Ports of the mid-Gulf area encompassing Mississippi and Alabama are augmenting facilities with additions of varied infrastructure befitting of the broad-ranging nature of the region’s commerce.

From an ocean resources center in Gulfport to a wood pellets export facility in Pascagoula to a vehicle terminal in Mobile, the current undertakings span a wide spectrum of functions.

Here are some more details on what’s happening at the trio of major ports of the Magnolia State and Yellowhammer State:

Mississippi State Port Authority

Quickly becoming a microcosm of South Mississippi’s economy with shipbuilding, manufacturing, tourism, education and cargo operations, the Mississippi State Port Authority’s Port of Gulfport continues to grow its diverse business mix after completion of its federally backed restoration following 2005 destruction by Hurricane Katrina.

Military cargos are a key part of the diverse cargo mix at the Mississippi State Port Authority’s Port of Gulfport.
Military cargos are a key part of the diverse cargo mix at the Mississippi State Port Authority’s Port of Gulfport.

Late 2019 saw groundbreaking for the Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise, a 62,000-square-foot installation targeted for completion in 2021 as the catalyst for Mississippi’s “Blue Economy.” The center is projected to house facilities of the U.S. Navy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and private-sector businesses associated with water-based unmanned systems, as well as facilitate expansion for The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering, which currently occupies the port’s Marine Research Center.

Utilization of the Port of Gulfport by the military continues at a solid pace, with the past year seeing the port serve as the site for a joint readiness exercise of the U.S. Army Forces Command. As one of 17 U.S. strategic ports, Gulfport looks to sustain scheduling for such activities, augmenting strong commercial throughput.

The MSPA remains in the process of working through development of an operating agreement with Turkey-based Yilport Holdings, which operates in more than 20 terminals throughout the world but none yet on U.S. soil. Yilport is currently engaged in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States process, with projected completion of the application review expected in the second half of 2020.

Port authority officials believe an agreement with Yilport would launch Gulfport’s next stage of expansive growth in facilities and cargo offerings, bringing new routes and delivering more options for shippers. Leadership also is looking to advance the port’s cruise industry status.