Port Houston moved 1.3 million container TEUs through the first six months of 2018, a 6% increase from 2017, Executive Director Roger Guenther announced in his report to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority in its regular monthly meeting held Tuesday.
Bayport Container Terminal recorded the largest number of single-vessel container box lifts in Port Houston’s history, with more than 4,800 lifts performed during one vessel operation. The historic performance involved a ship from one of Port Houston’s East Asian services (a 6,400 TEU-class vessel) that regularly calls at the port.
This vessel would not have called Port Houston facilities without the expansion of the Panama Canal. We were able to handle this business due to the investments we have made in deepening and widening the Bayport channel, as well as investments in the equipment capable of handling this class of ship. This historic operational performance eclipsed the previous record by 650 moves on one ship,
…noted among others Mr. Guenther.
In addition, Port Houston operating revenues of $179 million set two monthly records during the first half of 2018; a revenue record was set in March and then was broken again in May, with revenue reaching more than $32 million, while each sector of Port Houston’s business experienced revenue growth in the first six months, led by volume increases in its container business.
Port Houston’s steel trade continued to show strength, and in import pipe in particular; overall steel cargo totaled 2.1 million tons, reflecting a growth of 21% compared to the same period last year.
Mr. Guenther also provided an update on the arrival of three new neo-panamax cranes at the Bayport terminal. The cranes will help meet current and projected growth in container volume at the Bayport facility, and should improve vessel productivity and truck turnaround times. The new cranes will be capable of handling vessel widths of up to 22 containers across.
The three new cranes stand more than thirty-stories tall and have journeyed upright aboard a vessel for more than three months to reach Port Houston. The cranes are tentatively expected to arrive at the Bayport Terminal with booms fully raised Monday, August 6.
