Georgetown port ailing, needs more money for dredging
Last Updated on 5/30/2012
Published on 10/4/2009
By Kelly Marshall Fuller
Kfuller@gtowntimes.com
Georgetown port officials say that $1.1 million approved Friday for dredging the shipping channel is not enough to do the work.
The money could pay for a dredge to come to Georgetown, but there would be no money to operate the equipment, said David Schronce, director of the Port of Georgetown.
The U.S. House approved $1.1 million Friday for Georgetown maintenance dredging, but approved at least $10.1 million for dredging in the Port of Charleston.
While local officials are happy that some money was allocated, there needs to be much more to bring the Port of Georgetown up to speed.
"It barely covers the mobilization of a dredge into the harbor,'' Schronce said.
"We're going to need considerably more to do that."
The shipping channel needs to be about 27 feet deep to handle the large cargo ships, Schronce said.
Part of the shipping channel is silted in, leaving the channel at about 22 feet deep, he said.
The depth problem is hampering efforts to get contracts finalized with companies interested in shipping cargo through Georgetown, Schronce said.
Other companies have already said they will soon be operating out of Georgetown.
This summer, Carolina-Pacific, a South Carolina-based company, said it would begin manufacturing and exporting product from the Port of Georgetown.
The company, which makes wood briquettes, said it plans to move about 66,000 metric tons this year.
Schronce said he is working with the Congressional delegation to find out how much money is needed to dredge the port.
Ready contracts
"We do have contracts in line that are ready to sign, but we have to get the channel back down to 27 feet or the new contracts won't come to fruition,'' Shronce said.
"We have two critical areas that have silted in that are blocking the whole channel."
According to information released in July, Carolina-Pacific has plans to occupy more than 100,000 square feet of warehouse space at the port to supportmanufacturing and exporting the wood briquettes
Wood briquettes are quickly becoming a high-demand commodity overseas because member countries of the European Union must generate 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
"We are excited to welcome Carolina-Pacific and this new business to the Port of Georgetown," Schronce said after the July announcement.
"Each ship entering the port supports tugs, pilots, longshoreman and others within the local maritime community, which means more dollars in the local economy."
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Don't even start. You can't compare dredging the canals to dredging the shipping channel. Posted by on 10/5/2009 |
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This is the exact same thing thats about to happen to the folks at wedgefield. It's easliy going to double their costs. Posted by on 10/5/2009 |
