SC ports project volume growth with $77m upgrades

Projecting a 7% increase in container volume over the next 12 months, the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) Board has approved a budget that includes more than US$77m for terminal improvements, equipment upgrades and new information systems.

The largest area of spending, totalling US$35m, will be at existing facilities, including more than US$16m for the construction of the new 286-acre container terminal at the former Navy Base.

“These investments strengthen South Carolina’s ability to serve our clients’ growth, which will be driven by the deepest channels in the Southeast and this State’s pro-business climate,” said Bill Stern, chairman of the SCSPA board.

The Port of Charleston today handles ships drawing up to 14.5 metres (48 feet), including vessels of 8,000+ teu. May container throughput reached 68,238 teu, climbing more than 22% year-over-year, following four consecutive months of year-over-year growth, and the port is on track to meet its container volume budget in the current fiscal year, which ends on 30June.

“South Carolina’s ports are attracting business back at an increasing pace,” said Stern. “While we still have some work to return the business levels of a few years ago, the meter has been moving in the right direction.”

Non-container and break-bulk cargoes at South Carolina’s public port facilities in Charleston and Georgetown are expected to climb 53% during the coming fiscal year.
(Source:www.container-mag.com)