Posted on November 6, 2024
The saying “water is the new gold” is proving true for the industries located at the 5,000 acres on the Red River that make up the Port of Caddo-Bossier.
Since 2012, the port has expanded from 2,000 acres to its current size.
“All along the way, during this time, we are continually receiving inquiries from prospective companies that want to come to the port,” said Port Executive Director Eric England. “And we know that we’re going to have to build things like road, railroad, water, sewer lines, those types of things.”
Each of those things was important, said England, but water was key for a number of manufacturing processes the port was wooing, like the new Heirloom Direct Air Capture plants. Other large water-loving port manufacturers include the recycler Pratt Industries, Ternium, a company that makes coated steel coils, steel tube manufacturer Benteler Steel and others. England says one large industrial user at the port uses one million gallons of water per day.
In the early 1990s, the Port spent $13 million to bring a water line from the city of Shreveport. Over time, it became apparent that two additional things were needed: more water and a second source.
“We’re at bat, we’re trying to recruit industry to the area,” England said. “And we find there are some weaknesses in our pitch for bringing industrials to the area, and one that kept resonating was water.”
England says the port started the process by identifying all potential water sources. A water plant at the plant would cost roughly $400 million. Constructing a post effluent treatment facility to be able to use the city of Shreveport’s gray water was doable but not at the top of the list. Gray water is untreated wastewater from showers, sinks, and washing machines, but does not include sewage.
The Port of Caddo-Bossier.
Bringing in another large water line from Shreveport was going to be a long and complicated run from what England refers to as the “spaghetti bowl;” the area of Highway 3132, Interstate 49, Beaird Industries and the Slack Industrial Park. It, too, was doable but would be expensive and provide no source redundancy.
The port board ultimately opted to build a line from Bossier City to the port. The important second source will increase their capacity by 10 million gallons per day.
Benteler Steel/Tube Manufacturing announced Thursday it will spend $21 million to expand its operations at the Port of Caddo-Bossier, a move that will create 49 jobs.
“In addition, we have the agreements in place between Bossier City, city of Shreveport, and the port, whereby if the water quality from either system, Shreveport or bossier drops below a certain standard. If the water pressure falls below a certain standard, we swap over,” England said.
To get the line from near near Parkway High School to the port, a company was hired to bore 100 feet under the Red River. A sewer line was stubbed out for future use, the water lines at the port are flowing.
The project cost $20 million, a number that England said was really quite surprising, but not in the way you might imagine. He says given that a water line from Shreveport’s Flournoy Lucas Road to the port in 1993 cost $18 million, “We were expecting it to be north of $30 million all day long.”
The additional water capacity will allow the port to continue expanding.
“We’re under contract for an additional 350 acres which is going to take us right to 5000,” England said. He says 23,000 additional acres in Caddo and Bossier parishes have been identified as having the right attributes to be acquired and more growth is coming.
