Port of Galveston Opens New Berth with 1st Cargo Vessel Call
[By Port of Galveston]
The Port of Galveston’s new cargo berth officially opened for business July 2 with a Wallenius Wilhelmsen cargo carrier delivering roll-on/roll-off cargo at the West Port Cargo Complex.
The 656-foot-long MS Toledo offloaded hundreds of pieces of heavy construction equipment from Brazil and the Far East to be transported by truck to destinations in Texas and Middle America. Then union workers loaded heavy construction and farm equipment bound for Brazil and Australia.
The 1,410-foot-long berth at Pier 39-40 is part of the port’s $106 million cargo facility expansion project begun in 2024 and completed in 2026. Work to repair and expand the cargo area also included enclosing two outdated slips, filling one slip, repaving and repairing cargo handling areas, and demolishing a decommissioned grain elevator.
The project, which will add almost 30 acres to the previously 60-acre facility, was funded with port operating revenues and a $36 million Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) grant. A future phase will include filling the second slip to add another 6 acres.
Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees, said, “This is the first time in decades that the port has made a significant investment in its cargo business. Driven by cargo tenant demand, the expansion paves the way for major cargo growth to generate hundreds of new jobs and tremendous economic growth for the region. Additional land also allows us to consider other types of cargo not previously handled.”
Rees credited the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees for its commitment to the major project and the Texas Legislature and TxDOT for jumpstarting the project with critical funding. He added that the port’s growing cruise business generated the revenues to fund the cargo area improvements.
TxDOT Maritime Division Director Geir-Eilif Kalhagen added, “This $36 million state investment added capacity and will help the Port of Galveston operate more efficiently as demand continues to grow. When the state partners with seaports on projects like this, we’re not just improving infrastructure, but strengthening the supply chain, supporting job growth, and ensuring Texas remains competitive nationally and globally.”
Located on Galveston Harbor, one of the nation’s busiest cargo waterways, the port moves 3 million tons of general and breakbulk cargos, including roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) and giant wind turbine pieces a year. Cargo handling at public and private facilities on the harbor generates almost 20,000 jobs and a $6.5 billion economic impact statewide.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
Bureau Veritas Signs Cooperation Agreement with Shenzhen Port Group
[By: Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore]
On June 29, Shenzhen Port Group and Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Shenzhen, China. The two parties engaged in in-depth discussions on strengthening collaboration across key sectors and jointly advancing the development of green shipping corridors.
Under the agreement, both parties will leverage their respective strengths and resources to deepen collaboration focused on the development of green shipping corridors and related businesses. Through resource sharing and complementary capabilities they will jointly develop green shipping projects to deliver replicable and scalable outcomes.
Bureau Veritas will provide professional technical support to Shenzhen Port Group and industry players at large, helping them navigate evolving maritime regulatory policies and translate emerging international rules into practical, implementable measures to align domestic and global industry standards. Backed by its comprehensive global business footprint, BV offers end-to-end testing, inspection and certification services covering the entire green fuel industrial chain, spanning renewable energy production to bunkering infrastructure for marine fuels. It has also built extensive hands-on experience in numerous domestic green fuel projects.
Alex Gregg-Smith, President, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said: "Global decarbonization of the shipping industry requires concerted efforts and in-depth collaboration across the entire industrial value chain. As a world-class port conglomerate, Shenzhen Port Group boasts strengths that are highly complementary to Bureau Veritas’s expertise in technical services and standard-setting. Deepening our partnership is of great significance for the green transition of the shipping sector. We hope this collaboration will serve as a catalyst to align domestic and international standards and jointly develop viable pathways for low-carbon maritime trade.”
Hu Zhaoyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Board at Shenzhen Port Group, stated: “Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore is a globally recognized authoritative body in the maritime sector, with a wealth of decarbonization solutions and practical experience for the global shipping industry. Its vision aligns perfectly with Shenzhen Port Group’s green development strategy. Building on this agreement, we will further expand all-round cooperation across relevant fields, and maximize the combined value of Shenzhen Port Group’s diverse industrial application scenarios and BV’s authoritative technical certification capabilities to achieve mutual benefit through complementary strengths."
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
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