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When did the first phase
of the Bayport container terminal open? |
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Bayport
is the most modern container terminal along the
U.S. Gulf Coast. The first phaseof Bayport —including
the first berth and approximately 65 acres of the
ultimate 1,043 acrefacility —opened in January
2007. The CMA CGM steamship line was the first customer
at Bayport. |
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How much did
the first phase of the Bayport container terminal
cost? |
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The answer to this
question is complicated. Many lessons were learned
during the past 30 years of designing, developing
and building out the Barbours Cut Container Terminal.
As a result, the PHA designed Bayport as a master-planned
facility. The infrastructure for water, electricity,
and communications is designed to handle Bayport’s
ultimate capacity. The PHA’s significant upfront
investments in Bayport will be used by current and
future facilities. To date, the PHA has invested
$400 million on the Bayport container and cruise
terminal facilities combined. |
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What’s
being done to reduce the impacts of Bayport on the
environment? |
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The Port of Houston
Authority believes that Bayport is the most “green”
container facility in the United States. Our design
for the Bayport facility includes several mitigation
measures to compensate for environmental impacts.
For example, the PHA has implemented measures
to protect and conserve 1,101 acres of wetlands.
That’s larger than Bayport’s ultimate
full buildout footprint of 1,043 acres. Most of
1,101 acres has been placed in conservation easements,
including the Katy Prairie (500 acres) and Banana
Bend (428 acres) sites.
The PHA’s Bayport plan also involves jurisdictional
wetland replacement at a ratio of more than three
to one, to increase habitat available for fish,
waterfowl and other coastal wildlife. Additionally,
the beneficial use of dredged material will create
up to an additional 200 acres of inter-tidal marsh.
As another example of environmental mitigation,
the use of cleaner fuels and improved engine technology
at Bayport will help reduce air emissions. Also,
the three-mile long buffer zone around the Bayport
facility will include a landscaped sight and sound
berm that will be 20 feet tall. The buffer zone
also includes part of an extensive storm water
collection system that will protect Galveston
Bay. Lighting systems designed to use black light
poles and specially designed fixtures will limit
night-time impacts at the facility.
Air emissions reduction, solid waste recycling,
and storm water quality improvement are the key
objectives of PHA’s environmental management
system (EMS). In 2002, Barbours Cut and PHA’s
central maintenance facility became the first
of any U.S. port facilities to implement an EMS
that complies with ISO 14001, the global standard
for environmental excellence. We are committed
to opening Bayport with an EMS in place and will
follow the necessary protocols to obtain ISO 14001
certification. The certification process is expected
to take approximately one year to complete. |
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From what
parts of the world will the cargo at Bayport originate? |
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The Port of Houston
Authority envisions Bayport to be as attractive
as Barbours Cut to customers around the world. Our
major trading partners shipping containers in and
out of Houston are presently based in countries
in northern and southern Europe, the Mediterranean
region, Mexico and Latin America, and western Africa.
In recent years, growing amounts of Houston’s
containerized cargo have been moving to and from
China and East Asia. |
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Why did a
ship call at Bayport during December 6–7,
2006? |
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The CMA CGM ORCA
was the first vessel to dock at Bayport, but it
was here for testing purposes. This is one of eight
new multi-million dollar vessels in the CMA CGM
fleet that will call at Bayport throughout the coming
year. The operations personnel from the Port of
Houston Authority, along with steamship line personnel,
Houston Pilots, and the tugboat industry tested
vessel docking operations, and the U.S. Coast Guard
provided the clearance procedures for the new vessel’s
maiden voyage. The ORCA then sailed to our Barbours
Cut Terminal to offload its cargo. |
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Who owns the
ship that docked at Bayport during December 6–7,
2006? |
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The ORCA is owned
by CMA CGM, a French shipping line. |
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What type
of cargo was on the ship that docked at Bayport
December 6–7, 2006? |
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The contents
of the containers aboard the ORCA can be anything
ranging from consumer goods to raw materials.
It could be clothing, computers, food, furniture
or any variety of other goods destined for markets
throughout the U.S. The cargo inside each container
belongs to the customers that hired CMA CGM to
ship it here.
The containers on the ORCA, like any containers
aboard any ship that calls at Bayport or at Barbours
Cut, are extensively tracked and monitored from
the point of origin all the way to final destination.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the federal
government agency that is responsible for thoroughly
screening U.S.-bound cargo. The U.S. Coast Guard
is responsible for conducting all security clearances
for commercial vessels entering U.S. waterways
and ports. |
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From where
did the ship come to Bayport? |
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The vessel ORCA
is on its maiden voyage from China. For more information,
please contact
Terry Grange, CMA CGM Director of Marketing
• Email: usa.tgrange@cma-cgm.com
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Office: 757-961-2434 |
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What’s
going to be done about security at Bayport? |
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The systems of security
at Bayport employ the most advanced technologies
and equipment available in the industry. In a world
of threats and risks ranging from hurricanes to
terrorist acts, the Port of Houston Authority maintains
an unwavering commitment to security and safety.
Our commitment relies first and foremost on continuous
vigilance, open communication, and cooperative partnerships
with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, and numerous other law enforcement and
regulatory agencies at the federal, state, and local
levels. The technology systems at Bayport greatly
enhance these efforts. |
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What
kinds of jobs will there be at Bayport? |
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The direct jobs
at Bayport will range from everything involving
loading and unloading cargo from vessels, crane
operations, and facility maintenance, to clerical,
administrative, supervisory and management positions.
Bayport will also generate numerous jobs in ancillary
industries such as tugboat operations, commercial
trucking, banking, manufacturing, and more. |
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When
will the Bayport cruise terminal be open? |
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The construction
of the cruise terminal was completed in 2008. We
are working with multiple cruise lines on passenger
vessel availabilities and itineraries. Our negotiations
with major cruise lines are continuing. |
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How
much is the Bayport cruise terminal costing? |
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The total cost of
the first cruise terminal is expected to range between
$80 million and $90 million. The costs of any additional
cruise terminal facilities at Bayport will be determined
by future design and development plans. |
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How
will Bayport affect the local and regional economy? |
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The statistics
on the Port of Houston Authority’s economic
impact are presently being analyzed and updated.
Click
here for data that reflects the net increase
of total economic impacts attributed to Bayport’s
cargo and cruise terminal operations according
to the independent study that was conducted in
2002 during the Bayport permitting process. |
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