Port NOLA sets new container-on-barge service record
Written by Marine Log Staff
The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) marked 20,500 container moves by barge during calendar year 2023, the highest since starting the container-on-barge (COB) service in 2016 in partnership with the Port of Greater Baton Rouge and Ingram Marine Group.
Moving an average of 30,000 TEU of containers per year between New Orleans, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Memphis and St. Louis, the service is the largest container-on-barge network in the U.S. with connectivity to the nation’s heartland.
“We are poised to expand this service even further in the coming years,” said Port NOLA president & CEO, Brandy D. Christian. “This is one more example of Port NOLA working alongside our partners to provide innovative solutions for global supply chain disruptions while simultaneously honoring a commitment to sustainability.”
The service eliminated more than 1,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and saved more than 130,000 gallons of diesel fuel in calendar year 2023. Since 2016, the accumulated (CO2) emissions reduction is more than 10,400 tonnes.
Port NOLA says that it values its ongoing partnership with the Port of Greater Baton Rouge and Ingram Marine Group to offer the weekly service that repositions empty containers where they can be used and offers shippers alternative ways to move their goods.
“We are proud to partner with the Port of New Orleans and Ingram Marine Group to continue to offer innovative and sustainable maritime solutions,” said Port of Greater Baton Rouge executive director Jay Hardman, P.E. “These record- breaking numbers for our container-on-barge service are a direct result of our collective effort to create a stronger and more resilient supply chain.”
“We are proud to be a part of the thriving maritime economy of the Port of New Orleans, which includes a growing container-on-barge system,” said Ingram Marine Group President and CEO John Roberts. “Our recent creation of Ingram Infrastructure Group, fueled in part by our acquisition of SCF, has greatly increased our presence in the container-on-barge market, as well as our material handling capabilities and ability to provide end-to-end supply chain solutions for our customers. As such, we are positioned to build on the incredible success of 2023 in partnership with the Port of New Orleans and Ports America, as well as carriers and shippers, and look forward to continuing our container-on-barge services with them.”
Like the Uptown Napoleon Container Terminal, Port NOLA’s downriver container terminal, the port’s new Louisiana International Terminal (LIT), will also be equipped to provide container-on-barge services. LIT will allow the container-on-barge operation to expand with a dedicated berth space designed for this service.
Categories: Coastal, Inland, Inland and Coastal, News, Ports & Terminals
