In December 2023, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach also unveiled a partnership strategy with the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and the San Pedro Bay port complex in Southern California. Collaboration was a central theme of the announcement, made at the United Nations Climate Conference in Dubai. “Our success requires the resolve and dedication of the three partnering ports as well as our industry partners,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. “Together, we will model the collaboration necessary to achieve our climate and efficiency goals.” Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero echoed Serkoka’s comments. “Over the past two decades, we’ve learned that collaboration between maritime industry partners is the key to making meaningful progress in reducing emissions and cleaning the air,” Cordero said. “This transpacific green shipping corridor takes this concept global. “The strategies we develop here can be used as a roadmap by a larger network of seaports and supply chain companies to invest in programs, technologies, software, and infrastructure to decarbonize international trade everywhere,” he added. In his annual State of the Port address
Top-priority infrastructure developments at the Georgia Ports Authority include the newly opened Mason Mega Rail, the largest marine terminal rail facility in North America.
to stakeholders in January 2024, Seroka reiterated the LA port’s commitment to sustainability and the environment, bolstered by the fall 2023 announcement of up to $300 million in federal grant funding for the development of “hydrogen hub” operations in the San Pedro Bay port complex. STRONGER INFRASTRUCTURE Across all political lines, port infrastructure has also been a perennial theme of discussion among state and federal government leaders—and those discussions are expected to intensify in the 2024 presidential election year. National and state infrastructure priorities include waterway projects designed to strengthen supply chains, speed the movement of goods, and reduce costs. U.S. ports are leading the way in these
efforts, exemplified by initiatives at the Port of Galveston, Texas, where years of groundwork are expected to reap progress with developments including major cargo infrastructure improvements and free-trade zone expansion. Located on the deep-water Galveston Harbor and ranked as one of the Top 50 U.S. Water Ports by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Port of Galveston is a major cargo hub that also boasts three cruise terminals. Guided by its 20-Year Strategic Master Plan, the port is maximizing its assets for aggressive growth. “A major focus of the master plan is expanding our cargo business by increasing acreage and improving infrastructure at our West Port Cargo Complex,” says Rodger Rees, the port’s director and CEO. “A top priority is improving decaying waterfront infrastructure after decades of neglect. “We’re also nearing completion of a two-mile-long interior roadway to move cruise and cargo traffic more efficiently, while helping to alleviate congestion on nearby downtown roadways,” he adds. Infrastructure is also a top priority for the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), which represents a network of both coastal and inland ports. Included among the GPA’s ports is the Port of Savannah, the single largest and fastest- growing container facility in America. “The infrastructure development at our Garden City Terminal West facility and the upgrade and expansion of Ocean Terminal as a container facility will be exciting developments to watch,” says Ed McCarthy, GPA’s chief operating officer.
The Port of Galveston, Texas, is expanding its cargo business by increasing acreage and improving infrastructure, including a new interior roadway, at its West Port Cargo Complex. The road will help to move cargo traffic more efficiently and alleviate congestion.
40 Inbound Logistics • February 2024
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