New berth opened in Texas
In 2019, Port Freeport and McCarthy Building Companies signed a building contract for the expansion of Velasco Container Terminal (Texas).
The works ended recently, and on 30 May 2023, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place for the opening of the Berth 8 and the new ro-ro platform. Berth 8 is the expansion of Berth 7, with a depth of 15.54 m and a width of 282 m. The ro-ro platform is almost 26 m large and located at the end of Berth 8.
For Phyllis Saathoff, executive director/CEO of Port Freeport, the USD 146 million project "puts the port in a position to receive the larger deeper-draft vessels in service today and propel the growth of commerce for existing and future customers."
To reach this goal, post-Panamax gantry cranes will be added. Freeport is one of the USA’s major ports for the export of crude oil and natural gas liquids and is ranked 6th in chemicals, 11th in foreign waterborne export tonnage, and 26th in containers. (lh)