Port of Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi Harbor as seen from the Harbor Bridge circa 1993-1997

After the Corpus Christi 1919 hurricane, also known as the Florida Keys Hurricane, local business leaders realized the need to build a deep-water port to help with reconstruction and stimulate the economy. On September 14, 1926, seven years after the devastating hurricane, an official "statewide" celebration of the opening of the Port was held.[3] At that time, the three navigation commissioners were Robert Driscoll, Chairman, John W. Kellam of Robstown, and W.W. Jones. The first port commission was appointed in 1923 with three members. In 1973, a special act of the legislature increased the number of commissioners to five, and in 1983, another special act of the legislature increased the number to seven.[4]

Today, the members are Charles W. Zahn, Jr, Richard Ralph Valls Jr, David P. Engel, Richard Bowers, Wes Hoskins, and Catherine Tobin Hilliard. The Port has recently seen exponential growth in its traffic, has created hundreds of jobs in Nueces and San Patricio Counties, recycles more than 35,000 pounds of materials, and purchases 100% of the port’s energy from renewables.

In Summer 2019, the Port of Corpus Christi was recognized by the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) for its America’s Energy TM media campaign and received the 2019 Award of Excellence.[5] The campaign highlighted the Port’s ongoing infrastructure investment program and the importance of the record-breaking exports of American energy passing through the Port of Corpus Christi to the Nation’s allies and trading partners around the world. The AAPA Excellence Award recognizes the Port of Corpus Christi as an overall-category top submission amongst competing ports of similar size.

Port of Corpus Christi handles break bulk cargo, project cargo, oil and gas, dry bulk, agricultural, refrigerated cargo, and containerized cargo, among other commodities.[2] Cotton was the main cargo in its early days, and is still traded through the port today. Texas is now the top wind energy production state in the United States, producing more wind energy than all but five countries (the U.S., Germany, Spain, China, and India),[6] thus creating an increased demand for wind turbines. These turbines are also a main cargo moving through Port Corpus Christi. In 2009, the US Army Corps of Engineers approved the dredging of La Quinta Channel extension ahead of the construction of the La Quinta multipurpose facility. This facility (in construction phase, 2011) will provide Port Corpus Christi with the ability to handle an estimated 1 million 20-foot equivalent units annually.[7]

The top 10 commodities traded in 2017 are:[8]

In January 2004, the Port of Corpus Christi Authority developed and implemented an environmental management system (EMS) through a Port EMS Assistance Project. It was a partnership effort with American Association of Port Authorities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Global Environment and Technology Foundation (GETF) for 11 ports to develop an EMS modeled after the ISO 14001 standard. The development and implementation took two years to complete. Since that time the Port of Corpus Christi has been maintaining an award-winning EMS program. In 2007 Port Corpus Christi received ISO 14001 certification of its EMS program and has for its 12th consecutive year[9]..[2][10]

In 2010, the Port of Corpus Christi received a grant from the EPA to repower its existing 1,000-horsepower locomotive switch engine with two 700-hp GENSET engines to help reduce diesel emissions at the port.[11]

In 2011, the construction of six wind turbines began on port property. This is projected to provide over 30 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy power per year.[12][13]

The Port of Corpus Christi has managed to set three new tonnage records, including highest volume in a single month. September tonnage was 12.2 million tons,[14] a 27% gain over the previous record set in March of 2018. The two other tonnage records broken included the highest quarter ever at 32.1 million tons, an 18% gain over the previous high set in the third quarter of 2018, and tonnage for the first nine months of a year at 84.6 million tons, a 5% increase over the previous record also set in 2018.

On May 29, the Port broke ground on the Channel Improvement Project,[15] which will deepen the ship channel from 47 to 54 feet. At its current depth of 47 feet, very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, have been loaded at 63% capacity. Deepening the channel to 54 feet means these VLCCs can be loaded up to 80% capacity. Plans for ultimately deepening the channel to 75 feet – for 100% VLCC capacity – are underway.

By 2023, Permian Basin oil field production is projected to reach five million barrels per day, making it the top producing field in the world.