Mobile Ala. – The Alabama State Port Authority announced today the largest bulk carrier to call the Port of Mobile loaded over 133,000 short tons (121,000 metric tons) of export metallurgical grade coal at its McDuffie Coal Terminal. The Newcastle Max class bulk carrier, MARAN COURAGE, measures 984.2 feet (300 meters) in length overall (LOA) and has a width of 144.3 feet (50 meter beam). All of her cargo loaded at McDuffie consisted of Alabama metallurgical grade coal bound for Asian markets.
Jimmy Lyons, director and chief executive officer for the Port Authority, noted the Newcastle Max call along with a steady increase in Post-Panamax vessels at the port are due in part to past and ongoing infrastructure investments. “We’ve already made investments to service and turn these large ships at the port, and today, we are deepening the port to -50 ft. draft to leverage capacity opportunities afforded by the Post-Panamax class ship.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leading the recently permitted and fully funded harbor modernization program to deepen and widen the Port of Mobile over the next few years. “When our channel is deepened, the Newcastle Max will be able to load far more tonnage, which in turn provides our customers more capacity and more competitive transportation rates to service international market opportunities,” said Lyons.
