Charleston Harbor News

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…

A 120-foot dredge barge capsized in the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders received a call at 3:34 a.m. from the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina staff stating the dredge barge rolled over on its side in the marina. There were no persons aboard the Capt Leo II when it capsized, but the dredge barge has a reported maximum potential of 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board. Photos shared by the…

This September, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District awarded the final two dredging contracts on its harbor deepening project, which will make Charleston’s harbor the deepest on the East Coast.The contract awards also coincided with the arrival September 20 of the CMA CGM Brazil, a 15,072-TEU containership stretching 1,200 feet long, and the largest containership to ever call on the East Coast and Charleston harbor.Charleston was the last stop on its East Coast itinerary…

US President Donald Trump approved $138 million for the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project as part of the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill in the 2020 Budget.According to a statement from South Carolina Ports Authority, both the Senate and the House voted to approve the appropriations bill this week as part of the fiscal year 2020 funding package, and Trump signed it into law Friday."This enormous step forward means the project is fully funded to completion and on track to achieve a 52-foot depth in 2021," it said.S.C. Ports Authority Board Chairman Bill Stern said: “This huge infusion of federal funding reflects the importance of ensuring South Carolina has a deep harbor capable of handling mega container ships."S.C.

President Donald Trump included $138 million in his budget for the coming year to help deepen Charleston Harbor to 52 feet so it can handle larger container ships, said Charleston District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.The project, in the works since 2011, had never been included in a president’s budget until now. The U.S. Army Corps last year revised a formula that measures the project’s economic benefit, putting it above the threshold needed for consideration.The Charleston Harbor Post 45 Deepening Project will make transportation more efficient within the harbor by allowing neo-Panamax ships to come into the port without restrictions.Inclusion…

At the end of December, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) announced its selection of ten dredging projects that will form the core of a pilot program to advance the beneficial use of dredged material.The recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ announcement culminated a program required by Congress, established within the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016, specifically Section 1122. Congress directed that the ten pilot projects selected were required to present environmental…

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.

Jim Newsome, president and CEO, highlights cooperation and collaboration.South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) president and CEO, Jim Newsome, presented the annual State of the Port to an audience of approximately 600 customers, elected officials and shipping industry representatives at the Charleston Area Convention Center. Jim’s presentation focused on the Port’s successes, strategic infrastructure investments to support continued container volume growth, new initiatives to increase Port productivity and overall industry trends that will impact the Port in the future. The Propeller Club of Charleston hosted the event which marked Newsome’s tenth address since joining SCPA in 2009.SC Ports volumes for the 2018 fiscal year, which ran July 2017 through June 2018, were record-breaking.

At a ceremony held earlier in March, officials celebrated the beginning of construction on the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project to 52 feet. "It is a monumental accomplishment to begin construction on the Charleston Deepening Project, which make Charleston the deepest port on the East Coast at a time when deep and wide shipping channels are necessary," said Jim Newsome, South Carolina Ports Authority president and CEO. "The container shipping industry today is dominated by big ships, and ports must adapt to handle them in order to remain competitive.

A top U.S. Coast Guard official said at a recent congressional oversight hearing that the Coast Guard “has not been aggressively enforcing the compliance” of vessel response plans filed under federal Salvage and Marine Firefighting (SMFF) regulations. The rules, derived from the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, are meant to prevent a worst-case discharge resulting from fire or explosion aboard a vessel. “The shocking admission by the Coast Guard that it cannot, and is not, enforcing its own marine firefighting rules should be a warning to all ship owners…

The Charleston Harbor Deepening Project was named one of six “new starts” and received $17.5 million in construction funding in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Fiscal Year 17 Work Plan released today, allowing construction on the project to begin this fall as scheduled. Charleston also received $16.1 million in operations and maintenance dollars, which provide for the routine maintenance dredging of the harbor necessary for construction begin. Collectively the funds allocated in the Work Plan allow Charleston to continue moving forward and preparing for construction. “This is monumental news for the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project…

Wide, deep channels and big-ship infrastructure will earn South Carolina Ports Authority the desired position as last port of call when the biggest ship ever to call the US East Coast, the COSCO Development, arrives in May. "SCPA has worked aggressively for years to ensure we can efficiently work 13,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) vessels and be the last Southeast port of call with no navigational issues," said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. "Our naturally wide and deepwater harbor, soon to be the deepest on the entire East Coast at 52 feet, can handle vessels the COSCO Development's size loaded heavy with cargo. Coupled with our landside capacity and infrastructure…

In the United States, transportation infrastructure is the bedrock of our supply chains. Ports and waterways in the United States moved over 2.3 billion tons of goods in 2014. A robust maritime infrastructure to support such ports and waterways helps goods to move freely and aid in more flow of trade and ultimately greater economic stimulus. Port authorities and waterways commissions are always seeking better ways to increase cargo volume and subsequently aid their surrounding states and regions - which all benefit the overall commerce of our nation.

Today's passage of S.612, the Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act (WIIN), formerly known as Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), by the U.S. House of Representatives, moves the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project closer to securing the authorization necessary to begin construction. "We applaud the House for passing this legislation before the end of the year, which is critical to modernizing ports and port-related infrastructure across the country," said Jim Newsome, SCPA President and CEO. "The South Carolina Delegation worked extremely hard to move this bill forward. Thanks to their support, we are well-positioned to be the deepest harbor on the East Coast by the end of the decade. We remain hopeful that the U.S.

Bill includes construction authorization for Charleston Harbor Deepening Project. Today's passage of S.612, the Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act (WIIN), formerly known as Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), by the U.S. House of Representatives, moves the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project closer to securing the authorization necessary to begin construction. "We applaud the House for passing this legislation before the end of the year, which is critical to modernizing ports and port-related infrastructure across the country," said Jim Newsome, SCPA President and CEO. "The South Carolina Delegation worked extremely hard to move this bill forward. Thanks to their support, we are well-positioned to be the deepest harbor on the East Coast by the end of the decade.

Today South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) welcomed the Hannover Bridge, first post-Panamax size vessel to call Charleston after transiting the newly-opened Panama Canal expansion. "SCPA is already benefiting from the upsizing of vessels in response to the expansion, with 16 of the 26 weekly container vessel calls in Charleston now being served by large ships formerly known as post-Panamax," said SCPA president and CEO Jim Newsome. "The arrival of the first 8,500-class vessel to pass through the newly-expanded Panama Canal locks bound for Charleston is a milestone for our port and maritime industry. The Hannover Bridge, an 8,200 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) "K" Line vessel…

During the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2016 held January 23-26 in Crystal City, Va., members of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) elected Margo Marks of Beaver Island Boat Company, Beaver Island, Mich. as PVA President for 2016. Margo Marks is President/General Manager of Beaver Island Boat Company, Beaver Island, Mich. The company has provided passenger service, vehicle service and freight service between Beaver Island and Charlevoix, Mich. since 1984. The first ferry service to the island began in 1890.

South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) posted 10 percent container growth in 2015, a year highlighted by strong volumes and significant progress on the harbor deepening project. SCPA handled 144,718 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in December, pushing total container volume to 1.97 million in 2015. As measured in pier containers, or total boxes handled, SCPA's two container terminals moved 1.12 million boxes in 2015, an increase of 9.54 percent over 1.02 million containers handled last year.

The 52-foot Charleston Harbor Deepening Project was recommended to Congress for authorization this week, continuing the project's momentum through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) planning process. Known as the Record of Decision, the recommendation signed by Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy is the official notification to Congress that the project requirements have been fulfilled and that it awaits authorization. Charleston Harbor Deepening has progressed quickly as the first study completed entirely through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SMART Planning process. The USACE's original estimate of…

This week's signing of the PreConstruction Engineering and Design Agreement and passage of the omnibus appropriations bill with construction funding for Charleston marked milestones for the 52-foot Charleston Harbor Deepening Project. Wednesday evening South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District (USACE) signed the Design Agreement, marking the official beginning of the Project's Preconstruction Engineering and Design Phase (PED). PED is the final major phase of the deepening process before construction begins, with work activities to include ship simulation studies, refinement of cost estimates, coastal monitoring and analysis of beneficial use of dredged material.

Charleston Harbor deepening project earns key federal funding for preconstruction engineering and design; U.S. Today SC Ports Authority announced $1.303 million in federal funding for the Post-45 Harbor deepening project, allowing the preconstruction engineering and design (PED) phase of the 52-foot deepening effort to begin. The announcement follows last week's U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Review Board (CWRB) approval to release the project's Final Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement for final review, another critical step of federal approval for the S.C. Port Authority to provide the deepest harbor on the East Coast. "The allocation of federal funding for the PED phase of our deepening project is tremendous," said SCPA Board Chairman Bill Stern.

Container volumes increased 14 percent during SC Ports Authority's (SCPA) 2015 fiscal year, building upon several previous years of above-market growth with strength across all business segments, SCPA announced. "2015 was a memorable year for SC Ports Authority," said SCPA president and CEO Jim Newsome. "We reached near-record levels of containerized cargo and saw strong volume and good diversification of the breakbulk sector. SCPA handled 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the fiscal year that ended June 30, a jump of 231,473 TEUs from the 2014 fiscal year.

Press Release - The 52-foot Charleston Harbor Deepening Project announced receipt of its Chief's Report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, their final substantive approval required for the project to progress through construction. The report by Lieutenant General Thomas Bostick, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to the Secretary of the Army outlines the recommendation of deepening the Charleston Harbor channel to 52 feet and entrance channel to 54 feet, as well as enlarging turning basins to accommodate for post-Panamax vessels calling South Carolina Port Authority's (SCPA) container terminals. After review by the Secretary's office…