Maritime Companies Partner With Louisiana to Invest in Future Container Facility Terminal

Crews load and unload consumer products at the Port of New Orleans along the Mississippi River in New Orleans on June 23, 2010. Sean Gardner/Reuters

Port companies in New Jersey and Switzerland have committed $800 million to build a $1.8 billion container facility in Louisiana.

The two global maritime companies are partnering with the state of Louisiana and the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) to build the Louisiana International Terminal in St. Bernard Parish in Violet, Louisiana, according to Gov. John Bel Edwards on Monday.

The new terminal will “dramatically increase” Louisiana’s import and export capacity, Edwards said.

The New Jersey-based Ports America and the Geneva, Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company invested $800 million through their terminal investment arm: Terminal Investment Limited (TiL).

“This public-private partnership with the Port of New Orleans, TiL and Ports America has the potential to become one of the most impactful economic development projects in our state’s history,” Edwards said in news release. “It leverages the economic power of our greatest natural resource—the Mississippi River—and enhances Louisiana’s ability to attract new investment from companies competing in the global marketplace. Access to global markets represents expanding opportunities for both urban and rural communities.”

Edwards said the terminal will benefit not only residents in south Louisiana but also manufacturing, agribusiness, and energy workers throughout the state, while bringing in 17,000 jobs statewide by 2050.

The project is in the design and permitting phase with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Barring unforeseen delays, construction is slated to begin in 2025, and the first berth to open in 2028,” Edwards said.

The terminal will be able to take in 2 million 20-foot equivalent units annually while taking advantage of the deeper 50-foot Lower Mississippi River Ship Channel and avoiding height restrictions from the Mississippi River bridges further up the river, Edwards said.

Expanding Agricultural Exports

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said poultry is the largest agricultural enterprise in Louisiana, contributing over $1 billion to the state’s economy. This project, he said, will expand those agricultural exporters’ reach into the global market.

State Sen. Sharon Hewitt said the Legislature has secured $50 million in funding for the infrastructure.

“The Louisiana International Terminal will enhance our state’s longstanding position as a leader in international trade,” Hewitt said in the governor’s announcement. “One of the keys to success for this project is the construction of the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor, which will connect Lower St. Bernard to the interstate system to serve both the terminal and the public.”

In October, Port NOLA President and CEO Brandy Christian said in an October announcement that the terminal will be equipped with shore power, which allows vessels to connect to onshore electricity and to turn off diesel engines while at the dock, eliminating up to 98 percent of ship-related emissions.

“One of the benefits of building a new terminal from the ground up is that we can implement the latest advances in green technologies,” said Christian.