The Port of Charleston has announced that it will be making a large investment over the next ten years to become a true post-panamax harbour, Port Strategy reports. The port has revealed a $1.3bn plan to enhance and expand the port’s terminal container by the construction of a new terminal in North Charleston. The facility is the only permitted new port facility under construction on the East Coast. Once built, the terminal will boost container capacity in the port by about 50%.
There will also be significant investment in improving existing equipment across the port, with a focus on upgrading workboats and trucks around the port to be more environmentally friendly.
Byron Miller, vice president - marketing, PR & planning at South Carolina Ports Authority, said: “We have experienced good growth over the last 18 months. Vessels are getting larger and have been for several years because they reduce costs - this is the real reason expansion is necessary”.
With channels reaching 50 feet deep during high tide, Charleston already regularly hosts ships too large for the Panama Canal – around five per week.
Critically, this new investment will make the port into a true post-panamax harbour allowing more large container vessels to visit.
There will also be significant investment in improving existing equipment across the port, with a focus on upgrading workboats and trucks around the port to be more environmentally friendly.
Byron Miller, vice president - marketing, PR & planning at South Carolina Ports Authority, said: “We have experienced good growth over the last 18 months. Vessels are getting larger and have been for several years because they reduce costs - this is the real reason expansion is necessary”.
With channels reaching 50 feet deep during high tide, Charleston already regularly hosts ships too large for the Panama Canal – around five per week.
Critically, this new investment will make the port into a true post-panamax harbour allowing more large container vessels to visit.