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Wattleigh Sep 6, 2023 2:07 PM
HOUSTON | Ports/Industry Thread
 
Here is a thread for developments among the regional ports and the various industrial clusters surrounding them.

Area Ports

Port Houston: https://porthouston.com/

Port of Galveston/Galveston Wharves: https://www.portofgalveston.com/

Port of Texas City: https://tctrr.com/

Port Freeport: https://www.portfreeport.com/

Wattleigh Sep 6, 2023 2:09 PM
https://www.ajot.com/news/fresh-del-...tart-next-year

Quote:
Fresh Del Monte and Port Freeport sign lease agreement to start next year

posted by AJOT | Aug 15 2023 at 01:10 PM | Ports & Terminals

Port Freeport is pleased to announce the execution of a Lease Agreement to commence in 2024 with Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (Del Monte), one of the world’s leading producers, distributors, and marketers of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, with products sold in more than 80 countries around the world. The company also owns Network Shipping, its third-party ocean logistics arms that carries goods between the Americas. Del Monte ships will offer weekly calls to Port Freeport to import bananas, pineapples, and plantains, serving a large portion of the Texas market and beyond.

“Port Freeport Commission expresses thanks to the Del Monte and Port teams who have worked diligently in making this partnership materialize. This partnership will create positive economic impacts for our district,” said Port Commissioner Chairman Ravi Singhania. “Del Monte will be a great addition to our community with their commitment to the environment and their goal of working towards a sustainable future.”

Del Monte will relocate its western U.S. Gulf operation to Port Freeport in 2024 after the completion of modifications to Velasco Container Terminal by adding more than 500 refrigerated container (“reefer”) plugs. Del Monte also has marine operations in the following U.S. ports: Port Hueneme, California, Port Manatee, Florida and Gloucester, Pennsylvania. After the relocation, Port Freeport will be the only U.S. port with the “big three” multinational green fruit importers at the same terminal.

Wattleigh Sep 6, 2023 4:40 PM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/bus...k-18193504.php

Quote:
Galveston's cruise industry has returned stronger than ever after the pandemic

Erica Grieder,
Staff writer
July 16, 2023

Summer is generally the busiest season for the Port of Galveston’s cruise business, and this year is shaping up to be its busiest yet, according to the port's captain.

Rodger Rees, the port's director and CEO, says the port is on track to welcome an estimated 1.3 million cruise passengers this year, three years after COVID-19 all but sank the business in 2020 and again in 2021.

Last year marked a return to normal, with about a million passengers sailing out of Galveston, Rees said.

“2019 was the best year we’d ever had. 2022 pretty much equaled that,” he said Thursday, noting that the port saw about a million passengers come through last year. “Now, in 2023, we’re looking at a 30 percent increase in passengers. Carnival ships are going out 100 percent occupied. You can’t get one till November, probably."

The relatively small size of Galveston Island, Rees said, might someday cap its cruising activity, but the port's cruising business still has room to grow. And there are other signs that give Reese reason to believe that there's smooth sailing ahead.

The port this week was recertified as a Green Marine port, a voluntary environmental program for the North American maritime industry that the port joined in 2019. Royal Caribbean's new terminal, which opened in December, is bringing the line's large Oasis-class ships to Galveston for the first time. The Port of Galveston also expects to begin renovating a cold storage warehouse — now used for shipments of melons and bananas — into another terminal when its lease runs out in April; that terminal will likely be used by Norwegian and MSC Cruises, a Swiss line that currently doesn't sail from Galveston.

Wattleigh Sep 6, 2023 4:47 PM
https://transportationtodaynews.com/...ontainer-teus/

Quote:
Port Houston sees biggest July ever for container TEUs
BY LIZ CAREY | AUGUST 28, 2023 | NEWS

Port Houston said it experienced the largest container volume in July this year with more than 344,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled during the month.

The record container volume represents a 5 percent increase over the same period in 2022. So far this year, the port has seen 2,202,538 TEUs, only 1 percent less than last year’s record volume.

Officials noted the port has three new ship-to-shore cranes at its Bayport Container Terminal, part of an expansion plan to add a wharf at that location.

“These continued investments at Port Houston terminals are part of an overall strategic plan that aims to facilitate smooth flow of goods, create new, good-paying jobs, and drive overall prosperity for our region,” Roger Guenther, Executive Director at Port Houston, said. “The Houston market continues to thrive, and we are well-positioned now and for the future.”

Wattleigh Sep 6, 2023 6:57 PM
https://www.ship-technology.com/news...nnect-network/

Quote:
News
August 21, 2023

Port of Houston joined the Portchain Connect network

This partnership allows Port Houston to speed up and increase the quality of its berth alignment.

By Cat Vitale

The Port of Houston, TX, USA, has partnered with Portchain Connect to increase communication with its customers and improve its overall berth alignment.

Portchain Connect makes use of AI for streamlining communication and data, which includes the use of automatic identification systems for the embedded tracking of vessels.

The features of the Portchain Connect network include a digital handshake for vessel ETAs and ETDs, connected data streams and alert subscriptions.

The software solution allows Port Houston to share its berthing plans digitally, meaning operating companies and ship captains can be notified of schedule changes instantaneously.

Wattleigh Sep 6, 2023 7:01 PM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/bus...g-18277666.php

Quote:
Pete Buttigieg, local officials celebrate Port of Houston Wharf 6 opening

Erica Grieder
Aug. 5, 2023
Updated: Aug. 7, 2023 9:44 a.m.

The Port of Houston was bustling with activity Friday morning, despite the sweltering heat, as dignitaries including U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, gathered at the Bayport Container Terminal in Seabrook to celebrate the opening of its newest wharf.

"It doesn't seem that exciting. At first glance, it's a concrete slab," said Ric Campo, chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority, in praise of the new Wharf 6. "But in reality, it's really a whole lot more. This wharf represents the future of our port."

The $91.6 million Wharf 6 project includes 1,000 feet of new container wharf, marine bollards and fiber optic cabling. The federal Port Infrastructure Development Program chipped in $21.84 million for the work, as well as some $18 million to support a related project, Buttigieg said, expanding the Bayport terminal's container yard.

America's ports played a front-line role during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, Campo said, as workers navigated the pandemic itself and several knock-on effects: disrupted supply chains and increased consumer demand for cargo.

"For the last three years, we have seen double-digit cargo growth year-over-year," Campo said. The new wharf, he added, will help the port of Houston keep up with demand.

The port of Houston is considered one of the fastest-growing in the United States. In May, Campo announced that after handling record import and export volume in 2022, Port Houston is the fifth largest container port in the United States, up from seventh, handling 7 percent of all container tonnage.

Wattleigh Sep 6, 2023 7:06 PM
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/outreach/back-to-school/port-houston-maritime-program-for-high-school-students/285-822c04c0-6731-44ce-847e-0234a36a4fdc


Quote:
Maritime program offers Houston high school students a career ahead of graduation


Started back in 2009 with just two local high schools, the program has now grown to seven schools across six different districts with nearly 1,000 students.

Author: Michelle Choi
Published: 1:58 PM CDT August 7, 2023
Updated: 1:58 PM CDT August 7, 2023

HOUSTON — It’s never too early to start thinking about what comes after high school. A great option is trade school, and you don't have to wait until graduation to get started.

High schools here in Houston can prepare students for a vocational career that includes a maritime program offered by Port Houston.

"We are probably Houston’s best-kept secret, and that's one of the myths we're trying to break," Jacquie Young, Maritime Education Outreach Manager – Port Houston, said.

The word they're working to spread is about Port Houston's maritime education program.

"About 50% of the people who work along the Houston Ship Channel and at Port Houston are over the age of 50, so we needed to figure out how do we infuse and encourage that next generation of maritime talent,” Young said.
• Video Link

Wattleigh Sep 7, 2023 1:48 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Quote:
State of the Port: Port Houston growing with new headquarters, other investments

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Sep 6, 2023

From its upcoming headquarters move to its ongoing $1 billion Project 11 expansion, Port Houston has significant growth efforts underway, officials said at the Greater Houston Partnership's annual State of the Port on Sept. 6.

In July, Port Houston announced it plans to move its headquarters to a new 95,000-square-foot space in Houston-based Midway’s East River mixed-use development. During a panel discussion at the event, Maria Aguirre, director of community relations for Port Houston, said the Port is excited to be part of Fifth Ward’s growth and contribute to the economic development of the area.

The new building will be six floors and will house various Port Houston departments such as government relations, community relations, public relations and human resources, among others. It is expected to break ground in spring 2024 and has an anticipated completion date of summer 2025.

During the discussion, Aguirre said she believes that other maritime businesses might join the movement to this area of Houston as well. The Houston Maritime Center also plans to move to the East River development, with its reopening now expected in early 2024, according to the museum's website.

In the meantime, Port Houston’s Project 11 is currently underway. The first portion of the project, Segment 1A, which runs from Bolivar to Redfish, was completed in February 2023 on schedule and on budget. New Jersey-based Weeks Marine and California-based Curtin Maritime are currently working on the remaining Galveston Bay segments.

Leia Wilson, Houston Ship Channel operations manager at Port Houston, said during the panel that the portion under construction is from Redfish to Bayport Ship Channel along with the Bayport Ship Channel itself, also known as Segment 1B and Segment 2. Another bid will be out later this year for the next portion, while the expansion of the Barbours Cut Terminal — the last portion of the Galveston Bay region expansion — will be executed by the U.S. Army Corp, she said.

The portions of the project that fall within the Galveston Bay region are expected to be completed by late 2024, said Ric Campo, chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority.

“Project 11 is the fastest, largest federal project that has ever been done,” Campo said.

In the request for proposal process, sustainability and sound mitigation were included to ensure Port Houston is mindful of its neighbors, Wilson said. However, the project is still lacking funds. Campo said it needs an additional $180 million in federal funding.

Wattleigh Sep 7, 2023 8:31 PM
https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/...er-move-120559

Quote:
Port Houston To Turn Prime Waterfront Admin Building Into ‘Revenue-Generating Real Estate’

September 7, 2023
Maddy McCarty, Bisnow Houston

While Port Houston is breaking container volume records, recording its biggest July ever, it is also planning to develop real estate, speakers said at Greater Houston Partnership’s State of the Port event Wednesday.

Port Houston previously announced that it is moving its administrative offices from Turning Basin Terminal near Loop 610 East to Midway’s new East River development in the Fifth Ward, keeping it along the Ship Channel, but farther inland.

Port of Houston Authority Commission Chairman Ric Campo revealed some plans for the current administration building at Wednesday’s event, but stopped short of offering specifics.

“We're going to take the old building and turn it into revenue-generating real estate,” Campo said. “That creates more value and then ultimately helps neighbors as well.”

The current administration building’s location is prime real estate, Port Houston Community Relations Director Maria Aguirre said.

“It’s by the water,” Aguirre said. “We want to make sure that we're developing that and using that for economic development.”

Wattleigh Sep 15, 2023 1:07 PM
https://www.galvnews.com/news/galves...5e64a8ae6.html

Quote:
Galveston council OKs $51M port bond on second vote

By B. SCOTT McLENDON The Daily News
9 hrs ago

GALVESTON

City council members unanimously approved a $50.8 million bond package to pay for expansion projects port officials say are necessary to maintain growth.

The proposal allows the Port of Galveston, a utility of the city, to take on almost $51 million in debt in part for berth improvements to accommodate a massive passenger liner at Cruise Terminal 25.

The propsition initially failed Aug. 25 for lack of a supermajority of the city council — six out of the seven council members have to vote in favor. Councilwoman Sharon Lewis was absent for the vote, but all other members voted in favor.

Council approval of the revenue bonds is a pivotal moment for the port, Harry Maxwell, chairman of the Wharves Board of Trustees, said.

Wattleigh Sep 18, 2023 2:14 PM
https://thefacts.com/news/no-more-m-...261550532.html

Quote:
Port commissioners approve eliminating operations tax rate

No more M&O tax rate for Port Freeport taxpayers

By EMILY HANSON
[email protected]
Sep 15, 2023
Updated Sep 15, 2023

A historic moment has happened at Port Freeport.

Effective Oct. 1, Port Freeport taxpayers will no longer need to pay a maintenance and operations tax, answering a long-heard call for the entity to be self-supporting.

During the Port Commission meeting Thursday, the board voted 5-1 to zero out the M&O tax rate.

“This is the largest tax cut in Port Freeport history,” Commission Vice Chairman Rob Giesecke said.

The lone dissenting vote came from Commissioner Rudy Santos, who believed the port should have taken a more incremental approach to eliminating that portion of the rate.

“I am against it going to zero so fast,” Santos said after the meeting. “My plan was to do a three- or four-year plan to get to zero. I wanted to go slow with it. I’m very proud of the port and what we’ve been doing.”

Giesecke said now that the M&O tax rate is zero, it will require voter approval to bring it back.

Port Commission Chairman Ravi Singhania said the decision to zero out the tax rate was done very carefully.

“For the last seven years, we have been operating the port without the M&O tax rate funds; those went into reserve,” he said.

Despite the Port Commission board’s action to zero it, taxpayers will still see the port on their property tax bills.

Wattleigh Sep 20, 2023 8:44 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

Quote:
Exxon Mobil starts up $2 billion expansion of Baytown chemical facility


By Naomi Klinge – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Sep 19, 2023

Spring-based Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) has started up a $2 billion expansion of its Baytown manufacturing facility with two new chemical production units and the company's entrance into a new chemical market.

One of the units will produce 350,000 tonnes per year of linear alpha olefins, branded as Elevexx products, marking Exxon’s entry into the market. These products are used for plastic packaging, high-performing engine and industrial oils, and other applications in cleaning and pipelines.

The second unit will produce 400,000 tonnes per year of performance polymers, branded as Vistamaxx and Exact polymer modifiers, which enhance the performance of a range of chemical products. These products are used in automotive parts, construction materials, personal care products and various packaging applications.

“With startup of these two new lines, ExxonMobil is delivering high-value materials for a variety of products that society depends on every day,” Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Product Solutions, said in a press release.

The project has been in the works since at least 2018. It started construction in 2021 after reaching a final investment decision in 2019.

While the expansion was under construction, the project supported more than 3,500 jobs, and it will directly employ 200 more people, Exxon said.

Wattleigh Sep 22, 2023 12:50 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

Quote:
Carnival Cruise Line to homeport Carnival Legend ship in Galveston


By Olivia Pulsinelli – Assistant managing editor, Houston Business Journal
Sep 21, 2023
Updated Sep 21, 2023 2:35pm CDT

Carnival Cruise Line, part of Miami-based Carnival Corp. & PLC (NYSE: CCL, CUK), is bringing yet another ship to Galveston.

Carnival Legend will homeport in Galveston starting in fall 2025, the company said Sept. 21. It will offer a variety of four- through 10-day Western Caribbean sailings plus a few Panama Canal cruises.

For Carnival Legend's move to Galveston, the ship will sail a 16-day Carnival Journeys cruise that departs San Francisco on Oct. 6, 2025. That trip includes stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Puntarenas, Costa Rica, before transiting the Panama Canal and then visiting Cartagena, Colombia, before arriving in Galveston.

A second 14-day Carnival Journeys cruise, roundtrip from Galveston, departs on Feb. 2, 2026. Three 10-day Panama Canal cruises will depart Oct. 27 and Dec. 8, 2025, and March 16, 2026.

For the Western Caribbean sailings, Carnival Legend will alternate between shorter and longer cruises from fall 2025 through early 2026.

“Carnival Legend’s deployment in Galveston strengthens our already robust portfolio of sailings from Texas, adding more variety to the offered itineraries, as well as another ship choice, and more opportunities for cruises to Mexico and other Western Caribbean that fit any vacation length,” Fred Stein, Carnival’s vice president of revenue planning and deployment, said in a press release.

Carnival Legend is 963 feet long and has a capacity of 2,124 guests plus 930 onboard crew. Onboard dining includes Lido Marketplace, Guy's Burger Joint, Seaday Brunch, BlueIguana Cantina, Bonsai Sushi and more. Onboard activities include the Punchliner Comedy Club, WaterWorks Aqua Park, Playlist Productions, Serenity Adult-Only Retreat, Camp Ocean for kids and more.

Ahead of Carnival Legend's arrival, Carnival Miracle will homeport in Galveston from fall 2024 to spring 2025, the company announced in March. With the addition of Carnival Miracle and then Carnival Legend, Carnival Cruise Line will have a total of four ships sailing out of Galveston.

In Galveston, the company currently operates Carnival Breeze, which offers four- and five-day cruises; Carnival Dream, which sails mostly six- and eight-day cruises; and Carnival Vista, which offers seven-day cruises. Carnival Jubilee is slated to replace Vista.

Wattleigh Oct 3, 2023 9:07 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Quote:
Global energy companies partner on ammonia production and export project on Houston Ship Channel

By Naomi Klinge – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Oct 3, 2023

Four companies are partnering to develop a low-carbon ammonia production and export project on the Houston Ship Channel.

Tokyo-based Inpex Corp., Paris-based Air Liquide Group, Oklahoma City-based LSB Industries Inc. (NYSE: LXU) and Houston-based Vopak Moda Houston LLC, a 50-50 joint venture between Houston-based Moda Midstream LLC and Dutch terminals company Royal Vopak, are collaborating on pre-front-end engineering and design work for the potential project.

If the development proceeds, the project plans to produce more than 1.1 million tonnes per annum of ammonia by the end of 2027, with expansion opportunities possible in the future.

A feasibility study was completed this year.

“The worldwide movement to decarbonize industry and transportation will drive strong global demand for low-carbon ammonia,” Maria Ciliberti, Vopak's president for U.S. and Canada, and Jonathan Ackerman, Moda Midstream's co-founder and CEO, said in a joint statement. “Vopak Moda has invested in our talented, experienced workforce and state-of-the-art storage and marine infrastructure to be a leader in the emerging low-carbon ammonia export market. We believe the unbeatable combination of project expertise, technology, off-taker relationships and market credibility position Vopak Moda, Air Liquide, Inpex and LSB to be first movers for a new wave of low-carbon energy exports.”

Wattleigh Oct 6, 2023 3:34 PM
https://www.galvnews.com/news/port-o...d90797017.html

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.town...size=750%2C500

Quote:
Port of Galveston receives largest state grant in its history

By LAURA ELDER
The Daily News
Sep 28, 2023

GALVESTON

In the single largest grant allocation ever bestowed on the public docks, the state has awarded the Port of Galveston $42.3 million for three projects that include improvements to cargo infrastructure and an enclosed pedestrian walkway to serve cruise passengers who for years have had to walk across busy Harborside Drive to board ships.

The grant was a coup for the island port and others in Texas and was made possible when the 88th Texas Legislature allocated $640 million for Texas ports to use inside and outside their gates, Port Director Rodger Rees said.

For the first time, the legislature allocated $200 million for the Maritime Infrastructure Program, which applies to projects within port gates. Another $400 million was allocated to the Ship Channel Improvement Revolving Fund.

The landlord Galveston port for decades had neglected its infrastructure and because of that has struggled to attract new cargo tenants that could boost revenues. The port in March said it was considering issuing $100 million in bonds to help fund much-needed, time-sensitive projects, including expansion of the West Port Cargo Complex.

Much of that work, including the cargo complex and a proposed fourth cruise terminal, are included in the port’s 20-Year Strategic Master Plan adopted in 2019. The plan details more than $600 million in critical projects, including an interior roadway and rehabilitation of long-neglected, deteriorating docks.

But money to pay for all the infrastructure work has been elusive. The port’s total operating revenue last year was $52.9 million against $36.9 million in expenses, according to its annual financial statements.

Although a public entity and a utility of the city, the port receives no tax revenue. In lieu of taxes, it pays the city more than $200,000 a year and this year agreed to fees and surcharges against cruise business that will eventually send another $2 million or so to the city each year.

The state money — essentially three grants — comes from the Texas Department of Transportation’s Maritime Infrastructure Program with a $15.75 million match from the port. That match can be paid over two years, giving the port some breathing room, Wharves Board Chairman Vic Pierson said. With the port’s match, the infrastructure investment will be about $57 million, Pierson said.

Wattleigh Oct 25, 2023 3:38 PM
Port Freeport


https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=750%2C422


https://thefacts.com/news/historic-funds-will-allow-for-port-improvements/article_05801d1a-e1da-595a-a84b-3a8ec3abe9b1.html

Quote:
Historic funds will allow for port improvements

By EMILY HANSON
[email protected]
Oct 24, 2023
Updated 13 hrs ago

FREEPORT — Port Freeport has received a tremendous influx of cash from the Texas Legislature.

Executive Director/CEO Phyllis Saathoff knows exactly how to put that money to good use.

“The Legislature allocated $40 million to state highway projects which connect the port roadways to the highways,” Saathoff recently told The Facts. “There had been $100 million allocated leading up to this session, and we have applied before and one of the projects that received funding previously was a section of state Highway 36 widening. So we worked with our local TxDOT department and brought those funds to our community.”

The Texas Transportation Commission approved $240 million in funding for ports to “help increase trade, improve safety, and provide a more robust supply chain for our state and the nation,” according to a Sept. 29 news release from Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.

From those $240 million, Port Freeport has received more than $16 million.

The money will be divided among three projects within the port’s grounds, Saathoff said:

$950,547 will go toward Gate 4 Access improvements;

$3.8 million will go to East Fifth Street improvements; and,

$11.57 million will be used for the Area 5 Storage facilities.

Wattleigh Oct 26, 2023 4:11 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Quote:
John Cockerill Hydrogen enters US with planned manufacturing facility in Baytown

By Naomi Klinge – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Oct 25, 2023

Electrolyzer manufacturer John Cockerill Hydrogen is planning a facility in Baytown and aims to expand the hydrogen sector in the Houston area with its entrance into the U.S. market.

John Cockerill Hydrogen, a fully owned subsidiary of Belgium-based John Cockerill Group, has already acquired a manufacturing space in Baytown and has a local head office in Houston. Annually, the new facility is expected to produce a gigawatt of electrolyzers, which are used in the water electrolysis process to produce green hydrogen.

The manufacturing facility will create 200 jobs in the area, and its products will serve the North American market with a domestic supply chain of green hydrogen production equipment.

“We are excited for the U.S. launch, the first step in our partnership journey with North American businesses and stakeholders who seek to decarbonize and advance the energy transition,” said François Michel, CEO of John Cockerill Group.

Production is expected to begin by the third quarter of 2024 at the earliest. The company said it will be among the first operational alkaline manufacturing facilities of its size in the U.S.

Wattleigh Oct 31, 2023 1:37 PM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/bus...e-18457533.php

Quote:
Soon-to-close Houston refinery is part of DOE's $1.2B hydrogen hub plan in Houston

Amanda Drane,
Staff Writer
Oct. 30, 2023
Updated: Oct. 30, 2023 6:09 p.m.

LyondellBasell confirmed its plans to convert its Houston refinery into a hydrogen facility during an earnings call Friday, saying the soon-to-be-shuttered facility is now on track to participate in Houston’s HyVelocity hydrogen hub, one of seven hubs selected earlier this month by the Biden administration to receive as much as $1.2 billion each in federal funding.

Though the Biden administration’s decision to include the Houston hub is a significant development, LyondellBasell CEO Peter Vanacker said during the call, “a lot of steps” stand stand between the company and redevelopment of its refinery along the Houston Ship Channel.

“In the transformation of our Houston refinery, we have multiple projects that we are currently looking at,” Vanacker said, noting the potential to use equipment and pipeline connections at the site for use in its plastics production.

Other members of the HyVelocity hydrogen hub include the University of Texas at Austin, oil majors Chevron and Exxon, gas supplier Air Liquide, AES Corp., Mitsubishi Power Americas, Ørsted, Sempra Infrastructure, the nonprofit Center for Houston’s Future and GTI Energy, a research-and-development nonprofit.

LyondellBasell, a multinational chemicals giant headquartered in Houston, has not made a final decision about how it will repurpose the Houston refinery, which it plans to close in early 2025. It originally intended to close the facility this year but delayed those plans to firm up the site’s afterlife and allow for a smoother transition for the roughly 1,000 people who work at the facility — believed to be the oldest in Houston.

Wattleigh Nov 2, 2023 12:49 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Quote:
Here’s how HyVelocity could build out its Houston-area hydrogen hub projects

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Nov 1, 2023

A few weeks after the Department of Energy picked the HyVelocity Hub bid for a potential Gulf Coast hydrogen hub, officials with the consortium revealed more details about the proposed project during an Oct. 30 webinar.

HyVelocity is a consortium spearheaded by the Center for Houston’s Future, a nonprofit associated with the Greater Houston Partnership, and GTI Energy, an Illinois-based research organization focused on new energy. The consortium’s core industry partners include AES Corp. (NYSE: AES), Air Liquide, Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX), Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM), Mitsubishi Power Americas, Orsted and Sempra Infrastructure, most of which have a presence in Houston.

If award negotiations go smoothly, the federal government could award HyVelocity up to $1.2 billion in funding for a series of projects that would produce blue hydrogen — which is sourced from natural gas, with carbon emissions captured and stored — and green hydrogen, which is made using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen so no emissions are created during the process.

Liz Dalton, an executive director with GTI, clarified that currently, existing gray hydrogen sites — which use natural gas to produce hydrogen, but do not capture excess carbon emissions — would not be retrofitted to produce blue or green hydrogen.

Dalton estimated that 80% of the hydrogen produced from the hub would be blue hydrogen, while 20% would be green hydrogen. However, Brian Korgel, a professor with the University of Texas, estimated that the project split would be 60-40 in favor of blue hydrogen projects. The hub is expected to produce over 5,000 metric tons of hydrogen per day.

“We’re in the proposal phase," Dalton said in response to a viewer question. "As we get into the first and second phases, we’ll have more fidelity and clarity about the resources involved.”

Plans for the hub include both green and blue hydrogen production, salt cavern hydrogen storage, a large open-access hydrogen pipeline, and multiple hydrogen refueling stations. Todd Shrader, a project management director with the DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Division, said during the webinar that salt storage would be used to enhance total storage capacity at the hub.

Trucks powered with hydrogen fuel cells would also make up part of the hub economy. At least 10 hydrogen fueling stations are set to be installed on routes between Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, according to a preliminary construction map shared during the Oct. 30 webinar.
https://media.bizj.us/view/img/12633...t-55202-pm.png

Wattleigh Nov 9, 2023 2:12 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/12638...essarrives.jpg
Quote:
Princess Cruises brings Regal Princess to Galveston, company's largest ship to homeport in Texas

By Olivia Pulsinelli – Assistant managing editor, Houston Business Journal
Nov 8, 2023

Santa Clarita, California-based Princess Cruises has made a big splash in Galveston less than a year after returning to Texas.

Regal Princess is now sailing out of Galveston, making it the largest Princess ship ever based in the Lone Star State, the company said Nov. 5. The 1,083-foot ship has a guest capacity of 3,560 and carries 1,346 crew members.

From Galveston, Regal Princess will sail 21 roundtrip voyages to the Western Caribbean through March 24. The ship is expected to carry about 75,000 travelers during that time. The voyages will range from seven to 12 days and visit destinations such as Cozumel, Mexico; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Roatan, Honduras.

Princess has sailed from Texas off and on in the past. Most recently, the company brought Ruby Princess to Galveston in December 2022. The ship left Galveston in April.

Prior to that, Princess last sailed from Galveston nearly a decade ago. In the interim, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) and Princess Cruises inked deals at the Port of Houston's now-defunct Bayport Cruise Terminal in 2012, thanks in part to a $7 million marketing incentive from the Port of Houston Authority. However, the deals came to an end in 2016, and the terminal was repurposed.

Meanwhile, the Port of Galveston has welcomed several new cruise ships in recent years — with more on the way.

Wattleigh Nov 9, 2023 2:35 PM
https://www.chron.com/gulf-coast/art...l-18467432.php


https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/35/07/...3/3/960x0.webp
Quote:
This artist's rendering projects what the USS Texas could look like once it is safely housed along the heart of Galveston's waterfront.

Battleship Texas Foundation

Quote:
Battleship Texas much closer to securing permanent home in Galveston

The first step is a ten-year lease with the port, coming in at $20,000 a month or more depending on the weather

By Chris Gray
Updated Nov 4, 2023 8:32 a.m.

Battleship Texas cleared an important hurdle in its quest for a permanent home this week. During its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Galveston Wharves board of trustees authorized the creation of a lease between the Port of Galveston and Battleship Texas Foundation, which operates and maintains the historic warship.

“It’s a big step for us,” said Tony Gregory, the foundation’s president and CEO. “We feel like it's a big win. It’s taken a while to convince the port that we should be where we're going to go, but in the end their leadership responded. We think we have a good agreement, and we're excited to move forward on it.”

The proposed lease would be for 10 years with two additional 10-year options, explained port director and CEO of Galveston Wharves Rodger Rees. Once it has been drafted and signed, which Rees said could happen at the board’s next meeting later this month, the foundation would pay the port $20,000 per month in rent; plus $1.2 million (another $20,000 a month) in case an extreme-weather event or other dire scenario forced the port managers to take drastic measures with the ship like towing her out to sea.

Wattleigh Nov 10, 2023 2:04 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=6#cxrecs_s

Quote:
Port of Galveston one step closer to finalizing 4th cruise terminal with approved contract

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Nov 9, 2023

The fourth cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston is one step closer to coming to fruition thanks to the approval of a $5.3 million engineering and architecture services contract.

The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees voted to approve the contract for Miami-based Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. on Nov. 7. This comes after the board unanimously approved moving forward with a fourth cruise terminal during an Oct. 31 meeting.

The full scope of work that will be performed by BA includes designing the terminal building, a parking garage, marine structure improvements and a passenger boarding bridge. BA will also design civil improvements such as surface parking, access roads and utilities.

Approving the design contract helps the port move closer to finalizing budget and construction plans for the terminal, Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, said in a statement.

Preliminary construction estimates are almost $140 million, but efforts are ongoing to trim costs for a final budget, he said. Once the budget is finalized, plans to finance the project with a combination of port cash reserves and revenue bonds can also be finalized.

In March the board engaged BA for preliminary engineering and amended the agreement in April to have the firm develop a schematic-level design, a release says. In addition to engaging BA for engineering and architecture services, the port also approved a construction manager-at-risk contract with Hensel Phelps Construction Co. for preconstruction services in September.

Wattleigh Nov 14, 2023 12:54 PM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/bus...photo-22908133

Quote:
Port Freeport, Cedar Port awarded combined $26.9M for maritime upgrades from Transportation Department

Dug Begley,
Staff Writer
Nov. 3, 2023

Two major port projects in the Houston area will receive a combined $26.9 million from a competitive federal grant program announced Friday morning, promising not only more efficient goods movement but relief in some ways from air pollution and road congestion.

Federal transportation officials announced the 41 projects chosen for the Port Infrastructure Development Program, operated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration. Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips said the $653 million doled out ensures “that goods move reliably and in greater quantities, strengthening supply chain resiliency across all modes of transportation, and addressing the negative impacts of port operations on public health and the environment that have harmed communities living near the port.”

Port Freeport, in southern Brazoria County, will receive nearly $16 million to expand its Velasco Terminal to both increase its capacity with a 36,900-square foot warehouse, but also redesign operations. The changes will mean work at the terminal does not interfere with other operations at the port, taking goods from ships to the warehouse and then loading them onto trucks.

In Baytown, the Cedar Port Navigation and Improvement District will receive $10.9 million to expand the dock capabilities along the Cedar Port Industrial Park, along with connecting the dock via a heavy haul road to the tenants of the industrial park. In addition to dredging, the proposed work adds six spots for barges and 800 feet of mooring space along the Cedar Bayou space.

Exact schedules for the projects were not available, as details of the work are finalized.

Wattleigh Nov 16, 2023 3:58 PM
https://www.dredgingtoday.com/2023/1...-7-in-houston/

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Work underway on the new Wharf 7 in Houston

PORT DEVELOPMENT

November 16, 2023,
by Zlatan Hrvacevic

Russell Marine LLC has officially kicked off construction of the new Wharf 7 at Port Houston.

The Wharf 7 project consists of 1,000 linear feet of new wharf construction at Bayport Container Terminal.

The work also includes dredging of approximately 300,000 CY of wet and dry excavation, 68,000 LF of drilled shaft foundations, 20,000 CY of structural concrete, mooring pier, west end retaining wall, fender systems, utilities, and a one-story pre-cast concrete stevedore support building.

Next, the contractor will perform clearing, grubbing, and placement of fill in a dredge material placement area.

Wattleigh Nov 22, 2023 4:37 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=1#cxrecs_s

Quote:
Port Houston Commission approves $745M capital plan, $428M operating budget for 2024

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Nov 21, 2023

Port Houston is well on its way to continue its growth trajectory following the approval of its fiscal year 2024 budget.

The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority approved a $745 million capital plan and $428 million operating budget during a Nov. 13 workshop.

“Going after grants in a big way, the 2024 budget both supports Port Houston’s investments in its community and its landside and waterside infrastructure, while continuing to seek grants from local, state and the unprecedented federal funding to support its stewardship efforts and drive economic prosperity and job creation,” the port said.

The port anticipates nearly $613 million in capital awards to help with operations. Under the capital plan budget, Port Houston will continue to expand its container capacity, as well as its general cargo facility redevelopment work.

In August, the port celebrated the completion of its $91.6 million Bayport Container Terminal Expansion project, also known as Wharf 6. It was made possible through a $21.84 million grant from the federal government's Port Infrastructure Development Program, which aims to improve coastal seaports across the U.S.

Meanwhile, awards estimated at $132 million are also anticipated for Project 11, the Houston Ship Channel’s massive expansion project. The project, which totals $1 billion, previously was said to be lacking about $180 million in federal funding.

The first portion of the project, Segment 1A, which runs from Bolivar Roads to Red Fish Light 1, was completed in February 2023 on schedule and on budget. New Jersey-based Weeks Marine and California-based Curtin Maritime are currently working on the remaining Galveston Bay segments.

Officials with the port previously said the portion under construction is from Redfish to Bayport Ship Channel along with the Bayport Ship Channel itself, also known as Segment 1B and Segment 2. The expansion of the Barbours Cut Terminal — the last portion of the Galveston Bay region expansion — will be executed by the U.S. Army Corp.

The portions of the project that fall within the Galveston Bay region are expected to be completed by late 2024, Ric Campo, chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority, previously said during an event.

As for further efforts to supplement the upcoming fiscal year budget and remain competitive, the Port Commission also approved tariff rate changes to reflect escalating costs and expenses.

Wattleigh Dec 2, 2023 3:27 PM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/bus...d-18506103.php

Quote:
Port of Houston reports record container exports in October

By Erica Grieder,
Staff writer

Updated Nov 22, 2023 1:21 p.m.

Port Houston had its busiest month for exports in October, authorities said last week, even as total tonnage was slightly down year-to-date after the port’s record-breaking volumes last year.

The port handled 126,011 fully loaded, 20-foot equivalent units during the month compared with 124,739 in September and 118,781 in October 2022. That brings total loaded exports — primarily resins and chemicals, the port said — to 1.15 million through the first 10 months of 2023, an increase of 10% compared with the same period last year.

Loaded import volumes, by contrast, were down 7% for the first 10 months of 2023 compared with last year. Total tonnage through Port Houston, similarly, is down 7% year-to-date compared with 2022, port officials said.

Last year was the Port of Houston’s busiest, as the global economy recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic and congestion at the California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach spurred some shippers to turn to the Gulf and East Coasts to bypass the bottlenecks. By the end of 2022, Port Houston had become the fifth largest container port in the United States, up from seventh, handling 7% of all container tonnage.

Wattleigh Dec 2, 2023 3:30 PM
https://www.railwayage.com/intermoda...modal-service/

https://www.railwayage.com/wp-conten...4.40.35-PM.png

Quote:
November 29, 2023
Intermodal

UP Expanding Port Houston Intermodal Service (UPDATED, 11/29)

Written by Marybeth Luczak,
Executive Editor

Union Pacific (UP) on Dec. 1 will expand its Houston on-dock rail service to four additional markets.

In cooperation with Port Houston, ocean carriers and Beneficial Cargo Owners (BCO) will have access to rail service between Barbours Cut Container Terminal at Port Houston, Tex., and nine key UP-served markets. The on-dock operation, UP says, will “save customers’ time, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and simplify the end-to-end supply chain for all of the Class I railroad’s customers.”

Import and export/empty service will be available Dec. 1 for the following UP intermodal facilities:

Chicago Global 4
Kansas City
Memphis (Marion, AR)
Port Laredo

Back in May, Railway Age reported that on June 1 UP would be launching the new on-dock service at Barbours Cut Container Terminal at Port Houston, providing international shippers of consumer goods with direct rail access to Denver, Colo.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Oakland and Los Angeles, Calif.; and El Paso, Tex.

The new service will not only reduce truck traffic and GHG, but also “eliminate the need for containers to be trucked approximately 30 miles from the port to the nearest rail facility in Houston [Settegast Yard] for loading onto railcars, reducing highway congestion in the Houston area,” UP reported in its May 30 announcement.

Wattleigh Dec 2, 2023 7:52 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...t-cruises.html

Quote:
Record revenue and cruise activity to fuel Port of Galveston in 2024


By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Nov 29, 2023

Port of Galveston leaders expect 2024 will be a year filled with record revenue, cruise sailings and passenger counts.

The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees officially adopted its budget for the upcoming year on Nov. 21. It includes projected operating revenue of $72.5 million and $35.5 million in operating expenses, resulting in net income of $37 million, according to officials.

“Record revenues will allow the port to fund major expansion and maintenance projects to maximize port assets, generating regional economic growth and more jobs,” Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, said in a statement.

Revenue is forecasted to be 12% higher than in 2023 thanks to cruise industry growth, which is projected to generate $49.8 million in 2024. Other categories that will contribute to revenue growth include real estate with $10.6 million, dockage at $5.6 million, and cargo wharfage at $2.3 million.

With the addition of a third cruise terminal in November 2022, higher occupancies on larger ships and more sailings, the Port of Galveston now expects to end 2023 a 30% year-over-year increase in cruise passengers. The port hopes to end 2023 with as many as 1.4 million passengers — in 2022, it ended with just over 1 million, reaching that milestone on Dec. 22. This year, the Port of Galveston celebrated its 1 millionth cruise passenger of 2023 on Aug. 28.

In 2024, the port anticipates the number of cruise passengers to grow to 1.6 million, or a year-over-year increase of 14%. This is largely due to a new record of about 390 cruise sailings and the addition of new ships such as the Carnival Jubilee, which Carnival Cruise Line is bringing to Galveston in December.

In Galveston, Carnival currently operates Carnival Breeze, which offers four- and five-day cruises; Carnival Dream, which sails mostly six- and eight-day cruises; and Carnival Vista, which offers seven-day cruises. Carnival Jubilee will replace Vista, which sailed out of Galveston for the last time on Nov. 10.

Carnival Miracle will homeport in Galveston from fall 2024 to spring 2025, bringing the company to four ships based in the local port. Carnival Legend will take over the fourth spot in fall 2025.

Wattleigh Dec 8, 2023 9:51 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

Quote:
LyondellBasell to sell Ethylene Oxide & Derivates business and Bayport facility to Ineos


By Naomi Klinge – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Dec 8, 2023

LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE: LYB) is selling its Ethylene Oxide & Derivates business, along with its Bayport facility, to Ineos Group Ltd.

Ineos, through Ineos Oxide, will buy the fully integrated platform for $700 million. The Bayport facility is located in the Bayport industrial complex between La Porte and Seabrook.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024 following the completion of planned maintenance at the facility.

The news comes after LyondellBasell decided to double down on sustainability goals by focusing on the circular and low-carbon economies.

"This transaction is evidence of our disciplined focus on value creation through the execution of a key pillar of our strategy — growing and upgrading our core," said LyondellBasell CEO Peter Vanacker. "Successful execution of this strategic pillar involves making difficult decisions to divest businesses which are not part of our core. We remain proud of the positive cash generation, access to advantaged feedstocks, reliability and highly skilled team that makes up the EO&D business and are excited to have reached an agreement with Ineos to enable the business to continue generating value under different ownership. We look forward to collaborating closely with Ineos on a seamless transition."

LyondellBasell is in the process of moving out of the refining business with the renovation of its only refinery, which is located along the Houston Ship Channel. The company will repurpose the facility, potentially for advanced recycling. LyondellBasell initially planned to close the refinery by the end of this year, but the planned closure later was delayed to the first quarter of 2025.

The LyondellBasell deal expands Ineos' "Ethylene Oxide & Derivatives business into the U.S., which is the world's largest market," Ineos Oxide CEO Tobias Hannemann said. "It also complements our existing Ethanolamines production facility in Plaquemine, Louisiana."

Ineos recently grew its business in Houston with the acquisition of an acetic acid plant in Texas City from Tennessee-based Eastman Chemical Co. (NYSE: EMN) for $490 million. That deal closed Dec. 1.

Elsewhere in the Houston area, Ineos has certain U.S. headquarters, such as Ineos Olefins & Polymers USA, in League City.

Wattleigh Dec 14, 2023 4:14 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=7#cxrecs_s

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/12658...da-houston.jpg

Quote:
Moda Midstream sells 50% stake in Houston Ship Channel terminal to Exolum

By Naomi Klinge – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Dec 14, 2023

A Spanish company is the latest of several international companies to get involved in a new ammonia production and export facility in the Houston Ship Channel.

Exolum, which operates in pipelines and storage terminals in nine countries, is making its U.S. entrance with the acquisition of 50% of the Vopak Moda Houston terminal from Houston-based Moda Midstream LLC, an EnCap Flatrock Midstream portfolio company. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024.

Houston-based Vopak Moda Houston LLC is a 50-50 joint venture between Moda Midstream and Dutch terminals company Royal Vopak, the latter of which retains its 50% stake.

The marine terminal was designed to store and load ammonia for import or export and opened in the end of 2021. It was the first greenfield terminal to open in the Houston Ship Channel in a decade, the companies said at the time.

Wattleigh Jan 2, 2024 2:52 PM
https://www.bicmagazine.com/industry...ough-november/

Quote:
Port Houston handles nearly 3.5M TEUs through November
DECEMBER 27, 2023 8:28 AM

Through November 2023 Port Houston handled nearly 3.5 million TEUs, a 5% decrease compared to the previous year's record volumes.

For the month of November, loaded export TEUs at Port Houston were down 2% compared to last November but have remained strong in 2023, up 9% for the year as compared to last year, with a total of 1,268,034 TEUs year-to-date. Demand for Houston’s exports are largely driven by the resins and petrochemical commodities produced in our region. Loaded imports have softened, and at 137,631 TEUs this month were down 16% in November and 8% year to date.

Also this month, Port Houston’s Bayport Container Terminal welcomed one of its largest vessels to-date, the CMA CGM Lisa Marie, with a capacity of nearly 11,000 TEUs. Port Houston worked the ship with five STS cranes, completing 4,974 moves in less than two days.

Wattleigh Jan 2, 2024 2:57 PM
https://www.dredgingtoday.com/2023/1...dredging-deal/

Quote:
GLDD nabs $95M Freeport dredging deal

DREDGING

December 11, 2023, by Eldin Ganic

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC (GLDD), from Houston, Texas, has won a $95 million firm-fixed-price contract for a dredging work in Freeport Harbor, Texas.

Bids were solicited via the internet with one received, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) said.

Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 7, 2027.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, is the contracting activity.

The Freeport Harbor Channel was deepened to its current depth of 46 feet in the early 1990s.

Also, the Channel Improvement Project will further deepen the channel to authorized depths of 51-56 feet, making Port Freeport the deepest port in Texas and opening the state to larger ships.

Wattleigh Jan 15, 2024 2:26 PM
https://www.galvnews.com/news/msc-cr...lock_id=531919

Quote:
MSC Cruises announces Galveston dates for 2025
By B. SCOTT McLENDON
The Daily News
Jan 11, 2024

GALVESTON

MSC Cruises said Thursday it would would begin booking 2025 sailings from the Port of Galveston.

The sailings would redefine the cruising experiences in the region with the modern amenities available on MSC Seascape, one of the newest and most environmentally friendly ships in the company’s fleet, the line said.

The news comes as the Port of Galveston irons out an agreement to bring the company to its planned $140 million fourth cruise terminal, which could be complete by 2025.

“MSC’s announcement to open sales for the MSC Seascape is an exciting day for our port and our cruise market,” Port Director Rodger Rees said.

“It indicates how close we are to executing an operating agreement with MSC Cruises to bring this world-class cruise experience for the first time to Galveston. Once the operating agreement is finalized, we’ll announce the port’s plans for a proposed fourth cruise terminal at Pier 16.”

Seascape would offer seven-night sailings to Mexico and Central America beginning in late 2025, according to the company.

Wattleigh Feb 7, 2024 2:34 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...c-cruises.html

Quote:
It's official: Galveston Wharves, MSC Cruises ink deal for 4th cruise terminal complex

By Olivia Pulsinelli – Assistant managing editor, Houston Business Journal
Feb 6, 2024

The Port of Galveston's fourth cruise terminal complex will get underway soon thanks to a deal with Switzerland-based MSC Cruises.

The agreement between the Galveston Wharves and MSC, which has been in the works since at least 2022, was signed this week. The project is slated to begin in early 2024 and be complete in time for the MSC Seascape to homeport at the new terminal in November 2025, Galveston Wharves said Feb. 6.

MSC's 20-year operating agreement for the terminal includes four five-year extension options. The company will have a set cruise schedule at the terminal, but the port can negotiate with other cruise lines to use the facility when it's available.

The port will develop the $100 million cruise terminal, $42 million parking garage, internal roadway and other improvements using port cash reserves and revenue bonds. Located at Pier 16, the project includes converting an existing cargo warehouse into the 165,000-square-foot cruise terminal.

In November, the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees approved a $5.3 million engineering and architecture services contract for Miami-based Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. The full scope of work includes designing the terminal building, a parking garage, marine structure improvements and a passenger boarding bridge. BA also will design civil improvements such as surface parking, access roads and utilities.

The 20-year strategic master plan that the board approved in 2019 originally projected the fourth cruise terminal would not be needed until 2031. However, the project is getting underway years earlier than expected — and less than two years after the third terminal opened — because Del Monte Fresh Produce Co., a longtime cargo tenant, outgrew its Port of Galveston facilities.

Wattleigh Feb 22, 2024 2:00 PM
https://www.bicmagazine.com/industry...s-2023-strong/

Quote:
Port Houston finishes 2023 strong

JANUARY 23, 2024
8:45 AM

Port Houston ended the year on a high note with container twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) up 11% for the month as compared to last December.

In addition, December 2023 was the biggest December on record for loaded exports, which were also up 11%, totaling 119,970 TEUs. Loaded imports increased 11% for the month compared to the previous December, with the Port handling 150,648 TEUs.

For the full year 2023, cargo volumes handled at Port Houston’s two container terminals were down just 4% compared to the Port’s record-shattering performance in 2022, with a total of 3,824,600 TEUs handled in 2023. This small decrease is mostly attributed to a large drop in empty repositioning volumes. Houston remained insulated against any major decrease in volumes by its strong exports, which thrived in 2023 and were driven largely by the demand for resin.

Wattleigh Mar 7, 2024 1:58 PM
https://www.bicmagazine.com/departme...ner-terminals/

Quote:
Port Houston surges to 5th place among U.S. container terminals
BY JANA STAFFORD,
CONTENT DIRECTOR, BIC MAGAZINE
MARCH 1, 2024 12:00 AM

Port Houston has leapt from being the number seven container terminal in the country to number five and it is continuing to grow with key exports including plastics and petrochemicals, along with 60% of the polyethylene resins produced in the U.S.

Roger Guenther, executive director with Port Houston Authority, told attendees during the recent Greater Houston Port Bureau Annual Meeting that Port Houston has weathered numerous challenges and is moving forward strongly.

"We are in the midst of historic demand after the pandemic and back-to-back years of double-digit, 15% growth," Guenther told the attendees. "Back then we were talking about the challenges in the supply chain, with the ships sitting out that were waiting to get in and wondering whether we’re going to have Christmas toys on the shelf. A lot has changed since then."

Guenther said the port did a study on its economic impact in 2022 versus four years earlier, and it showed $100 billion dollars in economic impact for the nation, 300,000 more jobs produced in the state of Texas and $439 billion generated in Texas.

"The Houston Ship Channel is the most important waterway in the country in terms of tonnage and number of ships," he said to the energy industry audience. "It’s all generated in and around what our people do in our industry along the channel. So it’s still very significant.

"We are handling 30% more volume than we did three years ago. We’re continuing to invest in infrastructure. We’re trying to get ahead of the demand curve and we’re building more docks faster than we had planned to do."

The Bayport Container Terminal opened in August 2023 with new Neo-Panamax container cranes that will be able to serve large ships coming through the Panama Canal, Guenther said. The port is making investments now to accommodate bigger ships.

"There’s a pent-up demand for the Neo-Panamax ships. They can’t call here today until we widen and right now, they’re going to the East Coast and the West Coast," he said.

Wattleigh Mar 19, 2024 6:52 PM
https://thefacts.com/news/first-vws-...220535602.html

Quote:
First VWs arrive at Port Freeport

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=750%2C500

By EMILY HANSON
[email protected]
Mar 15, 2024
Updated Mar 15, 2024

FREEPORT — Volkswagen’s operation at Port Freeport is now in business.

The location received its first shipment of vehicles Wednesday. The arrival of vehicles came about one month after Port CEO Phyllis Saathoff told a Brazosport Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon that Volkswagen’s new processing plant was nearing completion.

Wattleigh Mar 22, 2024 12:52 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=8#cxrecs_s

Quote:
World Energy seeks $2B to convert Houston Ship Channel plant to produce sustainable aviation fuel


A developer is seeking a $2 billion federal loan to turn a long-serving biodiesel facility on the Houston Ship Channel into a plant that can produce 250 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually.

Boston-based World Energy was invited this week to apply for the Department of Energy’s Title 17 Clean Energy Financing program to fund the project.

World Energy CEO Gene Gebolys told the Houston Business Journal that the company expects to reach a final investment decision for the project by the end of the year. Construction is expected to begin next year, and the facility is expected to go online in 2027.

Gebolys said the company’s strategy involves selling decarbonization as a service through aviation fuel — an approach that allows World Energy to reach sustainable aviation fuel customers outside of airlines and upset what he describes as a status quo of aviation.

“Airlines will be an important part of this ecosystem — but not the only part,” Gebolys told the Houston Business Journal. "The most important part is the customer that's got people in those airplanes, moving people and products, that enables us to do what we do."

The company could not disclose the footprint of its Galena Park site but said the plant had been producing biodiesel since World Energy acquired it in 2016. The conversion project would be World Energy’s second SAF facility, after the company acquired the former Paramount Petroleum Corp. facility in Paramount, California, and converted that site into an SAF facility.

Part of World Energy’s value calculations also include the capacity to physically move SAF to airports outside of Houston and Texas, including Kansas City International Airport, Denver International Airport and Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, through its connection to a Magellan Midstream Partners pipeline.

Gebolys highlighted some of World Energy’s recent customers as examples of potential customers for the converted local facility. The company had already counted companies like Arlington, Virginia-based aircraft giant Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) and Chicago-based United Airlines Inc. (NYSE: UAL) by 2022, but last October, technology giant Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) signed a 10-year agreement intended to replace 43.7 million gallons of standard jet fuel with SAF.

“Once we demonstrate the business works, that brings in more investment that enables us to scale up,” Gebolys said. "It's important that we demonstrate that this is a viable alternative to the status quo of aviation."

The Microsoft contract will take its fuel from the Paramount facility. Gebolys said customer announcements for the Ship Channel facility would come closer to construction.

Wattleigh Mar 25, 2024 12:50 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...hallenges.html

Quote:
HyVelocity hub just 'tip of the iceberg': Hydrogen industry growth creates demand for jobs, workforce challenges

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 22, 2024

As new hydrogen projects begin to take shape along the Gulf Coast, workforce challenges are emerging as well, according to Houston leaders at CERAWeek by S&P Global.

Brett Perlman, CEO of the Center for Houston’s Future, said the Houston area’s planned HyVelocity Hub will need thousands of workers — the White House has estimated the creation of 45,000 local jobs — which is just a fraction of the total needed to bolster the country's clean hydrogen production.

“HyVelocity is sort of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to workforce development,” Perlman said during a CERAWeek panel. “If you look at that magnitude of [federal] investment, it would imply we need to create more than 3.2 million new jobs, or increase the workforce by 30%.”

Engagement needs to happen at multiple educational levels, and skills involving project development and operations and maintenance need to be added to the workforce’s repertoire, leaders said. Meanwhile, companies of all sizes can get involved through internal training and development for hydrogen-related skillsets.

Rich Byrnes, chief infrastructure officer for the Port of Houston, told the Houston Business Journal that educational engagement needs to happen at the earliest level to inspire future workers.

“The timeframe of the hydrogen hub and clean equipment deployment, it’s not going to happen in a year — it’ll be in a decade,” Byrnes said. “Every region in Houston and Harris County is building new workforce development programs or executing them right now.”

Byrne also touted the port’s collaborations with San Jacinto Community College and Houston Community College as examples of engaging local universities with a focus on hydrogen.

The panel also featured Jon Ackerman, co-founder and CEO of Houston-based Moda Midstream. Ackerman said the company had hired a commissioning manager with experience on the Gulf Coast, who would go on to design the company’s training models for its ammonia programs.

“There are new applications of hydrogen, and it is going to require some different skill sets,” Ackerman said. “But your existing base [on the Gulf Coast] is so fantastic.”

Wattleigh Mar 26, 2024 1:30 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ral-funds.html

Quote:
Houston-area chemicals projects land some of $6B decarbonization funding

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 26, 2024

Three chemicals projects near the Houston area and the Texas Gulf Coast have been selected for federal funding to drive their decarbonization goals forward.

Spring-based Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM), Denmark-based Ørsted and Germany-based BASF Corp. will negotiate funding for their projects through the Department of Energy’s $6 billion Industrial Demonstrations Program. The money comes from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

The projects selected to move forward with negotiations are:

-Exxon Mobil’s Baytown Olefins Plant Carbon Reduction Project, which plans to use hydrogen in place of natural gas to produce ethylene, a feedstock used for textiles and synthetic rubbers. Exxon is negotiating with the DOE for up to $331.9 million, and the project is expected to create 400 new jobs.

-An Ørsted subsidiary is developing the Star e-methanol plant on the Texas Gulf Coast, which could receive up to $100 million from the DOE. The project will use captured carbon dioxide to create up to 300,000 metric tons of e-methanol annually. It is estimated to create 300 construction jobs and 50 permanent positions.

-BASF Corp. is leading the development of the Syngas Production from Recycled Chemical Byproduct Streams project, which uses liquid products to create syngas, a low-carbon feedstock to replace natural gas-fired incineration. The project is expected to land up to $75 million in DOE funding.

The three projects in the Houston area and the Texas Gulf Coast use either hydrogen, captured carbon or renewable power to decarbonize their industrial processes, aiming to tackle sectors that have difficulty reducing their carbon emissions due to a previous lack of alternative options. The award continues a trend of Houston-area projects and companies landing funding through President Joe Biden’s energy transition agenda.

Wattleigh Apr 5, 2024 4:38 PM
https://www.galvnews.com/news/galves...11128c6d3.html

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.town...size=750%2C428

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The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation contracted Stoss Landscape Urbanism to come up with renderings of what green spaces would look like replacing the parking lots between piers 19 and 22 at the Port of Galveston.

Artist’s Rendering/Courtesy

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Galveston port talks boardwalk, green space

By B. SCOTT McLENDON
The Daily News
17 hrs ago

GALVESTON

Port officials are considering ways to beautify areas in front of island cruise terminals with walkable green spaces and a boardwalk that highlight the working waterfront.

The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation contracted Stoss Landscape Urbanism to come up with renderings of what green spaces would look like replacing parking lots between piers 19 and 22 at the Port of Galveston.

The port hasn’t spent any money on the project, but officials are interested in turning the area into a boat-watching haven similar to those in other major port cities.

Galveston has an amazing working waterfront, a Stoss representative told the Wharves Board of Trustees, which governs the port, during a March presentation.

People want to go near the waterfront, but there isn’t much to do when you get there, according to Stoss.

There are few places — outside of a restaurant — to sit and watch the barges, boats and massive ships traverse the waterways.

Port officials could change that by converting the parking lots in front of Willie G’s, 2100 Harborside Drive, and Fisherman’s Wharf, 2200 Harborside Drive, into green spaces where pedestrians can walk around, sit and have a picnic, or watch the vessels at work. It’s unclear how much the project could cost.

Designers drew inspiration from waterfronts in cities like Monterrey, California, Auckland, New Zealand, and Vancouver, Canada.

Wattleigh Apr 10, 2024 1:39 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ks-ground.html

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Battery chemicals producer Orion breaks ground on plant near Houston

By Jishnu Nair – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Apr 9, 2024

Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a specialty chemicals company formerly known as Orion Engineered Carbons, has broken ground on a new plant near Houston to manufacture battery ingredients.

The company, which is incorporated in Luxembourg but has its principal offices in Spring, began construction on its second plant producing acetylene-based conductive additives on April 9. When Orion announced the plant in 2022, the company said it would invest between $120 million to $140 million into the facility, which will be the first of its kind in the U.S. Orion is the sole producer of acetylene-based conductive additives in the Western Hemisphere, according to the company.

The plant will produce 12 kilotons of additives per year after operations begin in 2025. A spokesperson told the Houston Business Journal that the facility would quadruple the company’s existing production capacity following the opening of an earlier plant in France.

A neighboring site owned by Equistar Chemicals LP, a subsidiary of LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE: LYB), will supply the acetylene, a colorless gas widely used as a chemical building block. LyondellBasell supplies Orion's similar plant in France as well.

Orion confirmed to the HBJ that the plant will employ 30 to 40 people at full capacity. The company was unable to disclose the size of the facility but said Australia-based Worley, which has its main U.S. office in Houston, was contracted for engineering work.

“Orion is already the sole producer of acetylene-based conductive additives in Europe,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Our plant in La Porte will be a pivotal step toward strengthening the regional supply of conductive additives in the rapidly growing U.S. battery market.”

Wattleigh Apr 16, 2024 1:56 PM
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/a...officials-say/

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Accident like tragic Baltimore bridge incident unlikely to happen at Houston ports, officials say


The tragic incident has prompted questions about whether something like that could happen in the port of Houston, and whether there’s anything that port can do to help.

Ariel Worthy
Posted On March 29, 2024, 5:17 PM

The Port of Baltimore remains closed, likely for a while after this week’s deadly collision, causing the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The tragic incident has prompted questions about whether something like that could happen in the port of Houston, and whether there’s anything that port can do to help.

Houston Matters' Michael Hagerty spoke to the executive director of the Port of Houston, Roger Guenther.

Port Houston’s chairman Ric Campo said on Tuesday during the Port Commission’s monthly meeting that Port Houston was ready to help Baltimore as much as it could. Guenther said he had reached out to the executive director of the Maryland ports but had not heard back yet.

"I’m sure they’re quite consumed, but all ports are important in the country, and you know there’s a lot of camaraderie amongst ports," Guenther said. "We all know each other and it’s usual you look at times of when ports have hurricanes and disasters, we’re all there to support one another. This is a little different, but we’ve reached out there to support any way that we can."

Guenther said ports in Maryland are an "economic driver" just as they are in the Houston area.

"All of a sudden it’s shutdown, jobs are certainly on hold for a long time because they're not working any cargo," he said. "It's very impactful to that community."

Guenther said re-routing traffic from the Maryland ports will likely not affect the Port of Houston.

"The cargo is scheduled to come and go. There’s other ports in that region. You know, that’s the main thing is the ocean carriers and the shippers are rapidly looking to go to places that are closer," he said, adding that areas like New York, Wilmington, and Norfolk are closer options for Maryland.

Guenther said the Baltimore bridge incident has caused conversations about how safety looks in Houston.

"We always are having risk management and safety at the top of our minds," Guenther said. "From what the pilots and the Coast Guard talk about, our bridge structures are pretty much isolated from something like that. But you know, we’ve got the busiest waterway in the nation and we’re putting a lot of effort into improving that Channel for safety."

Wattleigh Apr 16, 2024 1:58 PM
https://www.porttechnology.org/news/...-commissioner/

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Port of Houston Authority appoints Port Commissioner

March 30, 2024
By Rakin Rahman

Thomas Jones, Jr., has been appointed as the Port Commissioner of the Port of Houston Authority, embarking on a two-year term.

Commissioner Jones will attend his first Port Commission meeting in this capacity on 26 March.

A host of local, state, and federal officials and business and community leaders were in attendance, showing their support for Commissioner Jones.

State Senator Carol Alvarado delivered greetings, emphasizing the importance of the Houston Ship Channel to the state, and remarked to Mayor Whitmire that “Commissioner Jones was a smart appointment.”

Commissioner Jones is a founding partner of McConnellJones, LLP, believed to be the largest African American public accounting firm in the US, and recognised as one of the largest CPA practices in the Southwestern US. Now retired, Commissioner Jones continues to serve the firm as a consultant.

Commissioner Jones has served as Chairman, President, and Director on many community boards, including among many others the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors board (past Chairman), Greater Houston Partnership, co-founder and Board President of Dominion Community Development Corporation (a church-based CDC), Houston Fund for Social Justice and Economic Equity (HEF), the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Foundation board, Jazz Houston, and Trees for Houston.

Commissioner Jones fills the seat of former Port Commissioner Cheryl Creuzot, who chose not to seek a third term.

Wattleigh Apr 16, 2024 2:01 PM
https://www.waterwaysjournal.net/202...bolivar-fleet/

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TxDOT Adds Hybrid Ferry To Galveston-Port Bolivar Fleet

MARCH 22, 2024
BY FRANK MCCORMACK

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) unveiled the newest member of its Galveston-to-Port Bolivar ferry fleet on March 8, a hybrid-powered vehicle and passenger ferry designed by Houston-based The Shearer Group and built by Gulf Island Fabrication in Houma, La.

The 293- by 66-foot doubled-ended ferry is named for a trailblazer of Texas politics, Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, the first woman to serve as chair of the Texas Transportation Commission and the first Latina to serve as Texas’ secretary of state.

“With the christening of this vessel bearing her name, we pay homage not only to her remarkable accomplishments but also to the beacon of progress she embodies,” TxDOT stated in a press release announcing the christening.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry appointed Andrade to the Texas Transportation Commission in December 2003. She served as chair of the commission from January 2008 until May of that year. Then, in July 2008, Perry appointed Andrade secretary of state. She served in that role until November 2012. She later served as the Texas Workforce Commissioner.

The Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, or Esperanza for short, has room for 495 passengers and a maximum of 70 passenger vessels or eight 18-wheelers per trip between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula, crossing the Houston Ship Channel in the process.

The Esperanza features a diesel-electric power generation system and a power management system for charging onboard batteries “for peak shaving to reduce fuel consumption and maximize efficiency and reliability,” according to Joshua Sebastian, vice president-operations for The Shearer Group.

Wattleigh Apr 19, 2024 4:12 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

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Image c/o Partners Real Estate

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Kinder Morgan and massive industrial park owner team up for project near Houston Ship Channel

By Naomi Klinge – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Apr 17, 2024

Kinder Morgan Inc. (NYSE: KMI) is working with the owner of a massive industrial park in the Houston area on a carbon storage project.

During its first-quarter 2024 earnings call April 17, the Houston-based midstream giant announced it had executed a pore space lease agreement with TGS Cedar Port Partners LP, which owns TGS Cedar Port Industrial Park, the largest master-planned, rail- and barge-served industrial park in the U.S.

The pore space spans 10,800 acres near the Houston Ship Channel and can store more than 300 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Kinder Morgan said this will give the company a geographically and geologically advantaged platform to develop carbon sequestration solutions for nearby emissions.

Permit applications for carbon dioxide sequestration in the U.S. have increased by 500% since 2021, and some big names in oil and gas are part of that growth, the Houston Business Journal previously reported. However, commercial and regulatory structures are still coming together to make projects work for both customers and suppliers of carbon capture and sequestration, Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) CEO Mike Wirth said at CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston on March 19.

Kinder Morgan considers carbon dioxide one of its primary commodities, though earnings for its CO2 segment were down this quarter.

“CO2 business segment earnings were down compared to the first quarter of 2023, primarily due to lower CO2 sales volumes, which were down 7% on a net-to-KMI basis compared to the first quarter of 2023,” Kinder Morgan President Tom Martin said in the April 17 earnings release.

However, Martin said in the release that the prices of the other commodities — natural gas liquids and petroleum products — offset the CO2 prices.

Wattleigh Apr 29, 2024 1:18 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

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Galveston Wharves OKs contract for 1st phase of $90M cargo infrastructure work at port

By Olivia Pulsinelli – Assistant managing editor, Houston Business Journal
Apr 29, 2024

The Port of Galveston is gearing up for its latest multimillion-dollar project — this time focused on cargo rather than cruise ships.

The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $29.9 million construction contract for Galveston-based Texas Gulf Construction Co. Inc. last week. The contract is for the first phase of an estimated $90 million in cargo infrastructure expansion and improvement work, the port's first major cargo infrastructure improvement project in decades.

Texas Gulf Construction is expected to begin work this summer to enclose and fill a slip at Pier 38/39, the Galveston Wharves said in an April 26 press release. Also this summer, the board expects to award the work for the next two phases, which consists of a $50.1 million project to enclose and fill a slip at Pier 40/41.

The projects also include the addition of a new 1,426-foot-long berth from Pier 38/39 to Pier 40/41. Future phases will include paving and other improvements.

Also this summer, a decommissioned grain elevator at Pier 30/33 will be demolished to use the site for cargo handling and laydown. Bids are expected to be let in May, and work is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2025. The concrete rubble from the demolition also is slated to be used to help fill the slips.

Filling the two slips and demolishing the grain elevator will add almost 30 acres to the West Port cargo area.

Wattleigh Apr 30, 2024 1:18 PM
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...t-19420329.php

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Port Houston awarded $26.9 million, mostly for electric trucks for cargo yard
By Dug Begley,
Staff writer
Updated April 24, 2024 1:28 p.m.

Thirty new electric trucks are coming to Port Houston as part of a federal program aimed at reducing pollution around America's ports.

Transportation officials announced Wednesday that Port Houston would receive $26.9 million for new short-haul trucks, portable chargers and other upgrades at the cargo center.

“Investing in our ports to improve air quality and reduce pollution while modernizing infrastructure and strengthening supply chains is not only the right thing but also the smart thing," said Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, who represents the areas west of the port. "What we are doing here is not only environmental justice but will help to transform the lives of thousands of workers and lay the groundwork for a brighter, more resilient future for our port."

The award was the second largest of $148 million announced as part of the Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities Grant Program.

Wattleigh May 2, 2024 12:44 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

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Chevron details plans to integrate Bayou Bend CCS with HyVelocity hydrogen hub

By Naomi Klinge – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
May 1, 2024

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) is preparing to integrate its Bayou Bend carbon capture and storage project near Beaumont and Port Arthur with the massive HyVelocity hydrogen hub across the Texas Gulf Coast.

At an event detailing a new report from the National Petroleum Council on scaling up hydrogen, Austin Knight, Chevron’s vice president of hydrogen, told media that integrating carbon capture and hydrogen on the Texas Gulf Coast would make sense for both sectors.

“We're a partner in the Bayou Bend carbon storage project, and this is basically between Houston and Port Arthur, both onshore and offshore. So for us, it makes a lot of sense then to integrate the development of hydrogen into that carbon storage solution in Bayou Bend,” Knight said.

The Bayou Bend CCS project is a joint venture between Chevron, TotalEnergies SE (NYSE: TTE) and Equinor ASA (NYSE: EQNR), with capacity to store 1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide underground.

Meanwhile, the HyVelocity Hub brought seven industry partners with Houston presences — AES Corp. (NYSE: AES), Air Liquide, Chevron, Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM), Mitsubishi Power Americas, Ørsted and Sempra Infrastructure — and other academic, nonprofit and industry partners together to present the Texas Gulf Coast as a candidate for a piece of the up to $8 billion in hydrogen hub funding the Department of Energy offered. HyVelocity was one of seven projects selected by the DOE, and the team will negotiate with the federal government for up to $1.2 billion in funding.

Knight said he and the National Petroleum Council do not anticipate repurposing much existing natural gas infrastructure for use in the hydrogen ecosystem — though he said the existing infrastructure in Houston makes it an ideal location for the projects — so new hydrogen and carbon dioxide pipelines will be vital to building out low-carbon-intensity hydrogen.

Wattleigh Jul 11, 2024 1:07 PM
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...l-effects.html

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Port of Houston reopens, weathers little effects from Hurricane Beryl

By Naomi Klinge – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jul 10, 2024

Although the Port of Houston was closed for more than two days, the major export hub seemed to fair pretty well when Category 1 Hurricane Beryl came though Houston on Monday, July 8.

The U.S. Coast Guard put the ports of Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City in Port Condition Zulu, effective at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 7, which meant that no vessels could enter the ports without special permission, and all other vessel movements were prohibited. Waterfront operations, such as cargo and bunkering operations, also were required to stop.

On the evening of Tuesday, July 9, the Coast Guard put the Houston and Galveston ports into Port Condition Recovery, which means the storm was no longer a threat to the area.

The Port of Houston Authority, also known as Port Houston, said the eight public terminals it operates resumed operations Tuesday evening for vessel operations and returned to normal start times for truck gate operations Wednesday morning.

For now, Port Houston is offering extended hours at its two container terminals.

Adam Yanelli, senior reporter at data and research firm ICIS, told the Houston Business Journal that the economic impacts of the port’s closure should be minimal, given that shipments were simply delayed, not cancelled. He added that Port Houston’s extension of terminal hours will help get things back on track.

However, Yanelli said that if a business is operating on a tight supply chain, it could be disrupted with a few days of delay.


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