b'24American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comSouth Carolinaa magnet for the EV and battery industries CAROLINA PORTS 2023The State is expected to host 18 projects and $10.9 billion in investments.By Peter Buxbaum, AJOTTheInflationReduc- Charleston generates an $87 tion Act (IRA), which camebillionstatewideeconomic onthebooksayearagoinimpact annually.August, had as one of its pur- Theseinvestmentsare posestheencouragementofexpectedtodriveSCPorts investments in electric vehi- cargo growth at a higher rate cleandbatteryproduction.thannationaltrends,added Oneyearlater,aso-calledMelvin. South Carolina Ports batterybeltisemergingfinished fiscal year 2023 with that stretches from Michigancontainer volumes above 2021 to Georgia, with South Caro- levels, booming activity at its lina right in the thick of it. inland ports, and a strong start Since the IRA was signedto fiscal year 2024. (See side-into law, private industry hadbar on page 28)announced210majornewsC n exus andt eChh ubcleanenergyprojectsacross thecountry,withelectricSouth Carolina has embarked vehicleandbatterymanu- (MAGNETcontinued on facturing accounting for overpage 28)half of those, according to a report from E2, a nonpartisan group of business leaders. Of thetotalof$86.3billionin investmentsongoingacross thecountry,SouthCarolina isslatedtohost18projects for a total of $10.9 billion in investments, according to the same report. theIts no wonder that Bar- CAPACITY baraMelvin,president,and CEOoftheSouthCarolina Ports Authority is bullish on easteconomyoftheSouth- WHERE YOU UnitedStatesand,by extension,onthePortof Charleston.TheSoutheastNEED IT.isbooming,shesaid.The regionisthrivingwithan influxofnewresidentsand industrialgrowth,singling out electric vehicle and bat-tery operations as a particular growth area. 30OPERATIONS IN15 STATESBarbara Melvin, president and CEOSolves capacity challenges for shippers, freight forwarders of the SCPA MRS-CMC and truckers In 2022, South CarolinaAlleviates terminal congestion sawannouncedtotalcapi- expands to talinvestmentsofarecordFacilitates swift movement$10.27billion,representingtackle terminalof import-loaded anda118%increaseover2017,congestion crisisexport-loaded containers whileforeigndirectinvest- Reduces pressure on thementin2022increasedwith new warehouses and rail yards 371% over 2021 in the state.loaded containerFrees up much-needed Besidestheelectricalvehi-cleandbatteryspace,otherstorage solution. chassisrecentannouncementshaveLast mile capabilityincludedinvestmentsinthe transportation,distribution, coldstorage,engineering, manufacturing,andmetalsTake advantage of the storage spacerecycling industries. A studywhile it is still available.authoredbyJosephVon843-200-8349Nessen,[email protected] www.mrs-cmc.comUniversity of South Carolina, andreleasedinmid-Octo-ber, showed that the Port of BSYA 1062 MRS old logo capacity States ad resize AJOT 8x10.indd 1 10/16/23 1:50AM'