Charleston, SC - The first project cargo shipment for Westinghouse Electric Company in a series of deliveries spanning several years has arrived at the Port of Charleston's Columbus Street Terminal. This high, wide and heavy cargo is being shipped through the port to support South Carolina Electric & Gas Company's (SCE&G) nuclear plant expansion near Columbia, SC.
Over the next two days, crews will be offloading a large amount of specialty cargo from the vessel HR Recommendation, operated by BBC Chartering. From here, the cargo will travel on rail cars and trucks to SCE&G's project site.
"This is a project that will boost port volume and maritime jobs over the course of several years," said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority. "We are very pleased that Westinghouse selected the Port of Charleston for this project, which further establishes our port as the premiere East Coast port for power generation moves."
In 2011, the Port of Charleston held a full half of the South Atlantic ports' market share in the non-containerized power generation segment.
"For this project, we are managing first-of-a -kind logistics, unprecedented in our business," said Carl Rossi, director of Global Logistics for Westinghouse. "Westinghouse is combining multiple companies including Toshiba Logistics, Landstar Logistics, the Port of Charleston, stevedores, major railroads and multiple trucking companies into a fully integrated delivery system."
The project, which is scheduled for completion in 2018, involves handling about 24,000 tons of equipment that will be deployed at V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3 in Jenkinsville, SC.
A total of about 30 ships will deliver machinery and equipment - some pieces weighing up to 700 tons apiece - for delivery by rail and truck to the site approximately 30 miles northwest of Columbia.
A $23-million improvement project completed last year at the 135-acre Columbus Street Terminal enhanced the facility's mix of on-dock rail, storage and heavy-lift capabilities. The terminal handles a variety of non-container cargoes, including autos, other rolling stock, breakbulk cargoes, heavy-lift and project moves, including power generation equipment.
Westinghouse Electric Company, a group company of Toshiba Corporation (TKY:6502), is the world's pioneering nuclear energy company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world.
About the South Carolina Ports Authority
The South Carolina State Ports Authority, established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport facilities in Charleston and Georgetown, handling international commerce valued at more than $58 billion annually while receiving no direct taxpayer subsidy. An economic development engine for the state, port operations facilitate 260,800 jobs across South Carolina and nearly $45 billion in economic activity each year. For more information, visit www.scspa.com.
For more information:
Allison Skipper, APR
Manager, Public Relations
South Carolina Ports Authority
843-577-8121
www.scspa.com