Port of New Orleans

The Port of New Orleans is a port located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the 1st in the United States based on volume of cargo handled, second-largest in the state after the Port of South Louisiana, and 13th largest in the U.S. based on value of cargo. It also has the longest wharf in the world, which is 2.01 miles (3.4 km) long and can accommodate 15 vessels at one time.^[1]

Container ship is unloaded at the Napoleon Avenue terminal.

The Port of New Orleans handles about 62 million short tons of cargo a year. The port also handles about 50,000 barges and 700,000 cruise passengers per year with several ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian cruise lines making it one of the nation's premier cruise ports. The Port of South Louisiana, based in the New Orleans suburb of LaPlace, Louisiana handles 193 million short tons. The Port of New Orleans and the Port of South Louisiana combined forms one of the largest port systems in the world by bulk tonnage, and ranked top 10 in the world by annual volume handled.^[2]

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Port of New Orleans is to maximize the creation of jobs for Louisiana citizens using maritime, cruise and development activities.^[3]

Strategic Advantage

The Napoleon intermodal railyard allows for containers to be transported by train.

The Port of New Orleans is the center of the Lower Mississippi River port complex in Louisiana. Connected to America's heartland by the great 23.3 thousand kilometer inland waterway of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, the Port of New Orleans is the port of choice for a wide range of cargoes that include rubber, coffee, steel, containers, and manufactured goods. Some and 6,000 vessels and 500 million tons of cargo travel up the Mississippi River each year, including over half of the country's grain exports. With this extremely high rate of traffic, the Port of New Orleans is seen as the center point of American waterway trade.^[4]

The Port of New Orleans is the United States' only deep-water port served by six major railroads, which is more than any other port in the country, that give it cost-effective rail service to the destinations throughout the country. These six railroads are linked by the New Orleans Public Belt, a 25 mile long railroad. The productive private maritime industry in the Port of New Orleans helps it produce year after year and giving it the United State's largest market share for imported steel, plywood, coffee, and natural rubber.^[5]

Facility Investment and Terminal Operations

The Port of New Orleans has made significant investments (some $400 million over the past decade) in assuring state-of-the-art facilities throughout the port. Revitalized container and breakbulk terminals are well equipped with multi-purpose cranes, expanded marshalling yards, and new roadways. The Port of New Orleans facilities include over 204 hectares of cargo-handling areas and more than 12 hectares of covered storage. Port facilities accommodate about two thousand vessel calls per year.^[6]

Container ship is unloaded at the Napoleon Avenue terminal.

The Port of New Orleans' Napoleon Container Terminal is a $100 million 25-hectare state-of-the-art facility. The Henry Clay Avenue and Milan Street terminals in the Port of New Orleans are served by the world's longest wharf: the three kilometer wharf can accommodate up to 15 vessels at the same time. New Orleans Cold Storage a 14.8 thousand square meter dockside cold storage facility at the Jourdan Road Terminal that contains ten super-blast freezing cells. As the country's major coffee-handling port, the Port of New Orleans has 14 warehouses covering over 51 hectares of storage space and six roasting facilities.^[7]

Operated by P&O Ports of Louisiana, the Port of New Orleans's Henry Clay Avenue Wharf is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River. It handles containerized, breakbulk, and palletized cargoes. Berth 1 is 256 meters long with alongside depth of 11.5 meters. It is served by rail and has an 8.8 thousand square meter shed, 15.9 thousand square meters of open area, and 14.1 thousand square meters open on land side.^[8]

Ports America Louisiana operates Nashville Avenue Wharves "A," "B," and "C" in the Port of New Orleans. Wharf "A" handles containerized, breakbulk, and palletized cargoes. Its five berths are a total of 841 meters long with alongside depth of 10.6 meters. The wharf is served by rail and contains a 70.2 thousand square meter shed, 248.4 thousand square meters of open space, and nearby cold storage facilities. The Port of New Orleans' Nashville Avenue Wharf "B" has three berths totaling 544 meters long with alongside depth of 10.6 meters. Served by rail, the wharf has 13.1 thousand square meters of shed and 248.4 thousand square meters of open storage. The Port of New Orleans' Nashville Avenue Wharf "C" is 505 meters long with alongside depth of 10.6 meters. Its three berths are served by surface rail tracks and platform-level tracks with truck service, and a 248.4 thousand square meter open storage area.^[9][10][11]

Steel loading on the Wharf.

The Port of New Orleans' Louisiana Avenue Complex is operated by Coastal Cargo Company. Located on the east bank, it handles containerized, breakbulk, and palletized cargoes at two berths served by rail that are a total of 484 meters long with alongside depth of 10.6 meters. The Port of New Orleans' Louisiana Avenue complex covers an area of almost 16.6 thousand square meters and contains 146.9 thousand square meters of paved back-up area.^[12] Also operated by Coastal Cargo Company, the Port of New Orleans' Harmony Street Wharf on the east bank of the river handles mostly steel and steel products. It has two berths totaling 375 meters in length with alongside depth of 10.6 meters. Also served by the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, its facilities include an 11.7 thousand square meter shed, a 10.6 thousand square meter open area, and two truck loading areas.^[13] The Port of New Orleans' Governor Nicholls Street Wharf on the east bank handles conventional and containerized general cargoes. The two berths are a total 368 meters long with alongside depth of 12 meters. Served by rail, these Port of New Orleans facilities include a 14.5 thousand square meter shed and 3.5 thousand square meters of open area on the wharf. The wharf is equipped with a deck/truck loading area with capacity to handle 850 pounds per square foot.^[14]

Located in the Port of New Orleans' Industrial Canal is the France Road Container Terminal. Terminal Berth 1 is 253 meters long with alongside depths from 9 to 10 meters. The 14-hectare site is served by rail and contains a 241.5 thousand square meter marshaling area, a 6.2 thousand square meter shed, 160 reefer outlets, and 44 truck and rail bays at the shed.^[15] Terminal Berth 5 has two berths totaling 518 meters long with alongside depths from 9 to 10 meters. Also served by rail, the facilities include two consolidation sheds of a total 12.2 thousand square meters, a 195.1 thousand square meter marshalling area, 60 reefer outlets, a nitrogen chill system, and a roll-on/roll-off ramp.^[16] Terminal 4 handles containerized cargo at a 213 meter-long berth with alongside depths of 9 to 10 meters. The facilities, which are also served by rail, include a 120.8 thousand square meter marshaling area and 84 reefer outlets.^[17] The Jourdan Road Terminal in the Port of New Orleans is operated by New Orleans Cold Storage. Its two berths total 426 meters in length with alongside depth of 10 meters. Facilities include a 14.8 thousand square meter warehouse with 24 dock doors on the truck/container side and four main freezer dockside freezer doors that allow for two reefer ships to be loaded at the same time. The facility's super-blast freezing systems can freeze meat products within 24 hours.^[18]

Cruise Terminal Facilities

The Port’s signature facility, the Erato St. Cruise Terminal and Parking Garage Complex, opened on October 15, 2006. It has full Customs and Border Protection clearance facilities, a large embarkation deck with over 50 check in counters, complete security facilities and a snack/curio shop. It is fully air-conditioned and is attached to the ship by a raised, articulated, air-conditioned gangway. The building includes a four level 1,000 car garage that offers the passenger convenient covered parking in a fully secure environment. The 8.3 thousand square meter Cruise Terminal has 792 meters of continuous water front with a depth of 9.1 meters.^[19]

The Port of New Orleans has a cruise line terminal that accommodates cruise lines such as Carnival, Norwegian, and ACCL.

The Port’s first cruise terminal, the Julia St. Cruise Terminal Complex, was started in 1991 in a building originally constructed for the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. It has undergone four different configurations to adapt to the ever changing size of cruise ships. Currently, it includes two distinct terminals. The 2009 State Legislature has approved funding to once again improve the terminals, and the design/engineering phase to re-develop the terminal into one mega terminal complete with a raised, articulated, air-conditioned gangway has begun and the new terminal is scheduled to open in the winter of 2010.^[20] The terminal's two berths are a total of 609 meters long with alongside depth of 9.1 meters. Berth 1 has an almost four thousand square meter terminal, and Berth 2 has a 2.5 thousand square meter terminal. Both terminals have covered drive-in drop-off and pick-up areas.^[21]

2020 Master plan

The capital improvement plan that the Port of New Orleans has entered into is an attempt to capitalize on the changing demand of the shipping industry. The overall breakbulk growth in the next 10-20 years is likely to be in the range of just 2-3%. A survey of competing East Coast and Gulf Coast ports supports the expectation of growth in container traffic for all coastal ranges in the United States. In addition, the following industry trends are highlighted: growth in world trade and containerized cargo as a percentage of world trade; relocation of manufacturing to Northeast Asia (China); growth in regional and intraregional demand; and the increase in container terminal capacity and related infrastructure at East Coast ports. Strategic and master planning for competing ports affirms continuing growth in the volume of containerized cargo in the North American market. A significant six percent annual growth rate is anticipated through 2020.^[22]

A major factor in port selection is inland transportation costs. Rising rail costs at West Coast ports, coupled with port congestion and lengthy transit times, are causing shippers to seek cost-effective alternatives. As a result, the market share of Asian cargo has dramatically increased on the East and Gulf Coasts and ports are expanding terminal capacity and improving the inland transportation infrastructure in response. The Port of New Orleans can provide less expensive inland transportation and faster transit times to the industrial Midwest and the East Coast than Houston, which continues to experience inland congestion because of its large local market to the north and west, including Dallas and Kansas City.^[23]

The above factors support efforts by the Port of New Orleans to expand container terminal capacity and indicate opportunities to capitalize on projected growth in container traffic. The grand total for all fifteen short and long term projects included in the plan is $1.04 billion. These investments will go towards the expansion of the Napoleon container terminal, converting a wharf into a new cruise ship terminal, and relocation of cold storage facilities among other projects.^[24]

Governance

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans governs the port. The Board sets policies, and regulates traffic and commerce of the Port. The Board is made up of seven unsalaried commissioners who serve five-year staggered terms. The governor of Louisiana appoints board members from a list of three nominees submitted by 19 local business, civic, labor, education and maritime groups. The seven-person board reflects the three-parish (county) jurisdiction of the Board. Four members are selected from Orleans Parish, two from Jefferson Parish and one from St. Bernard Parish.^[25]

Board Members

Deleted image removed:

Gary LaGrange, President and CEO.

• Mr. John F. Fay, Jr. - Chairman
• Mr. Thomas D. Westfeldt
• Mr. J. Wayne Mumphrey - Vice Chariman
• Mr. A. J. Gibbs
• Ms. Valerie S. Cahill - Secretary Treasurer
• Mr. Joseph F. Toomy
• Mr. Daniel Packer^[26]

Executive Management

• Mr. Gary LaGrange - President & CEO
• Mr. Ted Knight - Executive Assistant - Operations
• Mr. Pat Gallwey - Chief Operating Officer
• Mr. Christopher W. Richard - Executive Assistant for Special Projects
• Mr. Mark P. Williams - Director of Internal Audits^[27]

References

1. ^ "About the Port of New Orleans". Port of New Orleans. Archived from the original on 2006-02-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20060208003120/http://www.portno.com/facts.htm. Retrieved 2006-03-09. 
2. ^ AAPA. "WORLD PORT RANKING 2009". WORLD PORT RANKING 2009. http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/PDFs/WORLD%20PORT%20RANKINGS%202009.pdf. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
3. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Overview. http://portno.com/pno_pages/about_overview.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
4. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Overview. http://portno.com/pno_pages/about_overview.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
5. ^ "New Orleans Public Belt". Around the Belt. http://www.nopb.com/nopb/. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
6. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Overview. http://portno.com/pno_pages/about_overview.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
7. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Cargo Facilities. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_facilities_river.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
8. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Henry Clay Wharf. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/cargo_h_clay.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
9. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Nashville Wharf "A". http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/cargo_nash_a.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
10. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Nashville Avenue Wharf "B". http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/cargo_nash_b.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
11. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Nashville Avenue Wharf "C". http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/cargo_nash_c.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
12. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Louisiana Terminal. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/cargo_louisiana.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
13. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Harmony Terminal. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/cargo_harmony.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
14. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Governor Nicholls Wharf. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/cargo_g_nichols.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
15. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". France Road Terminal - Berth 1. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/canal_f1.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
16. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". France Road Terminal - Berth 5. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/canal_f5.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
17. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". France Road Terminal - Berth 4. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/canal_f4.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
18. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Jourdan Road Terminal. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_river/canal_jourdan.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
19. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Cruises - Port Facilities. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_facilities_julia.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
20. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Cruises - Port Facilities. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_facilities_julia.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
21. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Cruises - Port Facilities. http://portno.com/pno_pages/cargo_facilities_specs.htm#julia. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
22. ^ "2020 Master Plan". 2020 Master Plan. http://www.portno.com/pdfs/PNO%20Master%20Plan.pdf. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
23. ^ "2020 Master Plan". 2020 Master Plan. http://www.portno.com/pdfs/PNO%20Master%20Plan.pdf. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
24. ^ "2020 Master Plan". 2020 Master Plan. http://www.portno.com/pdfs/PNO%20Master%20Plan.pdf. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
25. ^ "The Port of New Orleans". Overview. http://portno.com/pno_pages/about_overview.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
26. ^ "Port of New Orleans". People. http://portno.com/pno_pages/about_people.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
27. ^ "Port of New Orleans". People. http://portno.com/pno_pages/about_people.htm. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 

External links

• Official website

See also: List of North American ports and List of world's busiest ports by cargo tonnage

Coordinates: 29°56′13″N 90°03′43″W / 29.93694°N 90.06194°W / 29.93694; -90.06194