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South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) handled 167,398 teu in January, reporting growth of 1.8% over the fiscal year beginning last July.
SCPA president and CEO Jim Newsome said: “Strength in global container trade continues to drive increases in the Port’s container volumes, and at the current pace SCPA is on track to achieve a combined 12 percent growth rate over two fiscal years.”
The Wando Welch Terminal will soon receive two neo-Panamax cranes while construction on the Charleston Harbour Deeepening project is set to begin too.
Inland Port Greer handled 9,180 rail moves in January. Fiscal year to date, the facility’s volume is 4.15% higher than last year with 66,308 rail moves handled since July.
SCPA’s existing container terminals, Wando Welch and North Charleston, and the addition of the three-phase Hugh K. Leatherman, Senior Terminal will provide a total container capacity of approximately 5m teu by 2032.
The port’s previous capacity, including full build-out of the Leatherman Terminal, was estimated at 4.2m teu.
Newsome added: “Over the last eight years, SCPA has grown steadily at a CAGR of 8 percent.
“We believe the South Atlantic ports will continue grow above the US port market in percentage terms and that the movement of freight will become more challenging due to issues being encountered by the trucking industry.”
The board approved US$19m for the purchase of two additional ship-to-shore (STS) cranes for the North Charleston Terminal after previously approving the purchase of six STS cranes, including five cranes for the Leatherman Terminal and one for the Wando Terminal, in November 2017.