The Port of Galveston said it received 8 bids for work on its Pier 16 Wharf Extension project. It said it expects to award contract within 60 days.
The Port of Oakland will receive more than $3.5 million in Federal Port Security Grant funding for three new projects, port officials said. The grant requires a 25% cost share from the port and must be completed within a two-year period. The grants mean "the port will significantly enhance its capability to prepare, prevent, respond and recover from incidents in the maritime area," said Port Facilities Security Officer Mike O'Brien. The projects include: (1) Expansion of the port's Geospatial Security Mapping System/Geographic Information System, which was developed to streamline incident management for first responders and public safety agencies. (2) Enhance maritime domain awareness via augmentation of the port's CCTV system and expansion of Emergency Operation Center technological capabilities. (3) Addition to the fiber optic network to expand communications service and provide system redundancy.
The South Carolina Ports Authority said it's working to develop an inland port in Greer, S.C., to improve the efficiency of international container movements between the Port of Charleston and elsewhere. The SCPA board authorized the negotiation of a preliminary engineering contract with Patrick Engineering, in the first step in the project, SCPA said. The SCPA's fiscal year 2013 capital plan included about $23.5 million in capital spending for the public-private partnership.
The Port Commissioners for the Port of San Diego adopted a $150.6 million budget for fiscal year 2012-2013. Port officials said the budget emphasizes growth of its maritime business operations.
Two new incentives to encourage trade at the Port of Long Beach were approved July 2 by the Board of Harbor Commissioners. One is designed to encourage larger, cleaner ships to dock at the Port, and the other aimed at attracting more containers to come via rail through Long Beach. Under the programs, which launch Aug. 1, the largest ships calling at the Port will have their daily dockage fees capped, and ocean carriers who move additional containers via rail through Long Beach will get incentives. The port will cap daily dockage fees at $8,641 for ships longer than 345 meters (1,132 feet). Without the change, the largest vessels would pay more than $11,000 a day in dockage fees. Ships that qualify under the port's Green Ship Award Program may earn up to $6,000 more in incentives. Ocean carriers also will save on rail cargo costs under a program that will give them a $10 incentive for every additional container they move via rail through Long Beach between Aug. 1, 2012, and July 31, 2013, compared to the previous one-year period.
Virginia International Terminals said it implemented new terminal operating software at the Port of Richmond that provides real-time data via iPad on cargo to the terminal operator and customer. The software, called Navis SPARCS N4, unites the terminal's entire operating system in a single format, providing data on truck and barge moves in real-time to users, it said.
The current expansion will double the Panama Canal's capacity, and the "resulting economy of scale advantage for larger ships will likely change the logistics chains for both U.S. imports and exports," said Robert Pietrowsky, director of the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Institute for Water Resources, in a report to Congress June 20 on "U.S. Port and Inland Waterways Modernization: Preparing for Post-Panamax Vessels."
The San Diego Board of Port Commissioners approved $6.2 million in projects June 20 to be funded as part of the Capital Improvement Program, including: Demolition design for the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal: $500,000. The improvements alone are projected to eventually cost $6.2 million. Modernization of the Crosby Street Pier and relocation of staff at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal: $2.55 million. $1 million for design work for the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan.
The Port of Oakland received a $15 million TIGER grant from the Department of Transportation to help fund the Outer Harbor Intermodal Terminal (OHIT) Rail Access project, it said. The money will help pay to improve rail access to and from the Port and expand the Port's rail capacity, while providing rail access for the proposed Oakland Army Base development. Port officials said the grant also will help preserve $242 million in state funding for the project. The $15 million is from the fourth round of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program (FY2012). There was $500 million available in this round of the TIGER grants nationwide. This is the second TIGER grant secured by the Port of Oakland. The federal funding will be matched more than one-to-one to launch the first phase of the Outer Harbor Intermodal Terminal (OHIT) Rail Access project, which is part of the joint City-Port OAB redevelopment plan, officials said.
Hewlett Packard's Autonomy said Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) of South Africa selected its Connected Backup intelligent mobile backup solution to protect information across the group. Connected Backup will enable intelligent, automated and secure backup for more than 1,800 laptops and desktops across all eight of its port sites, it said.