Plaquemines Port and APM Terminals announce operating agreement
Plaquemines Port, Harbor and Terminal District (PPHTD) and APM Terminals have announced a Letter of Intent whereby APM Terminals will become the operator of the newly planned Container Terminal and Intermodal Rail Facility and external parties will be the investor in the new port. Plaquemines Port and their financial partners will manage the financial activities associated with the infrastructure development, investment, and ownership of the port, according to APM Terminals's release.
The facility is in the early stages of development as a 50’ deep water depth, state-of-the-art container terminal in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Located on the Mississippi River just 50 nautical miles from the Gulf of Mexico, the gateway port will cater to exporters and importers who could tap into the multimodal routing options of rail, truck, inland marine and air. The terminal will be environmentally-friendly, powered by a combination of natural gas and electricity, encompassing up to 1,000 acres and 8,200 feet of Mississippi River frontage.
Special focus will be on utilizing modern infrastructure technology and engineering to withstand storm surges and wind damage in the design of the port. The port and connecting infrastructure will be built 16 feet above sea level. Phase One of construction is expected to last two years and will deliver the capability to handle 22,000-TEU class vessels with the ability to expand capacity as needed.
The Army Corps of Engineers will focus on bolstering levees around the site and connecting infrastructure. To reduce the risk of flooding of the terminal site and surrounding area, the US Army Corps of Engineers is building a new federal levee system. This system will bring the existing flood protection from a 4 foot height to a new and robust 14 foot height and will tie back into the Mississippi River levees at a height of 15 feet. Once completed, the system will be able to protect the site from devastating storm surges similar to those of Hurricane Ida. Construction of the flood protection profile is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2023.
To further mitigate flood risk, the port has adopted a Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy to restore coastal wetlands in the frontline of the storm surge and provide additional protection to hurricane levees that surround the facilities. The port is working with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority on developing restoration and resiliency projects that would provide additional protection to the terminal as well as vulnerable communities outside of the flood protection section.
About Plaquemines Port
Plaquemines Port Harbor & Terminal District, a political subdivision of the State of Louisiana, is the 13th largest tonnage port in the U.S. and encompasses the first 80 miles of the Mississippi River from the Gulf . Plaquemines Port
About APM Terminals
APM Terminals operates 75 container terminals worldwide and is the port operator unit of A.P. Moller-Maersk, an integrated container logistics company.
