Inland Port Dillon’s First Year a Big Success
by Matthew Christian
Inland Port Dillon handled 29,580 rail moves in its first year of business.
The South Carolina State Ports Authority announced Inland Port Dillon’s first year statistics in a news release this week.
“SCPA’s container business had a record-setting fiscal year, and our inland ports in Greer and Dillon continue to see record growth year-over-year,” Ports Authority president and chief executive officer Jim Newsome said. “This accomplishment is the result of the entire South Carolina maritime community’s dedication to providing a great product to our customers.”
Inland Port Dillon opened on April 16, 2018 with a ceremonial ribbon-tearing by the two cargo container moving cranes at the site.
South Carolina Ports handled nearly 2.4 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) from July 2018 through June, an 8.8 percent increase in annual TEU container volume. The ports moved 200,406 TEUs across the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals last month. As measured by the total number of boxes handled, the moved 112,988 pier containers in June for a total of 1.36 million pier containers annually, up 9.1 percent.
“The Southeast remains the best place to be in the port business with a growing population to support imports and a strong manufacturing and automotive presence to boost exports,” Newsome said. “While we expect more modest growth in fiscal 2020, we are optimistic about the future and continue to invest in our infrastructure.”
The ports also handled a total of 213,081 cruise passengers in fiscal 2019, and they reported more than 330,000 rail moves in fiscal 2019 through its RapidRail program, which provides a seamless connection between rail yards and marine terminals.
The port now handles 24% of containerized volumes by intermodal container rail — the highest annual percentage in Port history. It also handled 18,307 vehicles at Columbus Street Terminal in June for a total of 194,771 vehicles in fiscal 2019.
Inland Port Greer, now in its sixth year of operation, reported its busiest fiscal year yet with 143,204 rail moves in fiscal 2019, up nearly 22 percent from the prior year. Inland Port Greer reported 14,689 rail moves last month.
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state’s General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, the ports authority operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity.
The Charleston port is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet.
To read the full article on SC Now, click here.
