b'MAY 2025GULF COAST PORTS11Texas ports advance deeper channels, cargo infrastructure enhancementsBy Paul Scott Abbott, AJOTFrom deeper ship channelsInfrastructure Inc. toenhancedcargo-handlingAspartofthisstrategic infrastructure to private-sectorpartnershipfordevelopment investments,Texasseaportsof Jefferson Terminal South, arepositioningtoaccom- thePortofBeaumonthas modateescalatingactivity,issued$382millioninrev-largelydrivenbyenergyenuebondsandpurchased industries, as well as proxim- 51 acres of waterfront prop-ity to Mexican markets. erty. The facility is to initially Current concerns relatedincludeonedeepdraftberth, to Trump administration tariffwith plans for future expan-andtradepoliciesappeartosion.Blueammonia,made be having little impact uponusingnaturalgasthrough the plans of Lone Star Statecarboncapturetechnology, ports and their industry part- can be used as an alternative ners, as billions of dollars ofto fossil fuels.endeavors are forging ahead. Port of Beaumont projects Beginning just to the westcompleted last year include an oftheLouisiana-Texasline(ENHANCEMENTScon- The Port of Port Arthurs expanded Berth 6 offers a 1,000-foot-long wharf, augmented by 5-acre laydown yard and heading generally south- tinued on page 12) and rail-loading facilities.westwardalongthenewly renamedGulfofAmerica, towardtheU.S.-MexicoEXPERT LOGISTICS border, here is a port-by-port roundup of whats going on at leading ports of Texas: ofON DEMANDP ort ofP orta rthurFollowing completion major expansions of Berth 5ANYWHERE. ANYTIME. ON TIME. and Berth 6 facilities, the Port ofPortArthurhasbroken groundonits5-acreLot8 project, to transform a portion oflong-abandonedrailyard into a stabilized concrete stag-ing area to support handling of an array of goods, includ-ingmilitary,energysector, industrial,buildingmaterial andprojectcargos.The$2 million Lot 8 project, buoyed by a $1.5 million state grant, alsoincludessuchelements asundergroundutilityrelo-cation,removalofderelict structures, and improvements to drainage, curbing, gutters, lighting and sidewalks.Lastyear,theSoutheast Texas port finished a $67 mil-lion endeavor, backed by fed-eral funding, to expand Berth 6,deliveringa1,000-foot-longgeneralpurposewharf deckbuttressedbyon-dock railloadingfacilitiesanda 5-acre laydown yard for out-door holding of steel, alumi-num,heavyequipmentand military and project cargos. A year earlier, the $42 million Berth5projectadded600 linear feet of dock space.The Port of Port Arthur is located on the Sabine-Neches Waterway,whereachannel project is progressing toward providing a 48-foot depth.P ort ofB eaumontAbout20milesfarther uptheSabine-NechesWater-way, the Port of Beaumont has recently finished three signifi-cant infrastructure projects and is now proceeding with devel- CONTACT USopmentofastate-of-industry1000 Foust Road Brownsville, TX 78521blue ammonia facility, in part- +1 (956) 831-4592nership with Jefferson Energywww.portofbrownsville.comCompanies,asubsidiaryof New York-headquartered FTAI'