South Carolina’s port authority prepares for future as box totals at Port of Charleston riseThe Port of Charleston’s numbers have been rising for a decade. In a sense, the future is now as the authority charts a course for the coming decade.By George Lauriat AJOTSouth Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA), which operates the ports of Charleston, Georgetown and Port Royal, by all measure, had a banner year in 2005. The Port of Charleston posted a throughput of nearly two million teus, up six percent from 2004. In fact, the Port is arguably, the second largest “import” Port on the East Coast, behind the New York/New Jersey mega-port. Break-bulk cargo, which had been falling was up four percent over 2004 to 727,000 tons. Port of Georgetown, a dedicated breakbulk and bulk facility, handled one million tons of cargo in 2005. Productivity is also up with the box terminals recording 38 moves per hour and truck turns of 23 minutes. The increase shipping has also led to an increase in operating revenues for the authority. In addition, the much anticipated Arthur Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper River was completed. The magnificent cable stayed bridge has a 186-foot air draft, which will enable any containership in the foreseeable future to access the terminals upstream. Despite the obvious success, the SCSPA has in recent years been dogged by controversy. In the past it was over the development of new Port terminal complex on Daniel Island, a plan abandoned in 2002, in favor of building on the site of former Charleston Navy base. Recently, controversy (and multiple court cases) arose out of the plan(s) to build a boxport on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River in Jasper County. Both Jasper County administration and SCSPA have locked horns over who has the mandate to develop the land owned by the Georgia Department of Transportation GDOT. With Georgia’s own Garden City terminal just upstream from the proposed site, the complexity of the issue is undeniable. Nearly, a decade ago Mr. Bernard Groseclose became President/CEO of the SCSPA. “I was kicked upstairs,” he said of the move. When asked about the impact of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, Groseclose remarked that it makes “a statement for Charleston”. The SCSPA has more than a passing interest in the Bridge. The Ports Authority has put in around $17 million and will be contributing $1 million a year for the next 25 years (starting in ’03). “The new Bridge is good value with its four lanes,” Groseclose noted, “but tearing down the old ones is even better buy.” The old bridges with their limited air draft were a decided problem for future development of facilities in the former Charleston Naval Base. The air draft compliments the 45-foot the recently completed Charleston Harbor deepening project. The $13.6 million deepening will enable the port to handle post-Panamax ships and larger expected to make up a larger percentage of calls in the future. Preparing the 280 acre site has been an ongoing effort for several years. “The US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) EIS closed comment period on the EIS (Environmental Impact statement) around three weeks ago. By parallel permitting parallel, we (SCSPA) hope to have the permits in place for both terminal and landside access by November. The site has good thing highway and rail connections. The ‘last mile’ connections are the real value of the site.” The SCSPA has also been finishing up work on the Columbus Street terminal. Groseclose said, “The cranes have been replaced and track realigned and berth space opened up. There still is right of way land under the old bridge at the north end but overall the facility is in great shape. We also have four cranes on order to for Wando Welch terminal and two for North Charleston.” Although the SCSPA’s main focus is on the terminals, the agency oversees some other trade related programs that improve freight over the piers. A recent example was the SCSPA participation in finding a site for BMW. “Back in 1992, the Port Authority was vest