Port Nola News

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) said 2023 was a record year for container-on-barge shipping.During the last calendar year, Port NOLA marked 20,500 container moves by barge, the highest since launching the container-on-barge network—the nation's largest—in 2016 with the Port of Greater Baton Rouge and Ingram Marine Group. Container-on-barge moves containers by water rather than by truck on roads to reduce air emissions; moving an average of 30,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) per year between New Orleans, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Memphis and St. Louis.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) reports its cruise passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels. The port said Monday that it finished calendar year 2023 with nearly 1.2 million cruise passenger movements and renewed commitments to the New Orleans cruise market from both oceangoing and river cruise lines.“The cruise business has rebounded in New Orleans and cruise line partners are confident in our Port NOLA cruise market,” said Port NOLA president and CEO Brandy D. Christian.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) will receive $73.77 million from the federal government to assist in building the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) project, which will provide a gateway for cargo movement on U.S. inland waterways including the Mississippi River.The U.S. Department of Transportation has alerted Congress that it intends to award this funding through its MEGA Grant Program, which will support the first phase of the overall $1.8 billion project’s construction and is in addition to significant funding commitments from private industry partners and Port NOLA.

The Port of New Orleans was awarded $947,280 in recently announced Port Security Grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the expansion and enhancement of emergency services for Port NOLA’s maritime and industrial operations.With this funding award, Port NOLA will invest in physical and technological upgrades to the Port’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which serves as home base during hurricanes and other significant incidents. Additionally…

A public-private partnership between the state of Louisiana, the Port of New Orleans and two global maritime industry leaders will build a $1.8 billion container facility on the Lower Mississippi River, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced.The new Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) in St. Bernard Parish will be able to serve vessels of all sizes, increasing Louisiana’s import and export capacity and stimulating the creation of more than 17,000 new jobs statewide by 2050, Port NOLA estimates.New Jersey-based Ports America…

Rhe Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) on Thursday elected Jack C. Jensen, Jr. to serve as Board Chairman, succeeding Charles H. Ponstein, whose term as Chairman ended this month. Also elected were Joseph F. Toomy, who will serve as Vice Chairman, and Walter J. Leger, Jr., who will serve as Secretary-Treasurer for the nine-month term.“Jack Jensen has brought decades of transportation and logistics experience to this board, and we look forward to his…

The Harbor Police Department (HPD) of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) named Cedric Turner to serve as Captain of the specialized law enforcement agency. Turner has served in law enforcement for 26 years and 20 of those working up the ranks in HPD. As Captain, Turner will be responsible for running the day-to-day operations of HPD’s Patrol Division, which is critical in HPD’s mission in ensuring the safety and security throughout port property and waterways within the Port’s three-parish jurisdiction of Jefferson, Orleans and St.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) has named Assistant Chief Melanie Montroll as Chief of its Harbor Police Department (HPD), following a rigorous national search that included a number of highly qualified candidates. She is a 21-year veteran of the force and will serve as the department’s first woman Chief of Police. Montroll succeeds Chief Robert Hecker, who will retire after having led HPD for more than 26 years.“The Port, our tenants and the region rely on our strong, ethical, and professional Harbor Police Department,” said Brandy D. Christian, Port NOLA President and CEO.

Several south Louisiana ports are requesting federal assistance to bolster recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ida.On August 29, Ida made landfall in southeast Louisiana as a category 4 storm, heavily impacting local infrastructure, waterways and communities.The Lower Mississippi River opened three days later, and by September 2, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) resumed limited operations and became fully operational September 7. Although operations resumed, there remains ongoing assessment of needs, and supply chain disruptions also continue.

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.

Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and CLEANCOR Energy Solutions LLC (CLEANCOR), a subsidiary of SEACOR Holdings Inc. (SEACOR), signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on August 17, 2021, to collaborate on ways to provide liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling solutions to ship owners and operators within Port NOLA’s jurisdiction that would benefit from reduced environmental emissions. CLEANCOR, an alternative energy company, will work with Port NOLA to help provide LNG to Port customers and marine operators in Port NOLA’s jurisdiction.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) discharged 300 steel coils on June 10, 2021, to barge at Coastal Cargo breakbulk and heavy-lift terminal at the Louisiana Ave. Complex that were transported to the barge from the SK Shipping Star Challenger and made their way upriver to be off-loaded at the Port of Caddo-Bossier in Shreveport.“This is a great example of two Louisiana ports coming together to facilitate commerce in the State and moving cargo on the Mississippi River,” said Brandy D. Christian President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

The ports at Baton Rouge, New Orleans, South Louisiana, St. Bernard and Plaquemines are slated to have deep draft access after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and other state officials signed a formal agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Friday to begin construction on the deepening of the Lower Mississippi River to 50 feet from 45 feet. The overall project will provide a draft of 50-feet from the Port of Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico over 256 miles of the Mississippi River.

The Propeller Club of the U.S. Port of New Orleans honored Brandy D. Christian as their 2019 Maritime Person of the Year at its 86th Annual Maritime Person of the Year Gala on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Metairie Country Club.Read Maritime Logistics Professional's interview with Brandy Christian here.Christian, who serves as President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corporation (NOPB), is the first woman ever to be honored with this prestigious recognition from the Propeller Club of the U.S.

Louisiana’s only international container port Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) moved more containers in 2019 than at any time in its history, totaling 648,538 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 10% compared to one year ago.The multimodal gateway for global trade said in a press release that the record marks the sixth consecutive year the Port surpassed the half million TEU-mark at its Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, which is operated by New Orleans Terminal and Ports America.“Port NOLA has now seen double-digit growth in total container volumes for two consecutive years, primarily driven by the Panama Canal expansion, exports from Louisiana’s booming petrochemical industry and a growing market for imports,” said Brandy D.

The former chairman of the Port of New Orleans Board of Commissioners Joe Toomy is rejoining the group.Gov. John Bel Edwards reappointed Joseph F. Toomy to the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans.Toomy was sworn in during today’s monthly board meeting and will serve a five-year term succeeding Laney J. Chouest as one of two Jefferson Parish representatives on the seven-member regional board. He previously served on the Board of Commissioners from 2009 to 2014 and served as chairman in 2013.With the Port’s acquisition of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad effective Feb. 1, 2018, Port Commissioners also serve as directors of the New Orleans Public Belt (NOPB) board…

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA)  has expanded its electric vehicle charging fleet with two energy-efficient trucks. The new trucks are part of an overall effort to reduce emissions at the multi-billion-dollar multimodal gateway for international trade."Port NOLA expanded their EV fleet with the help of the Clean Fuel Transition Fund for Public Fleets, managed by the Regional Planning Commission’s (RPC) Clean Fuel Partnership program," said a press release.The funding helped the Port offset the costs of two plug-in hybrid electric F-150s equipped with extended range technology, including a high voltage lithium battery pack and regenerative braking.The systems, developed by XL, enable an estimated 50% increase in miles per gallon and 33% decrease in emissions.

The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corporation (NOPB), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), has named M.D. (Mike) Stolzman as its new General Manager, effective immediately.Stolzman, a veteran railroad executive with extensive short line and Class I rail experience, will report to Brandy D. Christian, President and CEO of Port NOLA and CEO of NOPB, which is a Class III railroad on the nation’s fourth largest rail gateway that connects with six Class I railroads and serves Port NOLA and local industry.“There was tremendous interest in NOPB’s General Manager position and we were fortunate to attract a wide range of highly qualified candidates,” said Christian.

The Port of New Orleans and project partner, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB), were awarded a National Clean Diesel Funding grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.The EPA grant will provide 40% of total project cost, allowing NOPB to retrofit the engine of a conventional diesel locomotive to a cleaner engine with low emissions beyond current requirements. This will be the first locomotive of its kind in the New Orleans gateway.This eco-locomotive will meet ultra-low emitting standards (Tier 4) and result in immediate air quality benefits such as reducing ozone precursors, diesel particulate matter, as well as fuel consumption and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions. It will boast a sleek new paint scheme with green accents.

A record number of cruise ship passengers traveled through the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) in 2018.The official tally - 1,182,111 - marked a 2.3 percent increase from 2017 and the fifth consecutive year of hitting the coveted 1 million passenger mark at the port's cruise terminal facilities.A 23 percent surge in guests taking Mississippi River cruises helped buoy the total, with new and larger ships set to sail from New Orleans both in the Caribbean and on the River in 2019.“Port NOLA’s success is due in large part to the hard work of the stevedores, labor, cruise terminal staff and the support of local businesses and tourism partners,” said Brandy D.

New Cranes Allow Port NOLA to Accommodate Larger Ships and Meet Growing Needs. The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) have voted to approve the purchase of two new 100-foot gauge container gantry cranes to be used at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. “These new cranes are vital to our success and growth here at Port NOLA,” said President and CEO Brandy D. Christian. “They will increase our efficiency so we can accommodate larger and wider ships…

Norwegian Cruise Line, the innovator in global cruise travel, returns to New Orleans introducing Norwegian Breakaway to the Big Easy with five to 11-day cruises to the Caribbean. At 1,068 feet and 145,655 gross register tons, the recently renovated Norwegian Breakaway is the largest cruise ship to homeport in the city of New Orleans, as well as the youngest in port this season. The namesake ship of the Breakaway class offers guests the freedom and flexibility to design their dream vacation at sea with no assigned dining and entertainment times, 25 dining options, 22 bars and lounges, a comprehensive water park featuring the fastest waterslide at sea, one of the largest ropes courses of any ship and an entertainment program that mirrors the vibrancy of the Big Easy.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) moved more containers in 2018 than at any time in its history, totaling 591,253 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 12.3 percent compared to one year ago.The deep-draft multipurpose port at the center of the world's busiest port system -- Louisiana's Lower Mississippi River said in a press release that the record marks the fifth year in a row Port NOLA has surpassed the half million TEU-mark at its Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, which is operated by New Orleans Terminal and Ports America.“The expansion of the Panama Canal and growth in containerized exports, namely resin and frozen poultry, have buoyed Port NOLA’s containerized cargo to record levels.