JAXPORT’s Top 10 Moments of 2021

3 MIN READ

2021 was a year of opportunity for Northeast Florida, JAXPORT and its port partners. The port received international attention as a solution to global supply chain challenges, achieved record container volumes, and made significant progress on building the port of the future.

Here’s a look back at JAXPORT’s top 10 moments of the last year.

No. 10
Launch of Connected, A St. Johns River Educational Partnership with Jacksonville University

JAXPORT and Jacksonville University (JU) joined forces to raise awareness about the importance of the St. Johns River as a vital natural resource. Learn more about the initiative and how you can request to have a JU river expert visit your school or community group: https://bit.ly/3mJblFI

No. 9
JAXPORT LNG Partners Reach Clean Fuel Milestone

JAX LNG and TOTE Maritime completed the first fueling of a marine vessel in the United States using a blend of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable LNG (rLNG). rLNG is compatible with existing LNG infrastructure and produced from the decomposition of organic waste: https://bit.ly/3FGL3eZ

No. 8
Jacksonville Grows Foothold in Automotive Industry

Cenntro Automotive, a leading electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, selected Jacksonville as the site of its first U.S.-based manufacturing facility. Cenntro will use JAXPORT to import materials for vehicle production and export some of the finished vehicles: https://bit.ly/3eEppfk

No. 7
Strengthening Jacksonville’s important bond with Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) Executive Director Joel A. Pizá Batiz and JAXPORT CEO Eric Green signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to affirm the ongoing work of both organizations to grow maritime trade between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico. Jacksonville is the number one port in the United States for trade with Puerto Rico, handling nearly 90 percent of all sea trade between the island and the U.S. mainland. Learn more about the key business areas the ports are collaborating on to enhance economic development for both communities: https://bit.ly/3HkL48P

No. 6
New Strategic Master Plan Guides JAXPORT and Northeast Florida into the future

JAXPORT leadership unveiled a new 5-year Strategic Master Plan during the Propeller Club – Port of Jacksonville’s virtual State of the Port address. The plan includes 10 goals, anchored by four key strategies, to grow cargo volumes and create new private-sector jobs: https://bit.ly/3sHwNyL

No. 5
Shippers Turn to JAXPORT for Supply Chain Relief

Global ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd rerouted its Atlantic Loop 3 (AL3) European-US container service to JAXPORT to avoid congestion at other U.S. ports. Additional chartered container vessels also called Jacksonville, including one operated by OW Logistics, to expedite the movement of consumer goods and take advantage of the available berths and congestion-free harbor. Also, to avoid supply chain delays, a poultry shipper shifted its refrigerated cargo to JAXPORT from another U.S. port. The cargo was shipped via breakbulk (outside of a container), offering a quicker and more cost-effective transport to its destination.

No. 4
Florida’s Ports Remain Congestion-Free Throughout the Pandemic

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault visited JAXPORT to announce Florida’s seaports have available capacity to meet increased demand and serve as a solution to the global supply chain crisis. Learn more about the investments the state has made in Florida’s ports to ensure the supply chain is resilient: https://bit.ly/3EFNz3C

No. 3
Record Container Volumes

Despite the ongoing pandemic, JAXPORT set a container volume record in 2021 – moving more than 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (or TEUs, the industry standard for measuring containers). Strong consumer demand also bolstered the port’s auto business to near pre-pandemic levels: https://bit.ly/3FLhLfa

No. 2
Building the Port of the Future

In 2021, the JAXPORT Board of Directors awarded a $48.8 million contract to modernize the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal. Upon completion in 2024, the facility will be able to accommodate up to 500,000 containers annually, a 150 percent increase over its current throughput. The expansion will grow JAXPORT’s total container throughput capability to nearly two million containers a year, an increase of more than 40 percent. Learn more about JAXPORT’s public-private partnership with SSA: https://bit.ly/34aWe1B

No. 1
Harbor Deepening Ahead of Schedule

The improvements to the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal at Blount Island will complement the federal project to deepen the Jacksonville shipping channel to 47 feet. Deepening through Blount Island is three years ahead of schedule, with anticipated completion in summer 2022. The deepening project includes construction of a vessel turning basin that will allow larger ships to turn at Blount Island. Harbor deepening is the single-biggest growth initiative in the port’s history, earning it the top spot on the list.