Posted on October 6, 2021
“Every grain of sand can make a difference,” says Port of Hueneme CEO Kristin Decas
A $5.1 million federal grant to finish the dredging project of Port of Hueneme will enable vessels delivering goods like cars and bananas to stow heavier loads.
The port first secured funding to deepen its south terminal in 2015, but a $12.3 million grant from Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, and another $3.3 million contribution from the port were only enough to scoop out sand for two-thirds of the terminal, said Christina Birdsey, the port’s chief operating officer.
The recent grant from the U.S. Department Commerce, along with another $1.3 million from the port, will deepen the remaining third.
Once the project is complete, the terminal will be 40-feet deep, 5 feet deeper than its previous 35-foot depth.
The deeper terminal will allow container vessels, typically filled with automobiles and fresh produce, to arrive in port with a heavier load to meet the changes in the modes of shipping, said Port of Hueneme CEO Kristin Decas.
The sand taken from the bottom of the port will then be used to replenish Port Hueneme’s eroding coastline.
“Every grain of sand can make a difference,” said Decas.
In addition to the dredging project, which is slated to begin October 2022, the funding will allow the port to modernize its wharf by installing 600 feet of sheet pile walls, replacing existing bumpers that absorb the impact of mooring vessels, upgrading its mooring system and repairing dilapidated areas of the concrete decking.
The grant-funded upgrades will also give the port better handling of its shoreside power system in south terminal.
Instead of running their auxiliary engines while moored, vessels can connect directly to the port’s power supply. According to Birdsey, the port has been able to reduce its emissions by 97% since 2008 when the shoreside power system was installed.
The upcoming dredging project and upgrades to the wharf will create 282 new, permanent jobs, said Birdsey. An estimated $5 million will go into the local economy through local purchases and tax revenue, she said.
“These positive economic impacts will help create revenue for social and economic investments in South Oxnard and Port Hueneme,” Birdsey said.
Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers recently completed the deepening of the channel used to enter the port in May with funding from the Port of Hueneme and Naval Base Ventura County totaling $10.4 million.
The federal channel was also deepened by 5 feet to a depth of 40 feet.
About $11 billion in goods move through the Port of Hueneme each year, which is often among the top 10 automobile and produce ports in the country.
