Posted on February 8, 2023
The Port of South Louisiana said it saw an annual increase in tonnage of nearly 10 million short tons of cargo in 2022. The port said it moved a total of 239,257,758 short tons last year compared to a total of 229,797,480 in 2021. A short ton is a unit of measurement that equals 2,000 pounds.
This is the first year since 2017 that the facility has seen a net increase in tonnage, according to PortSL Chief Executive Officer Paul Matthews.
“The numbers do not lie; Port of South Louisiana has reversed a six-year trend and is finally growing,” said Matthews in a press release. “Our commission, staff and I are constantly thinking outside the box and taking tremendous steps to maximize our growth and operate at optimal levels. With plans to construct the state’s first grain elevator in 40 years and the prospects of owning Louisiana’s greatest industrial icon, Avondale Global Gateway, Port of South Louisiana is on track to reach new heights, attract good-paying jobs and make Louisiana and America more competitive in the ever-changing shipping markets.”
PortSL said that 60% of the nation’s grain is exported through seven grain elevators in its jurisdiction — and it also ranks highly as an energy transfer port. In September, PortSL was awarded federal funding to construct a hydrogen fueling barge, which is part of a $74 million project to develop a new energy cluster in South Louisiana. One month earlier, PortSL dedicated two new shipyard cranes from Konecranes at its Globalplex Intermodal Terminal dock, doubling the port’s discharge rate.
“When our Commission hired Mr. Matthews a little over a year ago, we challenged him to establish a culture that nurtures growth and embraces concepts and ideas that equip the port to thrive in an evolving marketplace,” said PortSL Commission Chairman Ryan Burks. “This course correction from annual losses to an increase of 10 million tons in just one year’s time is a testament to his leadership and our staff’s dedication to attracting foreign and domestic cargo and investment to the Port of South Louisiana.”
The Port of South Louisiana’s 2021-2022 Tonnage Report shows increases in these categories:
- Animal Feed – 29% increase
- Concrete/Stone Products – 111% increase
- Crude Oil – 16% increase
- Petrochemicals – 15% increase
- Soybean – 14% increase
- Wheat – 20% increase
