to support the Port of Charleston in South Carolina.

01 May 2019

SC Ports to Use Tideworks Solutions

The provider of comprehensive terminal operating system (TOS) solutions, Tideworks Technology announced that South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) has successfully gone live with Tideworks’ graphical planning solution, Spinnaker, at the Port of Charleston’s Wando Welch and North Charleston terminals.This is the first phase of the Port of Charleston project and the second implementation of Tideworks’ TOS solutions within the SCPA network. Inland Port Dillon went live with Tideworks’ Intermodal Pro® terminal operating system in April 2018.In this first phase of the project, all stevedores in the port complex have access to the system’s platform to increase process visibility throughout the terminal.

07 Jan 2019

South Carolina Ports Authority Marks 6.4% Container Volume Growth

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), which operates the Port of Charleston and other facilities, today reported 6.4 percent year-over-year container volume growth, with a record 2.3 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) handled in 2018.Last year marked the third consecutive calendar year of record TEU volume for SCPA. The Port moved 199,701 TEUs in December alone, a 9.2 percent increase over December 2017 and the strongest December in SCPA history.As measured by the total number of boxes handled, SCPA moved 114,018 pier containers in December and a record 1.3 million pier containers in 2018.“We are pleased to report our strongest December in history and record-breaking growth of our container business in calendar year 2018,” said SCPA president and CEO Jim Newsome.

17 Dec 2017

SC Ports Handles Container Volume Growth

South Carolina Ports Authority’s 2018 fiscal year container volume through November grew 2.5 percent compared to last year, with 886,414 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) handled by the Port of Charleston since July. The Port moved 163,592 TEUs during the month of November, with a balanced mix of import and export cargo. As measured in pier container volume, or the total number of boxes handled, the Port moved 92,329 containers in November. Fiscal year to date, SCPA has handled 502,063 pier containers, an increase of 2.9 percent over the same period last year. Inland Port Greer handled 7,308 rail moves in November. With 49,482 rail moves handled to date in FY18, the facility’s growing volumes are 10.2 percent higher than last year.

16 Aug 2017

Detyens Sees Uptick in International Repair Work

Photo: Detyens Shipyards, Inc

International vessels have been trading in the Port of Charleston, S.C. for centuries. While Charleston is the sixth largest container port in the U.S., it is also home to Detyens Shipyards, Inc (DSI). In the past several years, DSI has seen an increase in the number of dry dock inquiries and bookings from International vessel operators. “In the last two quarters, we’ve dry docked eight internationally owned and operated vessels,” explained Peter Browne, Vice President of Estimating.

15 Jun 2017

Port of Charleston Cleared after Bomb Scare

File photo: South Carolina Ports Authority

A container terminal at the Port of Charleston has resumed normal operations after being cleared of a potential bomb threat aboard a containership. At approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday authorities were informed of a potential threat in a container aboard the vessel Maersk Memphis moored at Charleston's Wando terminal, forcing a temporary evacuation of the terminal while federal, state and local bomb detection units investigated the threat. Law enforcement identified four containers aboard the Maersk Memphis where the threat was posed. The containers were scanned and cleared.

28 Mar 2017

The (Really) Big Lift

Cranes: much more than just critical equipment. At ZPMC, it means the supply chain itself. In post-Panamax world – that is to say one which includes an expanded, deepened and improved Panama Canal – there are many layers to the logistics onion. These include reinforced and improved berths and bollards, deepened blue water harbors, improved intermodal connections ashore and a reshuffling of ever larger tonnage for ports that can handle those ships. All of that is important, of course, but it is the post-Panamax sized cranes which may be the hottest commodity on the water as the race for the cargo reaches full speed. How those cranes are sourced and acquired may surprise you. It turns out that the global crane business is very much a ‘turnkey’ operation.

02 Mar 2017

Panama Canal Expansion Boosts US East Coast Port Volumes

File photo: ACP

As the Panama Canal’s newly operational expanded lane helps set monthly tonnage records, the project’s impacts are being felt along the U.S. East Coast. Effects of the canal’s expansion are reverberating well-beyond Panama’s shores, as ports around the world are in varying stages of work to deepen and widen their channels to accommodate the growing number of Neopanamax vessels that can now transit the canal. Now nearly one year on from the first vessel transit through the expanded waterway, many ports are benefitting, particularly those along the U.S. East Coast.

15 Feb 2017

Container Volume Up 8 Percent at SC Ports

The South Carolina Ports Authority reported an 8 percent increase in container volume since its fiscal year began in July. As previously reported, SCPA handled an all-time record container volume in January, with 185,018 TEUs moved last month, a year-over-year increase of nearly 28 percent. Fiscal year-to-date volumes reached 1,214,468 TEUs moved at its North Charleston and Wando Welch container terminals. In pier container volume, or boxes handled, the SCPA moved 104,792 boxes last month, surpassing the previous record of 104,003 containers handled in May 2015. Container volume is up 28 percent compared to the same month last year. "The Port handled an all-time record container volume in January, which is traditionally one of our slower months," said Jim Newsome, SCPA President and CEO.

23 Jan 2017

JonRie Winch set for McAllister Towing

JonRie Marine Winches supplied its 6th ship set of Full 90 Ton Winch to McAllister Towing of NY installed on their new tug Jeffrey McAllister. The 92’ (30 meter) x 36’ (11 meter) Z-Drive Tug was built by Eastern Shipbuilding, Panama City, FL. The 5,150 HP tugs with a bollard pull of 75 Tons is the latest addition to the McAllister Fleet. The JonRie Series 250 Escort Winch was designed to handle in the Recover mode the full Bollard Pull of the vessel. The winch is capable of 180,000 lbs. (90 Ton) Line pull and makes the winch ideal for Escort Work, LNG Terminals and Ship Assist of the new Container Ships to come through the New Canal Expansion. The addition of the Jeffrey makes McAllister one of the largest fleet on the East Coast with High Horsepower tugs and super duty winches.

23 Jan 2017

South Carolina Container Volumes Climb 5%

South Carolina Ports Authority reported a 5.4 percent increase in 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) volume fiscal year to date, with 1,029,450 TEUs handled since the period began in July. December was a solid finish to the second quarter of fiscal year 2017, with 164,480 TEUs moved last month, a year-over-year increase of nearly 14 percent. As measured in pier containers, or total box volume, SCPA handled 92,956 boxes last month, up 12.8 percent compared to the same month last year. Fiscal year to date pier container volume is up 5.4 percent, with 580,880 boxes moved at its North Charleston and Wando Welch container terminals. "The port is experiencing an all-time high container volume, with loaded imports and exports achieving over 7 percent growth," said Jim Newsome, SCPA President and CEO.

21 Jun 2016

Container Weighing Protocol Set for Port of Charleston

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) has today filed a rule in its Marine Terminal Operating Schedule (MTOS) outlining its process for adherence to the IMO regulations regarding Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Regulation VI/2, consistent with the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Information Safety Bulletin on this topic, which outlined that existing procedures to comply with U.S. terminal safety regulations could be used to comply with this important regulation. This provision allows the Port of Charleston to provide VGM data directly to ocean carriers via EDI 322 messages as today and provides that shippers using the Port of Charleston authorize this practice, unless they make other arrangements with their ocean carrier.

30 Aug 2016

Charleston Handles Its Largest Ever Containership

The APL Yangshan docks at the Wando Welch Terminal. At 10,700 TEUs, the Yangshan is the largest vessel ever to call the Port of Charleston.  (Photo: SCPA)

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) welcomed the 10,700 TEU APL Yangshan, the largest containership ever to call the Port of Charleston. “The deployment of New Panamax vessels to the East Coast trade marks a new era,” said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. “Today 16 of Charleston's 26 weekly calls are handled by vessels 5,000 TEUs or larger, and we expect to handle our first 14,000 TEU vessel call later this year. The Yangshan, which measures 1,140 feet long and 148 feet wide, can transport up to 10,700 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

12 Sep 2016

New Inland Port Planned in South Carolina

Plans to develop South Carolina’s second inland port in Dillon were announced by the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) in a move that aims to support growth of intermodal container volumes and expand access to markets in neighboring states and throughout the Northeast and Midwest, according to the SCPA. A resolution authorizing the port to move forward with construction of the terminal in the Carolinas I-95 Mega Site was unanimously approved by the SCPA Board of Directors. SCPA will break ground on the new terminal in the first quarter of 2017, and plans to open the facility by the end of the year. “Inland Port Dillon will be a great diversification of our state's logistics footprint,” said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO.

17 Nov 2016

ZPMC gives Cranes a lift at APM LA Terminal

The tallest port crane in North America was recently raised to that height by ZPMC, which raised the crane 33 feet (10.08 meters) to prepare for Ultra-Large Container Vessels calling at APM Terminal’s Pier 400. In a landmark project that kicked off July 1, 2016, ZPMC NA is upgrading 10 cranes for APM Pier 400 Terminal. When complete, the cranes will be able to service ships carrying up to 20,000 twenty-foot equivalent containers (TEUs). Prior to this crane raise, the largest vessels that could be serviced at the Port of Los Angeles were 13,000 TEUs. The scope of work also includes installing a new energy-efficient LED lighting system, forestay repairs, and repositioning of all 10 cranes.