By Paul Scott Abbott, AJOTWhen Panamanians voted last Fall to proceed with expansion of the Panama Canal, Florida’s Gulf ports began accelerating plans to accommodate anticipated increases in traffic, particularly, containerized cargo. By the time canal expansion is completed in 2014, ports that not long ago had minimal container operations should be fully positioned to capture their share of the growing box business. We’ll take a look at the Sunshine State’s Gulf ports, beginning at Tampa Bay and moving North, then West along the Panhandle. Port ManateeBilled as the closest US port to the Panama Canal, Port Manatee, which is located near the entrance to Tampa Bay, this past March completed its Berths 4 and 5 project. The project, which gives Port Manatee its first new terminal in decades, offers a combined 1,200-foot-long berth space with a 40-foot alongside depth. A new 1,300-foot-diameter turning basin and enhanced navigational aids allow the port to handle vessels up to nearly 1,000 feet long. The Manatee County Port Authority plans to add another 584 feet to its newly completed 1,000-foot-long Berth 12 by early 2008 and has taken initial steps toward securing the port’s first container crane within a similar timeframe. The authority is also advancing design of a 31-acre first phase of a container yard that could easily expand by an additional 20 acres. Furthermore, the authority is revising the port’s master plan to focus on containerization without forgetting longtime customers, including carriers of forest products and melons, which have helped poise the port to take advantage of new opportunities. Port of TampaMeanwhile, a little farther up Tampa Bay, Tampa Port Authority officials are marketing the Port of Tampa as the closest full-service port to the Panama Canal and already have established a foothold in containerization, continuing the port’s diversification beyond its traditional bulk and general cargo strengths. A catalyst behind Tampa’s container initiative is the Executive Shippers’ Council, an association comprising more than 100 key exporters and importers, who see the port’s central location as ideal for serving Florida’s rapidly growing population base. More than seven million people already live within 100 miles of the port. The Port of Tampa has added three new gantry cranes to its Hooker’s Point Container Terminal, operated by Ports America. Last year Emirates Shipping Line joined Zim Integrated Shipping in regular service linking the terminal to Asia. A 100-acre tract adjoining the terminal has been set aside for expansion of berthing and paved storage and the addition of more cranes. Tampa’s port remains the busiest in Florida, handling some 50 million tons a year of goods, including longtime leading commodities such as petroleum, phosphate fertilizer, coal and steel. Port Panama CityLocated near the center of the Florida Panhandle, Port Panama City is investing $16 million this year in new facilities. The largest part of this investment relates to rail and warehouse facilities designed to handle bulk products. But improvements are also being made in the port’s container-handling facility, including a new gate and an expanded container yard. In December Port Panama City will begin handling wood pellet exports for Green Circle Bio Energy Inc., which has signed a 10-year commitment with the port and expects to ship 500,000 tons a year of its renewable energy product to Europe. Once the wood pellet exports begin, the port should be handling more than two million tons of cargo per year – representing a 350% increase in activity over the past five years. This year, the port already should surpass the one million ton mark for a second consecutive year, with gains in kraft linerboard exports and container trade with Mexico more than offsetting a decline in copper imports. Port of PensacolaAt the West end of Florida’s Panhandle, the Port of Pensacola is updating its image by unveiling its redesigned Web