6 American Journal of Transportation American Journal of Transportation ajot.com Texas ports looking to deeper channels as energy cargos propel rising tonnage By Paul Scott Abbott, AJOT (ACTIVITY – continued on page 12) Largely driven by ever-esca- lating energy industry demands, Texas seaports, including a number of the nation’s busiest maritime facilities, are looking to benefit from deeper channels and enhanced on-port infrastructure. Port authority invest- ments are being buttressed by multibillion-dollar proj- ects undertaken by the private sector, including development of the first major new U.S. refinery in almost 50 years. Taking a one-by-one look at leading Lone Star State ports, starting just west of the Louisi- ana-Texas line, then heading generally southwestward along the Gulf of America, toward the U.S.-Mexico border, here’s what’s going on: Port of Port Arthur Following major berth expansions in 2023 and 2024, the most recent boost to oper- ational capacity at the Port of Port Arthur comes from the 5-acre Lot 8 development, dedicated last fall, which con- verted a long-abandoned rail- yard into a stabilized concrete staging area to support han- dling military, energy, indus- trial and project cargos. The Lot 8 development includes relocated underground utili- ties, as well as improvements to drainage, curbing, gutters, lighting and sidewalks. Construction began in March on a flyover bridge spanning the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railyard and future U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood protec- tion system site, to furnish a second access point for the port and reduce conflict between trucks and trains. Last fall, voters rejected a $92 million port bond pro- posal, but Port of Port Arthur officials pledge that car- go-handling improvements will continue, albeit it at a slower-than-hoped-for pace. Meanwhile, deepening of the Sabine-Neches Waterway channel is being expedited, with hopes to bring depth to 44 feet from the present 40 feet as far as the ports of Port Arthur and Beaumont, with a 48-foot depth eyed by 2029. Port of Beaumont Up the Sabine-Neches Waterway, northwest of Port Arthur, the Port of Beaumont is relying on $382 million in facility revenue bonds in development of a state-of-in- dustry blue ammonia facility, in partnership with the Jeffer- son Energy Companies sub- sidiary of New York-based FTAI Infrastructure Inc., at the 51-acre Jefferson Ter- minal South property. Made using natural gas via carbon capture technology, blue ammonia offers an alterna- tive to fossil fuels. A March wetlands permit application seeks go-ahead for building two new docks at the terminal to accommodate additional blue ammonia exports. With four new docks constructed over the past five years, vessel traffic has nearly quadrupled at the Port of Beaumont, which is con- tinuing to invest in rail mod- ernization, dock expansion and terminal infrastructure enhancements. Development of Lot 8 turns an abandoned railyard into a stabilized concrete staging area at the Port of Port Arthur. EXPERT LOGISTICS ON DEMAND ANYWHERE. ANYTIME. ON TIME. 1000 Foust Road Brownsville, TX 78521 +1 (956) 831-4592 www.portofbrownsville.com CONTACT US (DEEPER – continued on page 9)
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