APM Terminals will operate the newly planned container terminal and intermodal rail facility in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States, after the letter of intent announced by both Plaquemines Port, Harbor and Terminal District (PPHTD) and APMT.
The facility is located on the Mississippi River and is in the early stages of development as a 15.2 meters deep water depth container terminal in Plaquemines Parish of Louisiana. The gateway port will facilitate multimodal routing options of rail, truck, inland marine and air, and it will also be environmentally-friendly, powered by a combination of natural gas and electricity.
External parties will be the investor in the new port, while, according to a statement, Plaquemines Port and their financial partners will manage the financial activities related to the infrastructure development, investment, and ownership of the port.
“Special focus will be on utilising modern infrastructure technology and engineering to withstand storm surges and wind damage in the design of the port,” said APM Terminals.
The first phase of construction is expected to last two years, delivering the capability to handle 22,000-TEU class vessels with the ability to expand capacity as needed.
“Exporters are looking for ways to ship their products overseas with a competitive port and importers are looking for more ways to reach major regional consumer markets in the South and Midwest,” said Wim Lagaay, CEO of APM Terminals North America.
Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers will focus on bolstering levees around the site and connecting infrastructure to reduce the risk of flooding of the terminal site and surrounding area. Therefore, they are building a new federal levee system, expected to bring the existing flood protection from a 1.2 meters height to a new 4.2 meters height and will tie back into the Mississippi River levees at a height of 4.57 meters.
Once completed, the system will be able to protect the site from devastating storm surges similar to those of Hurricane Ida. Construction of the flood protection profile is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2023.
To further mitigate flood risk, the port has adopted a Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy to restore coastal wetlands in the frontline of the storm surge and provide additional protection to hurricane levees that surround the facilities.
“Our vision is to create a new port with an entirely new supply chain network into the United States,” noted PPHTD Executive Director, Sandy Sanders, who went on to add that the port will have multiple routing options to inland markets which give supply chain planners the resiliency and contingency layers essential to manage future supply chains effectively.
Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards commented, “We’re excited by the prospect of starting a new economic chapter in US ports by developing America’s newest port here in Louisiana, one that has the potential to install new US supply chain capabilities, build new businesses, create new jobs for our great state and generate economic impact throughout our country.”
