Port of Charleston box volume up double digits in May

The port authority said it expects another increase in container volumes and revenues in fiscal 2016.    Container traffic at the Port of Charleston reached an all-time high for any month in May. The Southeastern port moved 104,003 boxes, equivalent to 181,809 20-foot standard shipping units, last month. The TEU total was up 12.5 percent from the same month last year.
   During the 11 months of the fiscal year so far, container volumes have increased 13.7 percent, to 1.7 million TEUs compared to the same period in the prior year. Charleston’s container volume grew 8.9 percent to 1.56 million TEUs in fiscal year 2013, and grew again to 1.68 million TEUs last year.
   The South Carolina Ports Authority is projecting even better results for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.
   The financial plan approved by the port authority’s board Wednesday anticipates pier container volume of 1.15 million boxes, a 7.2 percent increase over projected totals for the current fiscal year. Pier containers are the number of boxes lifted regardless of whether they are 20-foot or 40-foot units, and the basis on which the port, which operates its own terminals, charges fees for crane lifts.
   The port authority said operating revenues in fiscal year 2016 are expected to increase 9.2 percent, or $17.7 million, from projected revenues for the current year.
   The extra money would help the port authority with its large, multi-year capital investment plan, which includes harbor deepening, a new container terminal, a near-dock rail depot, new ship-to-shore cranes, strengthening of certain wharves to handle larger ships, and other improvements.
   The board approved capital expenditures of $165.6 million for fiscal year 2016, $73 million of which will go toward ongoing construction of the new container terminal on a former Navy base.
   “I expect SCPA will continue to see strong growth of revenues and handle volumes significantly above the US port market average over the next fiscal year, making this aggressive financial plan achievable,” Port Authority CEO Jim Newsome said in a statement. “We currently receive 11 post-Panamax vessel calls weekly, and the improvements to our dockside infrastructure coupled with our harbor deepening project ensure our port offers first-class facilities designed to receive and deliver containers quickly and handle ships fully-loaded with export cargo headed to foreign ports.”
   The port authority also reported that its inland port in Greer achieved record volumes in May, with 5,845 rail moves completed. The facility has handled 51,671 moves for the fiscal year to date, already surpassing initial volume projections for five years of terminal operations. Rail moves at the intermodal terminal are projected to increase 6.9 percent in fiscal year 2016.
   Breakbulk volumes in Charleston and the Port of Georgetown are 4.3 percent ahead of fiscal year plans, with 1.3 million pier tons handled to date. Charleston moved 82,277 tons last month, and Georgetown handled 40,345 tons in May.