September 21 - The Port of Charleston is claiming a boost in cargo handling capabilities after increasing the certified load capacity of its heavy-lift crane from 400 to 450 tonnes. The barge-mounted Charleston Giant, operated by Charleston Heavy Lift, LL
The Port of Charleston offers four, rail-served terminals to handle diverse breakbulk and project cargo needs and says it has invested personnel and resources to target non-containerised cargoes.
The South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCPSA), which owns and operates the Port of Charleston, also approved more than USD20 million in improvements to Columbus Street Terminal that will be completed in April 2011.
In recent months, ocean carriers have also increased non-container services in the Port of Charleston. In April, Liberty Global Logistics began inducement calls to Charleston's Veterans Terminal serving Middle East ports.
In June, Rickmers-Linie announced regular, monthly calls in Charleston as part of its new NCS service, which calls at Columbus Street Terminal as well as the Veterans Terminal.
Non-containerised cargo in Charleston and Georgetown is expected to climb 53 percent during the 2011 fiscal year.
"South Carolina is aggressively growing its non-container cargo business, and these new services are evidence that the state's base is strong," said Paul McClintock, senior vice president and chief commercial officer at SCSPA.
