b'24American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comBiden Administration pushes infrastructure development, US ports figure prominently For Americas ports, this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity.By Manik Mehta, AJOT SAVE SAVETIME & MONEYAfter signing the historic Bipar- tigieg briefed journalists on the latest tisan Infrastructure Law, touted as a$52 million grant to POLB, the prog-modelforrebuildingthenationsress made by the Supply Chain Task crumblinginfrastructure,PresidentForce and the effects of the Biparti-JoeBidenestablishedanInfrastruc- sanInfrastructureLawinvestments tureImplementationTaskForcetoto facilitate expeditious movement of ensureinfrastructureprojectsweregoods to California in the future.DIRECT ACCESSTRADING INBULK, BREAK BULK,SEAMLESS SUPPLY effectively implemented.Buttigieg noted that the ports hadINTO ALL OF NORTHOVER 50 GLOBALLIQUID & CHAIN WITH A TheU.S.DepartmentofTrans- handledarecord-breakingamountAMERICA MARKETS SPECIAL CARGO CONNECTED NETWORKportations Federal Highway Admin- ofcargolastyeardespitesupply istration(FHWA)announcedthatitchaindisruptions.ShipmentswereSIMPLE. would provide $52.5 billion in fund- up 14% in 2021 compared with the ing to all 50 states and the District ofpreviousrecordin2018.ButButti- COMPETITIVE. Columbia under the Bipartisan Infra- gieg acknowledged that more work structure Law.billion in apportionedhad to be done to resolve the supplyCONNECTED.The $52.5chain problems, adding that the ports funding for 2022 reflects an increaseneededmorefundingtomodernize ofover20%comparedto2021fortheir facilities and adjacent rail lines Federal-aid Highway Program appor- and roads to ease bottlenecks during tionments.the next cargo surge.EUROPE U.S. MID-WESTFederalAviationAdministrationWevegottobereadyfortheTO SPECIAL CARGOTO(FAA) will award $2.89 billion to 3,075unexpected, he cautioned.U.S. MID-WEST ICON/BADGE NORTH AFRICAairports around the nation. The moneyThehugecontainershipcon-can be invested in runways, taxiways,gestioninSouthernCaliforniahad safety,andsustainabilityprojects,asfrustratedmanybuyerswhowere wellasterminal,airport-transitcon- anxious to get clearances of goods atSHIP WITH US TODAYnections, and roadway projects. the nations two biggest ports in time Callingitaonce-in-a-lifetimefortheholidayseason. Theconges-opportunity to build safer and moretion at the ports along with the con-sustainableairports,Transportationtainer shortages hit headlines not only Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that thein the U.S. but also worldwide. The funding would enable urban, regional,bottlenecks were glaringly visible in and rural airports to work on projectsOctober2021whenover100ships to modernize their infrastructure.were anchored and waiting to offload cargo,causingdelaysandangering(POTENTIALcontinued fromlines. The mooring lines just keep them environmentalists.While the backlogpage 22) on station, so they dont fall away.is down by 60%, according to POLA,and that became the very first floatingSo, the advantage of the semi is Buttigieg reminded that we are notturbine in the world. Since then, theyits stable on its own and has a rela-out of the woods.built a project off Scotland, using five,tivelysmalldraft.Youcanactually In December, Buttigieg awardedsix-megawatt units. And now theyrefabricate it onshore and throw it out more than $241 million in grants todoing one in an oil and gas field [into sea. bolsterU.Sports,partoftheBidenthe Norwegian North Sea] that is evenAJOT: Are there cost advantages administrationsnear-termplantobigger than that, but not really com- of the semi-submersible as well? addressAmericascloggedsupplymercial scale yet. Dagher:Everytechnologyhas chainwithinfrastructureimprove- Withfloatingtechnology,itsaits pros and conswhere you are in ments to speed the flow of goods. wide-openfield.Thereareover40the world, what manufacturing infra-The transportation money is beingtechnologiesinthefloatingworldstructure you have, what port facili-madeavailableimmediatelyfor25rightnow.Proposedsolutionsforties, what geophysical conditions you projectsin19states.Nextyear,thefloatingwindturbinesfitintothreehave offshore. how deep the water is, amount of money for port improve- different major categories: Spar buoy,what kind of soil conditions you have. ments will nearly double to $450 mil- semi-submersibleandtension-legAll determine which technology mayTransportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg lion in grants annually for five yearsplatform. And there are also hybridsor may not be better than the other. underPresidentBidensnewinfra- of these designs.Theres really no single solution fits P oRTSP RoMinenT inb iLL structure law. This is where we have focused ourall. But you cant make the Spar-buoy TheMaritimeAdministrationThe grant money includes $52.3researchattheUniversityofMaineintheUS,thereisnoportfacility (MARAD)announced$230millionmillion to help boost rail capacity atfor the last 14 years and have built thewhere you can make it. inPortInfrastructureDevelopmentPOLB with a new locomotive facil- leading research team in floating tech- AJOT:Dothebladesandthe grants to improve ports, strengthen theity,10,000-footsupporttrackandnology in the United States. nacelle,theturbineitself,present nations supply chains to meet demandextensionsoffiveexistingtrackstoThedesignthatUMainehastechnologicalchallengesinfloating resultingfromtherapideconomicspeed up freight movement while cut- developedisthesemi-submersible,that are different from fixed? recovery over the past year, and helpting down the number of truck tripsandthatsthemostcommontech- Dagher: Whenyougotofloat-easeinflationarypressures.Fundingrequired to do that. nologybeingproposedacrosstheingtechnologies,youhavediffer-forthisprogramwillbeboostedbyU.S. maritime ports play a criti- worldtoday.TheonethatEquinorentvibrationcharacteristics,motion an additional $2.25 billion under thecalroleinoursupplychains,saiddesigned is called the Spar-buoy, butcharacteristics of the hull. The hulls Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Buttigieg. These investments in ourthis requires a very, very deep draft,are moving around a lot more when Giventheimportanceofportsnations ports will help support Amer- 250-to-300-foot drafts for these units.theyrefloatingthanwhentheyre and airports, roads, bridges, etc., forican jobs, efficient and resilient opera- So, its very difficult to fabricate themfixed.Theyremovingatdifferent thenationscommerceandsupplytions, and faster delivery of goods todockside because you dont have portfrequencies. You want to make sure chains, Buttigieg made it a priority tothe American people. facilities with 300 feet of water unlessthat the motions of the hull, as the hull visit in January the Ports of Los Ange- youre in Norway.moves around in the waves and the les (POLA) and Long Beach (POLB)i MPaCT ofd iSRuPTionS Whatwevedevelopedisawinds,donteventuallydamagethe which had experienced massive con- JohnPorcari,theportenvoytosemi-submersiblethathaslessthanturbine from a fatigue perspective or gestion and delays in shipment clear- the White House Supply Chain Taska25-footdraughtdockside,soyoustrength perspective. You dont want ances,nottomentiontheresultingForce, said during a recent press con- can actually make the hull in a lot ofto over-stress the blades or over-stress unavailability of shipment containersference hosted by White House Pressplaces around the US. the gears inside the turbine nacelle.leading to higher costs.SecretaryJenPsakiinWashingtonAlso,thehullsarestablewith- AJOT: Will it be necessary for a At a press event at the POLB, But- (PUSHEScontinued on page 31) out tension legs, without the mooring(POTENTIALcontinued on page 25)'