State Port Authority reports steady volumes, Leatherman Terminal operating; requests $3 million for Jasper Ocean Terminal planning

Barbara Melvin, president of the South Carolina State Port Authority, told the subcommittee the port finished fiscal 2024 with about 2.5 million TEUs and strong inland-port performance; she asked legislators to consider a $3,000,000 nonrecurring request for Jasper Ocean Terminal planning and noted a single date-change proviso related to the Cooper River bridal contribution.

Melvin said Wando Terminal handled roughly 1.2 million TEUs of the total and highlighted inland ports in Greer and Dillon, which she described as "shining stars" for fiscal 2024. She described Greer’s record of roughly 88,000 rail lifts and said the port expects to exceed that this year.

On infrastructure and litigation, Melvin summarized the Leatherman Terminal’s legal history and operational status. She said the terminal was returned to service in September after litigation and that the U.S. Supreme Court denied a rehearing of the Fourth Circuit decision. "We had the terminal up and running in September just in time to take a lot of ships in that needed a home," Melvin said, and noted that three services currently call the Leatherman Terminal weekly with a potential fourth under discussion.

Melvin gave an update on the Navy base intermodal facility (the rail-connected terminal funded earlier with state support), saying construction began after a notice to proceed in 2023 and that the project is projected to open this summer. She reviewed port productivity metrics—crane moves per hour, average truck visit times and equipment availability—and said productivity compares favorably with national peers.

Melvin also discussed market dynamics. She said the port chose not to renew a home-port cruise contract when it concluded in December because the existing terminal would have required major investment and would not have been fiscally viable under the port’s agreement with the city. "At the end of the deal, it would have been a losing deal for us overall," she said, while noting some smaller cruise ships have expressed interest in calling at a different facility.

Capital and planning requests Melvin mentioned include a $3,000,000 request to the governor and House for Jasper Ocean Terminal work, a state grant for a last-mile connector into Wando Terminal, and continued buildout of the purchased paper-mill site adjacent to North Charleston terminal. She also mentioned a proviso date change for the port’s contribution to the Cooper River bridal.

Senators asked about labor-contract developments and the port’s role in supporting forest-products export options such as bulk, chips or containers. Melvin said the recent maritime contract negotiations clarified hybrid-port language that benefits operations like Leatherman, and she said the port is in discussions with the forest-products industry about export logistics, fumigation needs and inland transportation costs.

Melvin closed by reiterating the economic impact of port investments for all four regions of the state and by thanking the committee for prior support; the subcommittee took no formal vote during her appearance.