Plaquemines Port Harbor & Terminal District (PPHTD) and American Patriot Holdings LLC (APH) announced plans to develop an intermodal container terminal on the lower Mississippi River, taking advantage of the Plaquemines Port’s wide expanse of land and American Patriot Container Transport LLC’s (APCT) innovative inland vessel design, able to efficiently deliver containers to and from ports on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. APCT is a wholly owned subsidiary of APH.
Entering into an “Exclusivity Agreement” PPHTD and APH plan to jointly develop the logistics system for vessel operations comprised of both deep-water docking at the Pointe Céleste Container Terminal and multiple upriver terminals, initially planned for the Memphis and St. Louis areas.
PPHTD’s new Container Port, located between mile 50 and 55 on the Mississippi River, will be the southern-most full service port complex on the river, providing full intermodal service via river, rail, highway and air to and from the heartland of America. Users of the new terminal will realize economic efficiencies resulting from technological advances being built into the port, and operational safety advantages given the port’s geographic position.
“We’re building a new, modern technology port from the ground up where berthing depths exceed 60 feet and with the capability to accommodate the larger Post-Panamax vessels coming through the widened and deepened Panama Canal,” said Sandy Sanders, Executive Director of Plaquemines Port.
“Containers imported to the Plaquemines Port would be transferred to APCT’s revolutionary vessels for delivery to their upriver port destination. Export containers will be efficiently delivered from upriver
ports to the Plaquemines Port for export on ocean carriers. Beneficial Cargo Owners and Ocean Carriers alike should look at the planned port as a solution to their logistic problems and the high intermodal costs that plague them today. Cargo flows through the most efficient economical route and our plans are to provide shorter dwell times, lowest cost, with fast and reliable routes,” Sandy added.
Sal Litrico, CEO of American Patriot Container Transport LLC, said partnering with Plaquemines Port is very exciting, considering what will be offered to shippers. “Our team looks forward to meeting with shippers and ocean carriers to discuss their present day logistic and cost concerns, and how our system can be planned to optimize their business logistic efficiencies.”
The new port, comprised of 4,200 acres, will include a recently announced $8.5 billion LNG re-liquefaction facility, a break bulk terminal and a state-of-the-art container terminal expected to comprise approximately 1000 acres. Designed to service the largest ocean carriers, the container terminal will be capable of safely docking vessels up to 20,000 TEU. Deep-water access and 21,600 linear feet of waterfront allow for multiple ocean and APCT vessels to be accommodated simultaneously.
“The Port has been working very hard on a diversity of projects which will amount to creating quality jobs and increasing the tax base for our parish,” said Port Chairman Beau Black. “APH’s revolutionary container vessels fit right into our plan to make Plaquemines Port as diversified as possible. By finally taking advantage of the Mississippi River, our Port will allow shippers to fully benefit from the lowest cost mode of transportation and relieve this development from having an adverse impact on vehicular and rail traffic.”
“We are moving in the right direction entering the container markets, which will aid in diversifying our economy,” said Plaquemines Parish President Amos Cormier. “So much of our economy is dependent on oil and gas. We believe container transportation will be ever increasing in the global economy with the expansion of the Panama Canal.”
APH, in conjunction with its Naval Architect, Naviform Consulting & Research Ltd., (NAVIFORM) developed the proprietary and patent-pending design. By revolutionizing how containers are moved on Inland Waterways, this one of a kind container vessel offers un-paralleled efficiencies. The patented Exoskeleton Vessel Hull Structure maximizes container payload, and the patented bow design enables the vessels to travel at 13 mph north and southbound with essentially no wake. APH has exclusive rights for use of the design and an exclusive licensing agreement on the patents. APH believes the application of this technology will have worldwide appeal.
The propulsion system consists of 4 diesel generators, driving 4 azimuthing thrusters (Z-Drive) and 2 bow pumps, burning LNG, the “cleanest fuel” for propulsion. Together, the main propulsion thrusters and the bow pumps eliminate the need for docking/undocking assist tugs, saving substantial time and expense. The container vessel designs range from 592 ft. to 952 ft. in overall length, with corresponding Deadweight (LT) of 9489 to16079, and TEU capacities of 1824 to 2960 at a draft of 9’00” in fresh water.
APCT expects upriver round trips from the Pointe Céleste Terminal will take 7 days to Memphis and 11 days to St. Louis. The vessels will be outfitted with substantial electrical capacity for reefer cargoes. APCT expects to attract shippers and ocean carriers to this system by offering un-paralleled cost efficiencies for agricultural products, refrigerated cargoes, dry cargoes, and chemicals.
“The planned logistic system will increase U.S. economic competitiveness by adding cost effective and reliable transportation capacity, provide long term logistic viability, support, reduce heavy road traffic, reduce greenhouse gases, reduce hazardous material transport through populated areas, and provide jobs for skilled mariners and U.S. shipyards,” said Litrico.
The management team of APCT includes, Joseph (Joe) P. Gehegan, former CEO of U.S. Shipping Corp, Robert (Bob) W. McCormack former Global Vice-President of Marine Commercial and Business Development for a major oil company, and Salvatore (Sal) Litrico former CEO of United Maritime Group.
PPHTD and APH recently completed a “Pre-Feasibility Report” and determined the new logistic system offered a sufficient value proposition to attract customers. The business case is being presented to investors, terminal operators and other potential stakeholders to advance to the “Bankable Feasibility” stage. PPHTD and APCT have commenced discussions with BCO’s, ocean carriers and terminal operators to advance the project.
