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The deepening of the 17-mile-long Brownsville Ship Channel that port officials have been arguing for years is essential for the port to remain competitive is finally about to get underway.
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, announced June 24 that it has received a “notice proceed” with phase one of the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project, from the western boundary of NextDecade Corporation’s lease for the Rio Grande LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal to the Gulf of Mexico.
In an agreement with the Brownsville Navigation District signed in 2019, NextDecade said it would cover the entire cost of channel improvements from its facility to the Gulf, contingent upon a positive Final Investment Decision (decision to build) for Rio Grande LNG.
NextDecade announced that decision on July 12.
Phase two of the deepening project will stretch from the western boundary of Rio Grande LNG to the port’s turning basin. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated $68 million for phase two, the funds made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021.
The port will contribute approximately $43 million to phase two.
The project will increase the channel’s depth to 52 feet from the current 42 feet, “resulting in significant navigational safety improvements for commercial shipping in South Texas,” according to the port. Phase one, which also will include two ship berths and a turning basin at Rio Grande LNG, is scheduled to begin later this year.
Port Director and CEO Eduardo Campirano said the importance of the overall project can’t be overstated.
“(It) is of monumental significance to the regional economy, strengthening the port as a critical player in the global supply chain,” he said. “As cargo volumes continue on an upward trend, we are excited to boost the port’s capabilities supporting sustainable growth for the diverse industries we serve.”
Campirano and other port officials have long argued that not deepening the channel isn’t an option since newer cargo vessels are getting bigger, with keels that sit farther below the waterline.
Great Lakes President and CEO Lasse Petterson said the Brownsville project is the largest undertaken by his company in its 133-year history.
“We look forward to working with NextDecade and other stakeholders, including (USACE and the port), on this important improvement project that will benefit the navigation interests and allows for future development of the (port),” he said.
The Port of Brownsville is the only deep-water port directly on the U.S.-Mexico border and encompasses 40,000 acres, making it the largest land-owning public port authority in the United States.
The port moves more steel into Mexico than any other U.S. port.
