2 American Journal of Transportation ajot.com Baltimore puts on its fighting gloves to become key seaport MARYLAND PORTS ‘11 By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOT If there ever was a boxing 50-foot Seagirt container berth, match between seaports, we’d which is planned to include four probably see the Port of Baltimore Super Post-Panamax cranes, and Port of Virginia in the ring. is scheduled to be completed Both are strong contenders in August 2012. When to attract increased business completed, the new berth to their seaports once will accommodate ships the economy gets on a carrying up to 14,000 steady course. In fact, TEU containers. the Port of Baltimore is DRIVER FOR already making some impressive punches. GROWTH Let’s begin MPA officials with Mediterranean and those with Ports Shipping Company’s America Chesapeake, (MSC) 9,178 TEU ship dubbed with whom MPA has entered the Bruxelles, which called at into a private/public partnership the Port of Baltimore’s Seagirt (“P3”) to develop the berth, Marine Terminal in mid July. expect the project to be a real Maryland Port Administration driver in accommodating larger (MPA) officials remark this vessels and attracting more cargo enormous ship is only a sign of to and from Baltimore. bigger vessels yet to come. In (GLOVES – continued on fact, the port received another page 3) Container vessels lined at Seagirt Marine Terminal at the Port of Baltimore post-Panamax containership, the 9,200-TEU MSC Sindy, on August 2. To date, the Bruxelles and the Sindy are the largest containerships to call at the Port of Baltimore. The Bruxelles, alone weighs about 107,000 gross tons, and is 1,011 feet in length and 138 feet wide. But beginning next year when the Port of Baltimore’s new 50-foot container berth is completed at Seagirt, the port will be able to accommodate fully-loaded ships like the Bruxelles and Sindy with ease, and even larger ones. “Large ships like these need 50-feet of water depth in order to bring in their maximum loads,” says MPA Executive Director James J. White. When the new 50-foot container berth is completed next year at the port’s Seagirt Terminal, MPA’s Port of Baltimore will be one of only two East Coast ports to have water depth capable of handling such massive vessels. The other is the Virginia Port Authority’s (VPA) Port of Norfolk, which is why this puts the Port of Virginia into the fighting ring. The Port of New York/New Jersey also provides a 50-foot channel, but bridges/overpasses – deemed sky restrictions – prevent the large ships from taking advantage of the port’s deep water. Given the fact that only about 250 land miles separate them, Baltimore and Norfolk are especially keen competitors in attracting steamship line rotations for post-Panamax ships looking for East Coast ports of call, particularly once the Panama Canal widening project is completed in 2014. The Panama Canal widening project will make it possible for the large post-Panamax ships to transit the Panama Canal and call on the U.S. East Coast rather than calling on the U.S. West Coast where shipments are then trucked or railed across the United States to their destinations. The large ships already calling at the ports come via the Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea. The Port of Baltimore’s new AUGUST 15, 2011 MARYLAND PORTS 3 (GLOVES – continued from by Martin & Associates, the complete National Gateway. director, Intermodal Port cargo cheaply and quickly to page 2) Baltimore-Washington corridor He particularly emphasized Strategy for CSX’s Gateway markets beyond the East Coast. The 50-foot berth is a is also the fourth largest market the importance of investing in rail. Project, points out, there are “Railroads follow the key element of the 50-year in the nation. “They rank “To match the potential of the 50 certain key elements that make population,” Bennett says. agreement between the MPA Northern Virginia fourth in retail foot berth, we have to look at rail a port a strong contender. “With the National Gateway, and Ports America Chesapeake sales,” Greco says upgrades,” he said, adding how “Ocean carriers look at a Baltimore will be able to service to lease and operate the state- An added benefit is the the state is working with CSX and port’s infrastructure, such as a 50- the Ohio Valley and beyond to owned 200-acre Seagirt Marine fact that two-thirds of the U.S. its National Gateway Project. foot draft at the channel and piers; the West Coast.” Terminal that began in 2010. population is located East of the “This will improve the use population densities, as well as That’s because CSX offers MPA’s White calls the P3 Mississippi. of double stack containers,” he inland connectivity,” he says. connectivity to the Western “good for the port” and adds Another advantage is the emphasized. This connectivity includes railroads. that the “50-foot berth will be a fact MSC and Evergreen are the “Through the National not only an interstate highway When completed, the game changer.” port’s two major users. Gateway, CSX and its public system, but rail connectivity to Northwest Ohio Terminal Facility Christopher Lee, managing “The Port of Philadelphia partners are working together inland markets. will be a 185-acre world-class director of Highstar Capital, the does not have direct Asia to vastly improve the quality Baltimore is at the convergence freight distribution hub – and the independent investment fund that services,” Greco adds. and flexibility of the eastern rail of the East-West Interstate 70 and nerve center of CSX’s nationwide owns Ports America Chesapeake network,” said Michael J. Ward, North-South Interstate 95. The intermodal network. RAIL LINKAGE and leases the Seagirt Terminal at CSX chairman, president and Port of Baltimore is also served Like an air cargo hub, the Port of Baltimore, comments Significant for the Port chief executive officer in a press by two Class I railroads – Norfolk freight trains will arrive directly that Maryland officials were of Baltimore is also CSX’s release at the time. “With today’s Southern and CSX. from all across the nation “forward thinking in creating commitment to the National new $160 million commitment, It is this rail connectivity that and its ports, then quickly the P3.” Gateway project. This project CSX will have obligated a total Bennett emphasizes will be key. and efficiently redistributed Last year Ports America will give the Port of Baltimore of about $575 million over The National Gateway to a network of double stack Chesapeake acquired $334 a direct rail link to Northwest several years to better meet the project, involves two major trains to speed final delivery million in funding to invest Ohio, much like the Norfolk needs of our customers, our intermodal terminal facilities – all across the eastern United in necessary infrastructure at Southern Heartland Corridor states and our ports.” one in Chambersburg, PA, which States. Shippers will bypass Seagirt, which, in these lean project to Columbus, Ohio The CSX National Gateway was completed in 2007; the other choke points like Chicago and times, is saving the State of gives VPA’s Port of Norfolk. project is particularly significant in North Baltimore, Ohio, which transform Northwest Ohio into Maryland hundreds of millions On May 18, CSX announced for the Port of Baltimore in is slated for completion later a critical transportation center. of dollars it would have had to that it is investing $160 million attracting steamship lines to this year. The North Baltimore (GLOVES – continued on invest in capital improvements. over the next several years to the seaport. As Vance Bennett, project is significant for moving page 6) Mark Montgomery, President and CEO Ports America Chesapeake, explains to AJOT that his company aimed to finish the new berth in 2012 -- two years ahead of the opening of the widened Panama Canal, because he believes steamship lines are already considering their rotations going forward. “A lot of ports are having problems getting prepared to accommodate ships in time for the widening of the Canal,” he says. “By comparison, Baltimore has taken a ‘built it and they will come’ attitude. We will be in position when steamship lines decide their rotations since we will have the necessary infrastructure.” Already existing Seagirt terminal assets operated by Ports America include three berths, seven container cranes, and 12 gantries. According to Montgomery, current cranes in operation at the terminal are capable of making 37 moves per hour per crane. “Truck turn times are less than 30 minutes for a single move and 60 minutes for a double move,” he adds. The terminal uses Navis SPARCS vessel and yard planning programs, which increase efficiencies. ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES There are other advantages, particularly for when volumes Northwest Ohio pick up and increased numbers of containers transit the Port of Baltimore. One is the 199 acres CSX’s new intermodal hub located in Northwest Ohio will make you more competitive of land available for distribution center development next to Seagirt from coast to coast and throughout the Midwest. As part of the National Gateway Marine Terminal. initiative, it will provide faster and more reliable service – while its unique terminal “There’s space for 1 million square feet of warehouse space,” operating system with five wide span ultra-efficient cranes sets new standards in Montgomery emphasizes. By virtue of geography, the productivity and environmental stewardship. Port of Baltimore offers another key benefit. That is the fact the port is 150 miles inland. This gives shippers an automatic savings of $150 -250 per truck move, says Joe Greco, MPA deputy director of marketing Furthermore, Baltimore sits Contact your Intermodal Sales Representative or right at the doorstep of some of the nation’s highest incomes.