Page 8 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 5 - 2022

PORT MESSAGES GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE
WKeeping Maryland (and the Port) Running Strong
hen I became Governor, I pledged to make is proud to have invested in the reconstruction of roll-on/roll- Maryland open for business — and that is exactly off facilities in order to accommodate high volumes of cargo. what we have done. Through our eight years The Port handles more autos and heavy farm and construction
in office, our administration has remained committed
to restoring Maryland’s economy and one of the most significant examples of this has been the Port of Baltimore, which has the distinction of being one of the best ports in America and a shining example of world-class infrastructure at work.
The Port of Baltimore has seen incredible growth both in terms of cargo tonnage and environmental achievements. Our investments in critically needed infrastructure have helped set the Port on a course to continue as one of Maryland’s leading economic generators for many years.
Our newest supersized container cranes that are now in service will nicely complement the Howard Street Tunnel expansion project, which will allow the Port to handle double- stacked containers on rail. Upon completion in 2025, the
Port will be able to send double-stacked containers by rail across the nation — greatly increasing container business and generating thousands of additional jobs in the Baltimore region.
The Port of Baltimore ranks first among the nation’s ports for volume of roll-on/roll-off machinery and our administration
EXECUTIVE VIEW
A2022: A Year of Wins for the Port
machinery than any other U.S. port. Our berth rehabilitation project will strengthen these berths and better accommodate the increasing sizes of these massive pieces of machinery.
Our administration has been a steward of coastal and island restoration within our beautiful Chesapeake Bay. Maryland’s nationally recognized dredging program continues to reuse sediment dredged from our shipping channels in environmentally constructive ways. The Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration will begin to restore eroded island habitat and help protect the shoreline from erosion, and will replace Poplar Island as the state’s primary receiving site for sediment dredged from the bay.
I am deeply proud of the economic and environmental investments we have made at the Port of Baltimore to ensure its sustained growth. Our administration’s investments into the Port of Baltimore have produced results that will reap benefits for years to come, and it has been my pleasure
to have played a role in showing the world that the Port of Baltimore is truly open for business.
Larry Hogan, Governor
s we leave 2022 in the ship’s wake, we look back on a main feature in this Port of Baltimore Magazine. We expect another great year for the Port of Baltimore in which to finish 20% up year over year and continue serving as the each of our key focus areas (environmental, cargo, top U.S. ro/ro port. We thank all our great ro/ro customers,
cruise and security) prospered.
On the environmental front, the Army Corps of Engineers
contracted for the construction of our newest restoration initiative, which will restore island habitat at Maryland’s James and Barren islands. In August, we signed a Project Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps for the $4 billion Mid-Chesapeake Bay ecosystem restoration project. Our Diesel Equipment Upgrade and Dray Truck Replacement programs continue to replace older machinery with newer models, reducing emissions and cleaning the air at the
Port and in our surrounding communities. Ports America Chesapeake received 15 new eco-efficient, hybrid rubber- tired gantry cranes to expand operations and reduce emissions at Seagirt Marine Terminal.
Working closely with Ports America Chesapeake, we welcomed our newest container line service, the ZIM E-Commerce Baltimore Express, which operates from China and Southeast Asia to the U.S. East Coast. Baltimore was also added to an existing service with the Mediterranean Shipping Company between Asia and the Panama Canal as well as the U.S. and the Suez Canal. Our containers should finish the year up about 5% year over year.
Our roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) business had a great year and is
including CNH Industrial, Caterpillar, John Deere, AGCO, Komatsu and Kubota. I was very happy to join Wallenius Wilhelmsen in November to cut the ribbon on a new Kubota processing facility. We also maintained our ranking as the top U.S. port for autos/light trucks despite the microchip challenges that continue to impact that industry.
Cruise continues to perform very well, as both Carnival and Royal Caribbean sailed at full capacity from Baltimore
in 2022. We are very excited to welcome Norwegian Cruise Line in 2023. That gives Baltimore three of the top cruise ship companies in the world.
We were extremely pleased to receive a top security score for the 14th consecutive year from the U.S. Coast Guard during an annual assessment. There’s nothing more important than providing a safe workspace for all Port workers, and we will continue to prioritize strong security initiatives.
These great achievements would not have happened without the efforts of all of you... our great Port of Baltimore team! We truly are one Port of Baltimore and I’m so proud to work with all of you. I wish you happy holidays and a very successful 2023.
William P. Doyle, Executive Director
[6] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 5 / 2022