Facility Enhancement: Virginia

 

A grant from the federal government is helping The Port of Virginia® diversify, grow and expedite the flow of cargo through Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) and via the Richmond Express barge service. 

 

Last week, the port put into service a portable, 40-plug central power unit that can be mounted on the Richmond Express barge and a specialized, heavy-lift forklift that will be used in the cargo operation at RMT. Both pieces of equipment were purchased using $446,747 in grant money from the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Marine Highway Program. The power unit cost $222,700 and the forklift $373,234. The port is contributing $119,186 in matching funds. 

 

"We have several current and potential users of RMT that are in the food and beverage, refrigerated and discount grocery industry that are expressing interest in using the barge to move reefer cargo," said John. F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. "The power unit enables us to provide a more comprehensive level of barge service to current and potential customers and continue to serve as a catalyst for commerce in the Richmond metro area and beyond." 

 

Reinhart said the expanded refrigerated cargo capability on the barge is part of the port’s larger strategic growth plan. This asset combined with the port’s participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Southeast In-Transit Cold Treatment Pilot program will help to make the port a destination for cold cargo, including fresh fruit imported in refrigerated containers from South America. 

 

The new forklift with its 52,000-pound lift capacity could lure heavy or overweight cargo. 

 

"An advantage to using RMT is that we can now provide services – using the forklift -- such as unloading and loading of containers to the maximum allowable weight," Reinhart said. "Those heavy containers are taken off of I-64 and safely moved west on the barge and when they reach Richmond, we now have the equipment to handle the heavy lift." 

 

RMT’s business is on the upswing.  This calendar year through November, it processed 21,491 containers, a nearly 25 percent increase compared to 2016.