FEBRUARY proved to be a remarkable month at Port Houston's terminals with container volumes increasing 20 per cent compared to the same month last year.

The terminals handled a total of 375,965 TEU. In the first two months of 2024, container volumes at Port Houston totalled 708,926 TEU, an increase of 12 per cent year-to-date, reports the American Journal of Transportation.

Loaded export volumes continue to be a dominating force among Port Houston's container terminals, with an increase of 25 per cent in February compared to the same month last year.

Totalling 145,766 TEU, February 2024 now holds the distinction of being the biggest month for container exports on record for Port Houston. Additionally, loaded imports increased by 18 per cent compared to February 2023. Port officials note that this strong start to the year, along with an optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year, are supported by key investments in infrastructure growth in Houston.

Port Houston has made significant progress on its Houston Ship Channel Expansion - Project 11. Curtin Maritime Corp recently completed dredging three and a half miles of the Houston Ship Channel and as a result of related lifted daylight restrictions roughly 30 minutes of additional vessel transit time will be available.

Moreover, Callan Marine Ltd has been awarded the last Port Houston-led Project 11 dredging contract, which covers the portion of the channel from Bayport Container Terminal to Barbours Cut Container Terminal. The cutter-section dredge that Callan Marine Ltd will utilise for this segment of Project 11 is the cleanest of its type in America.

"Throughout the project to expand the Channel we have worked at an unprecedented rate to deliver the benefits to our customers and our region," said Roger Guenther, executive director at Port Houston. "Before the end of this year, our Bayport Container Terminal will be able to receive vessels of up to 15,000 TEU."