Wind energy components dominate Texas Port Project Cargo

BY TAD THOMPSON/ American Journal of Transportation

 

Texas’ seaports enjoy a variety of project cargo. That’s a broad industry category. Along Texas’ Gulf Coast, though, there are a couple dominant trades.

Components for commercial wind turbines is the largest project cargo for ports in Brownsville and Galveston.

At the Port of Brownsville, the largest single project cargo category is components for commercial wind turbines, according to Eduardo Campirano, CEO and port director.

Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, indicates that in 2021, the Port of Galveston set a record for wind turbine cargo, importing 3,172 turbine pieces with a total weight of 212,000 tons. As a result, wind project cargo is a top revenue and jobs generator at the port.

“Project cargo, particularly wind turbine components, makes up a large share of the Port of Galves

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Motus Energy Expands Its Brownsville Terminal Facilities to Support the Increased Movement of Commodities Between International Markets

Phase I of the expansion brings company’s total storage capacity in the region to nearly 900,000 barrels; Phase II will add an additional 700,000 barrels of storage and up to 125,000 barrels of liquified petroleum gas

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Motus Energy LLC announced Sept. 29 the completion of the first phase of the company’s expansion project at its T1 and T2 terminals located in the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The company also executed multiple contracts with leading customers in the region, including independent and major energy corporations, in support of the expansion, which allows increased movement of commodities between the United States, Mexico and other international markets.

Phase one of the expansion project included the construction of eight new storage tanks with a total of 370,000 barrels of capacity, increasing total storage capacity at the facility to

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Celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

By Esteban Guerra, Brownsville Navigation District Chairman

Dear friends of the Port of Brownsville, it is my honor to invite our communities to join the Brownsville Navigation District as we proudly celebrate National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, from September 11- 17, 2022. This week, we recognize our highway heroes and their contributions to help keep commerce moving.

In the last two years, the challenges brought by COVID-19 have renewed our appreciation for our professional drivers who keep our economies and households running. Their commitment to safety and dependability ensures our quality of life remains intact – even during a global pandemic.

Truck drivers are a vital part of our economy, they transport the goods we need and the products that keep our businesses, schools, and hospitals open. As essential workers, trucking’s 3.6 million p

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International Trade Booming at the Port of Brownsville:  Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 Reclaims Number 2 Ranking in the U.S. for the Value of Exports

 

Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 (FTZ) at the Port of Brownsville recorded an increase of 28% for the total value of exports in 2021, surpassing the $5 billion mark for the first time.

According to the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board’s 2021 report to Congress released on August 29, FTZ No. 62 ranks second in the country with more than $5.2 billion in exported goods in 2021, an increase from the $4.1 billion reported in 2020.

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 20th in the nation for the value of imports totaling $4.5 billion.

“This continued upward trend for our foreign trade zone is a reflection of the port’s growth and commitment to be the leading multimodal logistics hub in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Eduardo A. Campirano, Port Director, and CEO. “Our infrastru

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Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase

A tax rate of $0.029658 per $100 valuation has been proposed by the governing body of BROWNSVILLE NAVIGATION DISTRICT.

PROPOSED TAX RATE                                         $0.029658 per $100
NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE                                  $0.028604 per $100
VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE                                   $0.029658 per $100

 

The no-new-revenue tax rate is the tax rate for the 2022 tax year that will raise the same amount of property tax revenue for BROWNSVILLE NAVIGATION DISTRICT from the same properties in both the 2021 tax year and the 2022 tax year.

The voter-approval rate is the highest tax rate that BROWNSVILLE NAVIGATION DISTRICT may adopt without holding an election to seek voter approval of the rate.

The proposed tax rate is greater than the no-new-revenue tax rate. This means th

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BRG Completes Phase One of Palo Alto Yard Expansion

The Brownsville and Rio Grande International Railway (BRG) recently completed the first phase of the expansion of the Palo Alto Yard at the Port of Brownsville.

The upgrade includes the addition of three tracks of rail line, increasing the total static capacity of railcars at the yard to 398. The Palo Alto Yard is BRG’s largest interchange switchyard at the port.

BRG President and COO Norma Torres said that as business increases, phase two and three of the project will be constructed adding space for an additional 260 railcars and bringing the yard’s total static capacity to 658 railcars.

In 2021, the shortline railroad set an all-time high record of 65,865 loaded railcars handled, a 22 percent increase from its 51,115 railcar movements in 2020. In June, BRG handled 6,117 loaded railcars, bringing its year-to-date total to 36,749, on track for another record-breaking year.

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Pasha Hawaii Announces Delivery of LNG-Fueled MV George III at Keppel AmFELS

BROWNSVILLE – July 28, 2022 –  Hawaii-based Pasha Hawaii, together with Texas-based Keppel AmFELS, proudly announced the delivery of the MV George III, the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered vessel to fuel on the West Coast and the first to serve Hawaii. The 774-foot LNG-fueled containership is the first of two new ‘Ohana Class containerships to join Pasha Hawaii’s fleet, serving the Hawaii/Mainland trade lane.

Operating fully on natural gas from day one, the new Jones Act vessel surpasses the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2030 emission standards for ocean vessels, representing the most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly vessel to serve Hawaii. Energy efficiencies are also achieved with a state-of-the-art engine, an optimized hull form, and an underwater propulsion system with a high-efficiency rudder and propeller.

The ‘Oha

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Port of Brownsville Announces New Police Chief

BROWNSVILLE – July 13, 2022 – The Port of Brownsville announces William G. Dietrich as the new Chief of Police for the port’s Police and Security Department, effective July 11, 2022.

Dietrich heads a department which includes sworn police officers, security guards, and administrative staff. He succeeds Carlos L. Garcia, who retired July 8, 2022, from the Port of Brownsville after 10 years of service as police chief.

Before joining the port, Dietrich retired from the Brownsville Police Department as Commander, after 26 years of service. Throughout that time, he served in the Uniformed Services Command, Investigative Services Command, Special Investigations Unit, and served as the Hazardous Devices Unit Commander.

Dietrich holds a bachelor’s degree in Science from the University of Texas at Brownsville (now University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) and is a graduate of the C

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Port Police Chief Garcia Retires After 10 Years of Service

BROWNSVILLE – July 11, 2022 – After 10 years of service, Police Chief Carlos L. Garcia is retiring from the Port of Brownsville effective July 8, 2022. William Dietrich, former commander for the Brownsville Police Department, replaces Garcia as Chief of Police for the port beginning July 11, 2022.

Garcia joined the port in January 2012, after serving as the Chief of Police for the City of Brownsville for 10 years.

After retiring from the Brownsville Police Department, where he served for 30 years and five months, the Brownsville native was selected to take on as Chief of Police at the port. He rose to the occasion learning how to best serve a maritime port and the federal requirements needed for smooth

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Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project Signing Ceremony Propels Port Forward

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – July 6, 2022 – The Brownsville Navigation District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) today, signed a joint agreement for Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Improvement Project.

The Project Partnership Agreement advances the project’s timeline to begin work on deepening the 17-mile long ship channel from 42 feet to 52 feet, resulting in significant navigational safety improvements for commercial shipping in South Texas. The BIH project will further increase the port’s capabilities, allowing existing industries in the Rio Grande Valley to continue expanding while also attracting new economic opportunities for the region.

The Port of Brownsville is a major player in the movement of commodities across North America and the leading multimodal logistics hub for the Rio Grande Valley. In 2021, the port moved a record

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America’s Premier Ship Recycling Port

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – June 6, 2022 – When it comes to the ship recycling industry, the Port of Brownsville is among the most trusted in the nation. Home to three major ship recycling facilities, All Star Metals, International Shipbreaking Ltd./EMR, and SteelCoast, these companies capture over 85 percent of the U.S. Navy and MARAD ship recycling business.

Each of these experienced and safety-driven recycling companies continue to win a steady stream of major recycling contracts from the U.S. Government.

This year ship recycling projects at the port have continued to solidify the port’s reputation as the premier ship recycling port of the U.S. In early April, All Star Metals received two U.S. Navy Austin-class amphibious transport docks – the USS Nashville and USS Ponce – for recycling. SteelCoast on June 3 announced the completion of the recycling of the <

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Port of Brownsville Recognized for Excellence in Financial Reporting

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – June 6, 2022 – For the tenth consecutive year, the Brownsville Navigation District Finance Department earned the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its 2020 comprehensive annual financial report.

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

“I commend the Port of Brownsville’s finance team for this important recognition exemplifying strong financial stewardship, as well as my fellow commissioners for their fiscal responsibility,” said BND Chairman Esteban Guerra. “We will continue protecting the interest of our constituents, making prudent decisions while d

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‘Great days’: USS Kitty Hawk Veterans Bid Final Farewell

BY STEVE CLARK / The Brownsville Herald

Article published Wednesday, June 1, 2022

 

To bring a supercarrier like the former USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) in through the jetties of the Brazos Santiago Pass, everything has to be just right, and getting everything just right can take some time.

As such, the venerable warship was a couple of hours late making its appearance at the southern tip of South Padre Island Tuesday, May 31, en route to International Shipbreaking/EMR Group at the Port of Brownsville, finally entering the pass around 1 p.m. Nonetheless, hundreds of veterans and other spectators endured the heat and the delay to see the Kitty Hawk — commissioned in 1961 and decommissioned in 2009 — float majestically by under tow on the last stretch of its final voyage.

The new Cameron County Amphitheater served as an ideal venue for a ceremony honoring the veterans and

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Port Observes National Maritime Day

The Brownsville Ship Channel at the Port of Brownsville is the lifeline connecting businesses with markets and shippers around the world thanks to the work of merchant mariners.
On National Maritime Day, commemorated annually on the 22nd day of May, the Brownsville Navigation District recognizes the essential roles of merchant mariners to the port’s operations.
Merchant mariners are instrumental in ensuring that goods are available as our world emerges from the global COVID-19 pandemic. Tugboat captains, deckhands, harbor pilots, officers and crews of all U.S.-flagged vessels work tirelessly to sustain the movement of essential goods to medical professionals, manufacturing plants, businesses and communities. Despite the challenges faced in the national supply chain, the maritime workforce continues to be a vital part of the nation

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Port of Brownsville Honors High School Graduates with $1,000 Scholarships

BROWNSVILLE, Texas, May ­­­­23, 2022 – The Brownsville Navigation District (BND) proudly announces the recipients of the 2022 Port of Brownsville Scholarship, aimed at making a difference in the lives of local students pursuing higher education.

Thirty local high school graduating seniors will receive $1,000 scholarships upon enrollment in a college, university, or technical school. The scholarship winners – selected for their academic performance, community involvement, extracurricular activities, and work experience, as well as for essays penned as part of their applications – attend 15 public and private high schools in the Brownsville and Los Fresnos area.

“The Brownsville Navigation District is proud to support these scholars as they move forward in pursuit of their academic and career goals,” said BND Chairman Esteban Guerra. “These students have demonstrate

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