The Alabama Port Authority set a new benchmark in July, moving more cargo containers than ever before, and port officials say that Mobile’s performance in an era of supply chain turmoil is being noticed.
Over the last decade, the Port Authority and APM Terminals, which operates the container terminal in Mobile, have steadily expanded the Mobile terminal, making it one of the fastest growing in the nation. The Port Authority announced Aug. 15 that in July it broke 50,000 20-foot-equivalent units in a month for the first time since the container terminal opened in 2009.
In July 2022 the port saw 35.8% growth for dry and refrigerated cargo over July 2021 and 185.7% growth for intermodal cargo.
Expansion projects at the container terminal have included the addition of newer, larger cranes; additional storage space for containers; and a dock extension allowing for two 1,000-foot vessels to dock at the same time. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working on a project to deepen the Mobile Ship Channel, which will allow bigger ships to transit Mobile Bay. When it is complete, ships carrying as many as 14,000 TEUs will be able to unload in Mobile.
