North Carolina port officials focus on improving existing ports

THE North Carolina State Ports Authority plans to shift its focus to existing ports in Wilmington and Morehead City, after the North Carolina International Terminal project was shelved.

In the fiscal year ended June 30, container volumes rose by 29 per cent compared to the previous year, from 194,600 TEU in 2008-09 to 249,850 TEU in the latest fiscal year, according to Ports Authority statistics cited in a report by the Wilimington StarNews, North Carolina.

The higher throughput was attributed mainly to the addition of Independent Container Line and Maersk Line. Both carriers began bringing ships to the Port of Wilmington in March 2009.

In a recent interview with the StarNews, Tom Eagar, Ports Authority chairman, said authority leaders still hope that growth in Wilmington's container business would someday serve as a starting point for a new international port, either in Brunswick County or elsewhere in North Carolina.

"We need to grow and continue to grow in that market segment, the container market segment, eventually using that base of business as a bridge to a new port, wherever that might be," Mr Eagar was quoted as saying.

The Ports Authority recently put its plans to build a mega container terminal on 600 acres near Southport on hold amid public opposition. However, port officials remain committed to building a deepwater container port somewhere on the North Carolina coast, the report said, which would reduce Wilmington Port's throughput volumes.

Mr Carlson said that carriers operating the bigger container ships with deep-water requirements would probably want to use a new facility.

"I think at some point the customers are going to drive that based on bigger ships and deeper ships, so we're going to have to address that issue at some point in time," Mr Carlson said. "Whether it's the NCIT or whether it's someplace else, we're going to need access to deeper water, period."

Until that happens, the authority is expected to continue to pursue improvements at the Wilmington container port, including the continued reconstruction of a container berth and the expansion of the turning basin in the Cape Fear River between the port and the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.
(Source:www.schednet.com)