The Port of Virginia is still reporting near-peak season cargo volumes, due to the completion of all 13 new container stacks at Virginia International Gateway (VIG). This project brought the total number of stacks at the terminal to 28.
It was the best February in the port’s history with 228,151 TEUs, or 127,596 containers, compared to last year. Namely, fiscal-year-2019-to-date, the overall TEU volume increased 3% or 57,170 TEUs with 23,042 containers.
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In addition, Virginia Inland Port volume rose 16.9%, or 489 containers and total barge volume went up by 11.2% or 441 containers overall. Rail volume reached 45,001 containers, a decrease of 3.12% or 1,434 containers in comparison to last year. The volume at Richmond Marine Terminal also reduced 19.4% or by 493 containers.
According to John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, said that this new capacity has improved turn-times for motor carriers, as well as the flow at the port’s gates.
With the completion of stack No. 1 at VIG, the terminal now has 13 container stacks more, each served by two new rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMGs). The new stacks come to add to the 15 current stacks, also served by RMGs. The 15 original stacks are planned to be refurbished to like-new status during the year. Two stacks are already complete and three are underway.
The terminal has also almost doubled its capacity for refrigerated cargo, which has increased from 452 plugs to 888 plugs. The four ship-to-shore cranes that arrived in January will start operations by the end of March. In addition, the completion of the rail expansion is expected in June 2019, which will be the end of construction.
Moreover, across the river at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT), 12 new stacks are handling cargo and the second phase of construction is
The February cargo snapshot for the Port of Virginia is as following:
- Total TEUs – 228,151, up 4.3%
- Loaded Export TEUs – 76,642, down 6.7%
- Loaded Import TEUs – 105,357, up 5.0%
- Total Containers – 127,596, up 3.8%
- Breakbulk Tonnage – 13,651 (tons), up 0.3%
- Virginia Inland Port Containers – 3,374, up 16.9%
- Total Rail Containers – 45,001, down 3.1%
- Total Truck Containers – 78,108, up 7.7%
- Total Barge Containers – 4,389, up 11.2%
- Richmond Barge Containers – 2,047, down 19.4%
- Vehicle Units – 2,676 – up 72.5%
