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International Shipbreaking Gains EU Ship Recycling Accreditation

International Shipbreaking, part of the world-leading recycler EMR Metal Recycling, has gained EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SSR) accreditation for its site at the Port of Brownsville after investing $30 million in compliant infrastructure.

The Brownsville site is the first U.S. shipbreaking site to achieve this accreditation. It can now help EU-based ship owners – as well as ships flying the flags of EU member states – to responsibly recycle their ships at end of life.

The regulations set standards for environmental and health and safety compliance which go above and beyond stringent US regulatory requirements. The International Shipbreaking facility meets EU requirements that ships are completely recycled on hard surfaces to avoid pollutants such as chemicals from paints contaminating the soil and water.

“We have just received and safely moored our first EU ship recyc

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Progress Report: South Port Connector Road

BROWNSVILLE, TX (March 1, 2021) — The South Port Connector Road project, which began August 2020, is currently 30 percent complete.
The 1.9-mile long port connector road connects Ostos Road inside the port with State Highway 4, providing another entry and exit to and from the port and convenient access to commercial lanes at Veterans International Bridge. It also supports operations related to the space industry in South Texas.
The project includes the construction of two bridges over wetlands in the area to minimize environmental impacts on the local ecosystem.
The $25.6 million project is a partnership between the Brownsville Navigation District (BND), Cameron County, the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (CCRMA), the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (RGVMPO) and the Texas Dep

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TEXAS PORTS ASSOCIATION HONORS USACE GALVESTON DISTRICT COMMANDER COL. VAIL AS 2021 PORT PERSON OF THE YEAR

GALVESTON, TX (March 1, 2021) – The Texas Ports Association (TPA) honored Col. Timothy R. Vail, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District Commander, as its 2021 Port Person of the Year at the USACE, Galveston District (SWG) Virtual Winter 2021 Stakeholder Partnering Forum.

Each year, TPA honors individuals for their work and support of Texas Ports.  TPA President, Phyllis Saathoff, presented Col. Vail with the award in a surprise ceremony.

“The Galveston District is the most important district to our nation because of the economic vitality and activity generated by Texas Ports,” Saathoff said.  “Under Col. Vail’s leadership, Texas Ports have seen enhanced collaboration which has resulted in federal funding for much-needed ship channel improvement projects, consistent maintenance of our nation’s waterways, and resiliency for our channels

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BRG Steams Ahead Breaking Record in 2020

The Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway (BRG) ended 2020 riding an all-time high with 51,115 loaded railcars handled at the Port of Brownsville throughout the year.

This marks a 24 percent increase from the 41,207 railcar movements recorded in 2019, a considerable upward trend highlighted by growing movements of steel, wind energy components, grain and petroleum-based products.

Norma Torres, BRG president & COO, said the company is likely to continue handling a high volume of loaded railcars in 2021.

“We’ve hired additional staff in the transportation department and added three new management positions since October 2020,” said Torres. “We expect this year to exceed the numbers in the past and will hire more staff in the future.”

Formed in 1984 by the Brownsville Navigation District, the BRG provides consistent, safe and reliable service to Port o

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Container-On-Barge Service Connects Texas With Florida

BY STEVE CLARK / The Brownsville Herald

Article published Thursday, January 28, 2021

A persistent shortage of truck drivers in the United States has helped pry open a window of opportunity for the Port of Brownsville in the form of container-on barge shipping.

The port has tried it before, more than a decade ago with a Florida company called Seabridge Freight Inc., which operated a tug barge line between Brownsville and Port Manatee, Fla., though in the end it didn’t work out. This time around, it’s a different story. Work Cat Trans Gulf LLC, also based in Florida, has been running a weekly short-sea shipping operation between Brownsville and Port Tampa Bay since mid-August consisting entirely of 53-foot shipping containers.

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2020 Year In Review Highlights

The year 2020 brought many challenges to our port family and community. Despite these hurdles, the Port of Brownsville staff, tenants and business partners were able to navigate these rough waters and achieve important milestones throughout the year. Relive the promising announcements of 2020 that make 2021 a year to look forward to.

 

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Dominion Energy Continues Development of First Jones Act Compliant Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessel

 

 

RICHMOND, Va.Dec. 16, 2020  — Dominion Energy announced it has reached a major milestone – the keel laying – in the construction of the first Jones Act compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel, currently being constructed by the global marine shipbuilding firm Keppel AmFELS at its Brownsville, Texas shipyard. With several gigawatts of offshore wind capacity to be installed along the U.S. East Coast in the next decade, access to Jones Act compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessels is of strategic importance to the U.S. offshore wind market.

The companies celebrated the keel laying on Dec. 16 when fabrications from the first steel, supplied domestically, were laid to form the first part of the keel – the bottom-most central steel structural

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TEXAS LNG ANNOUNCES LONG-TERM LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE

Houston, Texas, Dec. 17, 2020 — Texas LNG Brownsville LLC has entered into a long-term lease agreement with the Port of Brownsville, successfully securing the Texas LNG export project site for up to 50 years. The lease agreement is an important milestone bringing the FERC permitted project closer to a final investment decision (FID), while also confirming to liquefied natural gas buyers that Texas LNG is well-positioned to support the continued growth of the LNG market.

The lease agreement covers a 625-acre site located within the Port of Brownsville. Texas LNG plans to construct and operate a 4 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) LNG export terminal on a deepwater frontage site previously secured under an exclusive option to the Lease agreement.

Vivek Chandra, Founder and CEO of Texas LNG LLC (a minority owner of the Texas

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PORT PROGRESS: 2020 was a Year of Milestones

BY STEVE CLARK/ The Brownsville Herald
Article published Sunday,  January  3, 2021

Port of Brownsville officials have reasons to look back on 2020 with fondness despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic. The port started off the year by announcing its Foreign Trade Zone’s rank among the top three in the nation for value of exports according to the U.S. FTZ Board annual report to Congress based on figures from 2018. Then in May, officials were able to announce a record-setting $8.9 billion in combined imports and exports for 2019 within its FTZ No. 62.

The total value of export shipments through the FTZ hit $4.3 billion in 2019, up from $3.8 billion the year before. The port also saw $4.6 billion in imports, the highest in the FTZ’s 40-year history. The numbers were driven mainly by petroleum products, shipbuilding equipment, steel aluminum and wind-energy pr

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Sixth U.S. Navy Ship to be Recycled in 2020 Arrives at Port

The USS Stephen W. Groves has completed her final journey to International Shipbreaking Ltd.’s  facility at the Port of Brownsville where she will be recycled. Her arrival marks the sixth U.S. Navy vessel contract awarded ISL this year.

 The USS Stephen W. Groves was moored at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard since having been decommissioned in 2012. She made her final journey to ISL’s facility where she arrived Nov. 19.

Armed with one MK 75 76mm/62 caliber firing gun, MK 32 ASW torpedo tubes (two triple mounts) and one Phalanx CIWS for anti-submarine warfare, she boasted 1-MK 13 Mod 4 launcher, 4-SSM McDonnell-Douglas Harpoon missiles and 36-GDC-Pomona Standard SM-1MR missiles. The guided missile frigate also had 1 OTO Melara MK 75 3″/62 cal., 1 Vulcan Phalanx CIS and 4-.50 cal. MGs guns.

During her 30-year career, USS Stephen

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This Year, ‘Thank You’ Means More

By Sergio Tito Lopez/Brownsville Navigation District Chairman

Saying “thank you” is an often-underrated privilege, but 2020 requires an extra note of appreciation to those who continue to drive remarkable success at the Port of Brownsville for everyone’s benefit.

The port historically invites its customers and supporters to gather each December for the annual Customer Appreciation Luncheon, where “thank you” is the central theme. COVID-19 clearly altered our plans for an in-person event this year, but the pandemic has not dampened our enthusiasm for saying thanks. Our community continues to grapple with the pandemic’s effects upon our daily lives and wellbeing, but our shared experience has made us closer in many ways – even while being apart.

As the new Chairman of the Brownsville Navigation District, it is my privilege to offer thanks to those wh

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Port of Brownsville Recognizes Keppel AmFELS with 2020 Chairman’s Award

BROWNSVILLE, Texas— December 3, 2020— The Port of Brownsville presented Keppel AmFELS with its 2020 Chairman’s Award in recognition of the company’s important work reintroducing shipbuilding to both the state of Texas and Brownsville.

Brownsville Navigation District Chairman Sergio Tito Lopez presented the award to Mohd Sahlan Bin Salleh, president and CEO of Keppel AmFELS, on Dec. 3 during a special presentation at the Port of Brownsville. Keppel’s important work has helped build the ship building industry locally, bringing approximately 1,400 fulltime jobs to the Rio Grande Valley community.

“For decades, Keppel AmFELS has not only brought new jobs and opportunities, but their skill and expertise has attracted new contracts and opportunities to residents of the Rio Grande Valley,” said Chairman Lopez. “For example, they are nearing comple

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Sergio Tito Lopez Named BND Commission Chairman

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Nov. 18, 2020 – Sergio Tito Lopez was unanimously elected to serve as chairman of the Brownsville Navigation District (BND) during the board’s regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020.

Lopez also was sworn in as a commissioner, along with Ralph Cowen and John Reed, all reelected to the commission Nov. 3. Lopez serves as chairman alongside BND Vice Chairman Cowen and Secretary Esteban Guerra, who were also unanimously elected to serve as part of the executive board. Commissioners John Wood and Reed round out the board as assistant secretaries.

Lopez previously served as chairman from 2012-2014. The BND is the elected authority for the Port of Brownsville in Brownsville, Texas, setting policy and fiscal decisions for the port.

 

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Port of Brownsville Foreign Trade Zone Ranks Number 2 in the U.S. for Value of Exports

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — November 17, 2020 — For the eighth year in a row, Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 (FTZ) at the Port of Brownsville remains near the top in the nation for the value of exports,  according to the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board’s annual report to Congress released on November 13, 2020.

FTZ No. 62 ranks second in the country with more than $4.3 billion in exported goods in 2019, an increase from the $3.8 billion reported in 2018. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the port’s FTZ has consistently ranked in the top three for exports out of 193 FTZs nationwide since 2012. Additionally, FTZ No. 62 ranks number 18 in the nation for the value of imports totaling $4.6 billion, up from $3.69 billion in goods reported in 2018.

“These are the highest numbers we’ve seen in the zone’s history, which highlight the importance of the Port

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Mexican Steel Mill to Benefit Brownsville

BY STEVE CLARK / The Brownsville Herald

Article published Sunday,  November 8, 2020

 

A major steel mill expansion in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, is expected to have a big impact on the Port of Brownsville as a steel importer/exporter and boost job creation locally, according to port officials.

Port Director and CEO Eduardo Campirano said the multi-billion-dollar expansion of Monterrey’s Ternium Pesqueria mill, owned by Ternium S.A., the port’s largest steel customer and the biggest steel producer in Latin America, means more steel production at the mill.

More production requires more feedstock, which means more steel slab moving through the port — most of it from a Brazilian mill also owned by Ternium, he said. The Pesqueria mill largely supplies Mexico’s automobile manufacturing sect

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