Inner Harbor News

Officials dedicated two new Port of Long Beach fireboat stations that are enhancing the Long Beach Fire Department’s waterside and landside emergency response capabilities, better safeguarding visiting ships, cargo and waterfront workers.The facilities – Fireboat Station 15 and Fireboat Station 20 – are the products of a $109 million Port of Long Beach program to preserve business continuity, security and economic interests. With an anticipated lifespan of 50 years, both stations…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is snapping back from the doldrums of COVID-19, wrapping up a strong first half of 2023 with a slew of awarded dredging work.“The federal government is no different from state and local governments, nor the private sector when it comes to COVID-19 work related recovery and USACE is not an exception,” said William P. Doyle, CEO of the Dredging Contractors of America. “The Army Corps has been steadily issuing contract awards since February, and that’s on the award side.

The inland waterways have enjoyed several positive developments toward modernization of the system, particularly over the last two years.Annual appropriations that fund the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works mission have been steadily on the rise for the last nine fiscal years, specifically the Construction and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) accounts have been funded at historic levels. The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021 provided a…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on Friday awarded a $139 million construction contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC. (GLDD), to complete the third phase of the landmark Port of Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project (CIP). The four-phase infrastructure project will increase the Corpus Christi Ship Channel depth from -47 feet Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) to -54 feet MLLW and widen it to 530 feet, with an additional 400 feet of barge shelves.Phase 3 will extend west of the La Quinta Junction through the Chemical Turning Basin in the Port’s Inner Harbor.

Container vessel operations resumed at the Port of New Orleans on Tuesday, nine days after Hurricane Ida made landfall in southeast Louisiana as a category 4 storm.The first two ships worked at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal were the MSC Charleston at New Orleans Terminal and the Hapag Lloyd CSL Manhattan at Ports America. Seacor’s container on barge service will be worked tonight by Ports America.“Our wharves are busy today, handling both container and breakbulk cargo vessels, and trains are moving,” said Brandy D.

The Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association’s retiring executive director reflects on key progress made and vital work remaining.As my tenure as President, Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association (GICA) ends after 11 years, it is gratifying look at the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) and reflect on its compelling relevance to our nation. Often referred to as the “Silent Giant,” as I wrote in this publication in 2014, the Giant indeed awoke and emerged as a vital waterway which delivers…

Dutch marine and offshore contractor Van Oord has, together with its compatriot Boskalis, secured a contract for deepening of the approach channel and inner harbor at the Harwich Haven in the UK,  allowing access to large container ships.The contract valued around 140 million euros ($165 million) and split 50/50 between Van Oord and Boskalis has been awarded by Harwich Haven Authority. The project entails the deepening of the approach channel and inner harbor from minus 14.5 to…

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation on Monday announced the receipt of several major dredging awards in Georgia and Florida totaling $60.9 million which will be included in the year-end 2020 backlog number.The awarded work includes:North County Comprehensive Shore Protection Project (Coastal Protection, Florida, $21.2 million)U.S. Naval Station Mayport and Jacksonville Harbor Maintenance Dredging Project (Maintenance, Florida, $21.2 million)U.S. Naval Station Kings Bay Entrance Channel Maintenance Dredging Project (Maintenance…

The bodies of the final two crew members missing from a dredge that caught fire and sank in Corpus Christi, Texas were recovered on Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Four personnel working on the Orion Marine Group-owned dredger Waymon L Boyd went missing and six were hospitalized on Friday after the vessel caught fire in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The bodies of the other two missing workers were recovered on Saturday, and the families of all four crew members have been notified…

Four people are missing and six have been hospitalized for injuries caused by a pipeline explosion in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel on Friday, officials said.The explosion and subsequent fire were reported at about 8 a.m. local time near Nueces Bay in the northern part of the city after a dredge struck a pipeline in the water. The dredge, Waymon L Boyd owned by Houston-based Orion Marine Group, was working on a private project, not the channel deepening work currently underway at the port.The U.S.

The success of the first lines boat / utility vessel Dongara Marine built for Jetwave Marine led the Western Australian marine services provider to acquire a second.Jetwave Nelson Point is the latest addition to Jetwave Marine’s owned and operated fleet, which includes nearly 30 specialized commercial vessels including harbor tugs, barges, multi-cats, utility / crew boats, and port service craft. These cater to the requirements of clients in the oil and gas, and resource industries Australia-wide.Designed by Southerly Designs…

The end of the 2019 saw some unprecedented funding measure pass through Congress and signed into law by President Trump. The Gulf and East Coast have continued to receive significant funding to help deepen and widen navigational channels and gateways. One of the projects passed into law included the Gulf Coast Regional Demonstration Project. Some of the ports receiving funding and underway include Mobile, Baltimore, Houston, Port Everglades and Norfolk. All these projects funded by Congress draw a direct correlation to the expanded Panama Canal.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' FY2020 Work Plan release on Monday places dredging at the forefront.“We welcome the FY 2020 Work Plan released by the Army Corps,” said William P. Doyle, CEO of the Dredging Contractors of America. “We’re ready – our dredging companies are hard at work on projects and continue to build new dredging ships for America’s ports, waterways and beaches.”The Work Plan is based on the FY2020 Energy and Water Development appropriations bills signed into law by President Trump in December 2019.In December 2019…

U.S. oil export terminal operator Moda Midstream LLC said on Thursday it has begun to enhance its Moda Ingleside Energy Center (MIEC) in Ingleside, Texas, to allow the docking of larger-sized vessels.Moda has begun structural enhancements and dredging to Berth 5 and improvements to Berth 4, which will allow for the docking of Suezmax class vessels and Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), respectively, the company said in a statement.The company said it was evaluating construction of an additional pipeline called the Moda Ingleside Express Pipeline…

The American company providing construction services in dredging and land reclamation, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company (GLDD) announced the receipt of several major dredging awards totaling $141 million.The North America's dredging industry leader said in a release that  awarded work includes: Jacksonville Deepening Contract B Option (Capital Deepening, Florida, $96.6 million); Baltimore Harbor (Maintenance, Maryland, $38.4 million) and Boston Harbor (Maintenance, Massachusetts, $5.6 million).The base scope for the Jacksonville Deepening Contract B was won in 2018 and the option work is a continuation of channel deepening an additional 2.5 miles upriver.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has revealed plans to double capacity at Garden City Terminal to 11 million twenty-foot equivalent container units per year.In Fiscal Year 2019, port-related industries announced $5 billion in new investment and 12,000 new jobs coming to Georgia.Port-related announcements of expansions and new business accounted for nearly $5 billion in investment and 12,000 jobs across the state of Georgia in Fiscal Year 2019, a year in which the Port of Savannah moved a record 4.5 million twenty-foot equivalent container units.“The manufacturing and logistics sectors are key components of our economy, and I am excited for the opportunities created for hardworking Georgians,” said Gov. Brian Kemp.

The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) announced another record year for the Port of Boston’s Paul W. Conley Container Terminal.From July 2018 through June 2019, Conley handled 307,331 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) – an 8% increase in cargo volumes over FY2018 and a new all-time record for the fifth consecutive year. Total imports also rose by 12% over FY18 to 152,960 TEUs in advance of pending tariffs.“We are proud of Conley’s continued growth and success, which reflect the region’s strong economy and Conley’s high levels of productivity,” said Acting Port Director Mike Meyran.“For FY2020, we will continue to make smart infrastructure…

Norway's leading cargo and ferry port, the Port of Oslo has placed an order to build one of the world’s most environmental efficient working boats possible, with Grovfjord Ship Yard.The boat is especially designed for efficient collection of waste at the water surface. The contract sum is NOK 23 million. Expected delivery is December 2019.Norway's shipbuilding and maintenance services has previously built the world's first full-electric fish farming boat."Today the boat "Pelikan" keeps our harbor area clean and tidy. The new environmental boat replaces the old port environmental boat, which during the course of 30 years has picked up about 1…

The Massachusetts Port Authority announced that $35 million has been secured to help fund the ongoing Boston Harbor Dredging Project. The project is approximately 30 percent complete, and this funding will enable the project to continue on schedule.The project is a $350 million partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Massport. The maintenance dredging of the inner harbor was completed in December of 2017. The deepening of the main ship channels began in July 2018 to accommodate the large container vessels calling today and in the future.

As infrastructure expands to handle new business, the Port of Savannah moved more than 350,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units in December. Nine of the Georgia Ports Authority's 10 busiest months were in 2018. The Port of Savannah moved 4.35 million twenty-foot equivalent container units in Calendar Year 2018, its highest annual volume ever, and a 7.5 percent increase over 2017, according to a report from Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch to the GPA Board Tuesday.

Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch outlined a plan that will double container handling capacity to 10 million TEUs at Garden City Terminal within 10 years. "Georgia is home to both the single largest container and roll-on/roll-off facilities in North America," Lynch said. Lynch provided an overview of GPA's 2028 Plan that calls for 42 ship-to-shore cranes, 200 yard cranes, new RTG lanes and significant intermodal expansion in Savannah. The GPA will soon open its second inland terminal in Northwest Georgia and break ground on the Mason Mega Rail project at Garden City Terminal. Combined, both intermodal projects will open new markets while significantly reducing rail crossings and over the road freight through Savannah, Atlanta and beyond.

Unscheduled lock closures burden the shipper supply chain by more than $1 billion annually, according to estimates from two Tennessee universities. A study, “The Impacts of Unscheduled Lock Outages”, released today by the National Waterways Foundation (NWF) and the Maritime Administration (MARAD), looks at the economic impacts of unscheduled lock outages and highlights economic benefits associated with reliable inland waterways navigation. The Center for Transportation Research…

U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland Department of the Environment personnel are investigating and overseeing cleanup of a lube oil discharge near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Monday.   A National Response Center report was made Friday about a rainbow sheen in the harbor near Pier 6, which alerted Coast Guard and MDE pollution response personnel to investigate.   It is estimated that approximately 50 gallons of lube oil has discharged into the harbor through the Jones Falls outfall near the 2100 block of Falls Road. Hard boom and sorbent materials have been deployed and contractors are on scene recovering the product.   The source of the oil and responsible party have not yet been identified. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is being used to pay for response efforts.