Page 33: of Marine News Magazine (October 2019)

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SHORTSEA SHIPPING “We are investing $700 million to expand the capacity at The Port of

Virginia and it is important that we grow our barge capabilities in parallel.” – John Reinhart, CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA)

The three programs mentioned above, today small in THE BIG PICTURE: SHOW ME THE MONEY actual volumes, represent important nodes in the broader Previously a matter of congestion, ef? ciencies and the supply chain. For example, cargo loaded at Baton Rouge environment, shortsea shipping has ? nally caught the at- actually originates further up the river system. Seacor tention of the bankers. Edward M. A. Zimny, President

AMH, operator of the M-55 lower Mississippi River ser- and CEO of investment bank Seabury Maritime LLC re- vice, gathers empty containers out of Memphis (a junc- cently weighed in with MLPro, saying, “With hub ports tion point for Class 1 railroads), and barges them down to increasingly backed up on the landside, the big ports will

Baton Rouge. On the export side, increased petrochemical need to work closely with their regional and complimenta- activity has led to an uptick in exports of cargo, notably ry regional ports. The new ecosystem will see multi-modal polymer resin out of Louisiana. The containers are then links on the landside, for cargo originating inland, but loaded up and sent down to New Orleans. will also ? nally experience a viable coastal ocean alterna-

In 2018, more than 27,000 boxes were moved in this tive transportation, likely taking the form of container or way, off the highway, in a more ef? cient and environ- trailer on barge, as a vital connector to out ports.” Asked mentally correct fashion. Local entrepreneurs are even ag- to elaborate, he explained, “Examples of these feeds are the gressively pushing for the construction of ? t-for-purpose, Delaware River ports, in between New York and Norfolk, self-propelled inland tonnage to greatly expand the effort and New London, on up the coast from New York/New between St. Louis and the GoM. Jersey. We’ve have been fortunate to be involved in a recent

Separately, shortsea shipping expert Bob Kunkel and his transaction advisory with both of these, and a regional of- nascent Harbor Harvest operation envision collaboration fering is key to the value proposition to the two and their with trucking companies to obviate the metro area high- respective business cases.” way bottleneck delays. Harbor Harvest bene? ts from a Ongoing projects funded by DOT’s marine highway pro- subtle but important change in criteria necessary to obtain gram also include a cross-harbor container barge in New designation as a Marine Highway; services hauling pallet- York- linking the container ship docks in Port Newark, New ized or individually packaged cargo are now eligible. This Jersey with the waterfront in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The broadened mandate comes as transport paradigms for local project sponsors, New York City’s Economic Development distribution are shifting, with greater emphasis on the ‘last Corporation and the Port Authority of New York and New mile’ delivery. Jersey (PANYNJ), received almost $300,000 in the late 2018 33 www.marinelink.com MN