Port officials said a total of 33 ships will have loaded or unloaded during the month of August, handling a total of almost 400,000 tons of cargo.
The port's fiscal year ends Friday, August 31. The total number of ships includes general cargo, military, bulk and grain ships, but does not include barges or homeport layberth ships.
Port of Beaumont Board President C.A. "Pete" Shelton attributes the record number of ship calls to healthy volumes of the port's traditional cargoes -- bulk grain, potash, forest products and military cargo -- plus strong growth in project cargo.
Executive Port Director Chris Fisher notes that the port has experienced a surge in imported equipment used in generating wind power and other more traditional power generation construction, plus steel pipe that will be used in the construction of pipelines that will link area Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminals to the interstate pipeline network.
In an average month, the port handles about 20 ships and a number of barges, Fisher said. In August, the port will have handled eight potash ships, seven grain ships, seven military ships, five wind energy ships, three project cargo ships, one pipe ship and two forest product ships. The cargo on these ships is for more than 15 different shippers, which demonstrates the port's diversified cargo base.
