by Lloyd's List
THE Alabama Port Authority has signed an agreement with Maersk subsidiary APM Terminals to construct a new 1,300 ft container berth at Mobile.
The $131m investment will expand berth capacity by 50%. The terminal will be able to handle three ultra-large container vessels simultaneously once construction is completed.
“This expansion is about more than infrastructure — it’s about cementing Mobile’s position as the Gulf’s premier container gateway,” said APA’s interim chief executive Doug Otto.
The annual berth capacity of APM Terminals Mobile will be 1.4m teu, supported by a total of seven ship-to-shore cranes upon completion of the new berth.
The APA recently completed a $366m deepening project at the port of Mobile to a depth of 50 ft. This has made Mobile the deepest container port in the US Gulf, it said.
Another $200m worth of upgrades at Mobile are also underway. This includes expanding its container yard by 33 acres, upgrading its rail capacity and building a new rail flyover bridge to allow direct on-dock rail access.
In addition to building a new berth, APM Terminals and the APA also agreed to a 20-year extension of APM Terminals’ concession to operate the terminal. This will last until 2058. Two 10-year extension options were included.
The berth will be located at the southern end of the existing container terminal. It is adjacent to 25 acres of land, which the APA said could be developed to boost container handling.
