The Port of Virginia has just announced that they had an exceptional 2016, filled with lots of activities and great accomplishments.
The port set a new annual record for container cargo volume having handled more than 2.65 million twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, a 4.2 percent increase over last year’s total, they said in its latest release.
The port also saw increases in TEUs, rail volume and total volume at Virginia Inland Port, the port’s growing intermodal ramp located in Front Royal. Further, Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) had its most productive year since the Port of Virginia began leasing the facility in 2010.
Some of the ports accomplishments in 2016 include:
January: Port efforts to keep the Elizabeth River clean recognized with 14th consecutive RiverStar award from the Elizabeth River Project;
February: Port and Richmond city leaders sign a 40-year lease agreement for RMT and debut its new, $4.2 million harbor crane;
March: Port leaders begin a three-stop trip in Hampton Roads, Richmond and Front Royal to deliver the State-of-the-Port address;
April: The SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) requirements implemented on deadline and without any disruption to the delivery of service;
June: The MOL Benefactor becomes the first ship to call Virginia through the widened Panama Canal and the port posts a positive operating income for the second consecutive year;
July: The governor announces a state investment of $350 million to expand cargo capacity at NIT’s South Berth by 46 percent;
August: Virginia hosts the APL Yangshan, which is the largest container ship to ever call Virginia. The vessel can transport up to 10,700 TEUs;
September: The port signs a new, long-term lease for VIG clearing the way to begin work on doubling the terminal capacity;
October: The port’s is given the U.S. Coast Guard’s Rear Admiral Richard E. Bennis Award for Excellence in Maritime Security. The award recognizes organizations that establish and foster a comprehensive culture of security throughout their workforce;
November: The port finalizes a $217 million contract with Konecranes for that company to build and deliver 86 specialized cranes that will be at the center of the port’s expansion projects at VIG and NIT. The contract is the largest one-time order for automated stacking cranes in industry history;
December: The application to expanded of Virginia’s Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ 20) into northeast North Carolina was approved by the US Department of Commerce. The expansion provides another means of attracting cargo to The Port of Virginia, which is the grantee of FTZ 20.
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