The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded the South Carolina Ports Authority a $10.8 million TIGER grant to upgrade the Wando Welch Terminal so it can efficiently and safely service post-Panamax and super post-Panamax vessels.
The Port of Charleston’s busiest terminal was built in 1982 to handle ships in the 2,000- to 4,000-TEU range, but now regularly accepts vessels with capacities for 5,000 to 8,000 TEUs. In the future, it is expected to receive vessels of more than 13,000 TEUs.
The port authority in its application asked for $20 million. The modernization project is estimated to cost more than $85 million, Port Director Jim Newsome said.
Improvements include strengthening the wharf piling structure to support bigger, heavier ship-to-shore cranes and withstand pressure from of the largest vessels; paving; replacing gantry rails with wider gauge tracks to support two new super post-Panamax cranes on order; modifying wheel surfaces on existing cranes to fit in the new tracks, and other repairs.
SCPA is investing about $30 million more for the cranes, which are scheduled to be placed in service in July 2016, according to spokeswoman Erin Dhand. Two smaller cranes will be relocated from Wando to the North Charleston Terminal, which cannot be reached by the largest vessels because a downriver bridge has air-draft restrictions.
The port authority board recently approved $1.7 million in modifications to the new cranes that will raise their height under the spreader bar to 155 feet.
Construction work is expected to start early next year and continue for more than two years, Newsome told reporters following his state-of-the-port address on Sept. 8.
At certain points in construction one of the three berths will have to be temporarily closed, he said.
This article was published in the November 2014 issue of American Shipper.
Wando Welch terminal to receive federal grant for overhaul
