Building for the future
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
PHILADELPHIA TRADE AND LOGISTICS
PhilaPort
He pointed to the purchase of three super-post-Panamax cranes at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal and the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening
The concentration of port facilities allows for timely loading and unloading of cargo .
project to accommodate larger vessels such as the Marco Polo , which is part of CMA CGM ’ s new NAMEX service . The service is projected to have an economic impact of approximately $ 81 million annually and create 600 jobs in the Philadelphia area , according to officials . Expected to import consumer products and cold cargo from Southeast Asia and produce from Morocco to the US East Coast , the NAMEX service also opens up new export opportunities for the Philadelphia region , as well .
Meanwhile , PhilaPort is focused on doubling its throughput , with breakbulk cargo as well as container cargo , Mahoney said . He noted that the densification strategy would enable the port to handle approximately 1.5 million to 2 million TEUs .
New electric rubber-tire gantry cranes are set to be commissioned next month , specialized for the stack configuration used with refrigerated cargo , Mahoney added .
“ This is important cargo for us in Philadelphia ,” he said . “ And then we ’ ll be working our way across the terminal , densifying in zones .”
Building for the future
In 2023 , PhilaPort saw growth in ship arrivals , automobiles , forest products and cocoa beans . Since 2015 , the port has experienced 74 % growth in containers . In 2024 , the arrival of the port ’ s largest ship ever , new ocean carrier services and infrastructure improvements provide optimism that the growth will continue going forward .
In March , PhilaPort ’ s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal ( PAMT ) welcomed the CMA CGM Marco Polo . At 16,020 TEUs , this was the largest ship ever to call in Philadelphia . Moreover , it matches the size of the largest container ship to call at competing ports on the US East Coast .
“ Our ability to successfully work the Marco Polo shows ocean carriers , shippers and other supply chain decision makers that Philadelphia can handle the same sized ships as our peer ports . This is a game changer for us in terms of industry perception ,” said PhilaPort CEO Jeff Theobald .
The Marco Polo arrived as part of CMA CGM ’ s NAMEX service , which provides seasonal calls to Yantian and Nansha in China ; Vung Tau , Vietnam ; Singapore ; Port
Klang , Malaysia ; Colombo , Sri Lanka ; and Tanger Med , Morocco .
“ We are excited to have this direct container connection with Asia , even if it is seasonal for now . Given the growth of PhilaPort , our infrastructure investments , and congestion issues at other ports , we are confident that we can grow this to a yearround service ,” said Sean Mahoney , senior director of marketing at PhilaPort .
Other new services at the Port include Cosco and ZIM connections with South America , and a Norlat service from Northern Europe .
“ We now have service from the top 5 container carriers in the world , and eight of the top 10 ,” Mahoney said .
Looking ahead in 2024 , infrastructure improvements include the start of a new berth at the SouthPort marine terminal , road improvements connecting port terminals with I-95 and I-76 , and two new warehouses . An additional 1,000 refrigerated plugs and new electric rubbertire gantry cranes give PAMT additional capacity .
Private-sector warehouse development continues apace , with Hilco ’ s Bellwether District ( 12 million square feet ) and NorthPoint Development ’ s Keystone Trade Center ( 15 million square feet ) being the largest . n
56 Journal of Commerce | May 20 , 2024 www . joc . com