YOUR TURN: Updating port infrastructure is mission-critical

Francis X. McDonald and Ashok Pandey, Guest Columnists

Publishished Dec 23, 2021

Whether it’s holiday gifts or just the basic goods that Americans need, such as washing machines and dryers, many commodities are trapped on giant container ships waiting for space to unload at major U.S. shipping ports.

Maritime Transport, the lynchpin of international trade and global economy, accounts for more than 80% of global trade and is the lifeline of world commerce. Competition, high operating costs, supply-demand imbalance, and disruptive global events, such as the U.S. sub-prime crisis, have forced shipping companies to leverage economy of scale considerations that are clearly evident in the ever-increasing size of container vessels. The COVID pandemic has exacerbated many of those same challenges and exposed weaknesses in the nation’s supply chains.

A port that positions itself as a premier port in the Northeast will be able to enhance revenues significantly but can only do so by investing in maritime infrastructure to handle bigger cargo ships in general and container vessels in particular. That is exactly what many other ports on the East, West and Gulf coast have been doing in the last couple of years.

The complexity of the growing supply chain interruption underscores the problems truckers, terminals, shippers, and retailers face on a daily basis. President Biden recently cited the Maryland Port Administration, led by Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduate Bill Doyle, as how our ports should work. Doyle and his team are running an extremely efficient operation in Baltimore but still see the need for the $240 million allocated to ports from the President’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.

Doyle explained that the funds in the bill will be used for critical projects. In Baltimore, he expects to use funds to set up feeder electrical lines to operate cranes as well as provide for environmentally friendly dredging materials to help improve the port and keep cargo moving through the supply chain.

The current supply-chain issues are inflating costs and are forcing industries to adapt and develop new shipping strategies. Upgrading the port infrastructure here in Massachusetts is mission-critical if we are to meet existing and new demand. Already, the Port of Boston is undergoing an $850 million transformation to compete with larger, rival ports to handle large vessels. These improvements will help companies bypass the congested West Coast ports and ship directly to Boston.

Improved ports also can help support the Northeast’s growing offshore wind industry. Gov. Baker’s and the Legislature’s investments in the areas of offshore wind training and critical port infrastructure have already begun to reap great benefits for our region and our country.

Further upgrades to ports will allow for the delivery of the large, heavy parts needed to construct offshore wind turbines and put people to work in well-paying jobs. Expanding ports, facilities, wharfs, and piers to support these projects is instrumental for Massachusetts to become a major player in the supply chain for offshore wind infrastructure and is important to help the Commonwealth meet its bold clean energy and climate goals. 

To further address the port issues in Massachusetts, Gov. Baker is proposing to spend $100 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to improve marine port infrastructure within the state. Investing the Federal American Rescue Plan Act funds in this area will allow coastal cities to protect the Commonwealth’s crucial maritime industry and fuel the state’s economy.

At Massachusetts Maritime Academy, we’re proud of how we’re preparing the next generation of maritime professionals. Our graduates have the benefit of an unsurpassed experiential learning program that gives them hands-on professional training in high-demand disciplines ranging from marine research, to ship handling, to running complex engine rooms and power plants.

Leveraging our state-of-the-art simulators and multiple training vessels, including a new federally funded $350 million training ship, MMA has always provided our graduates with teaching platforms where classroom instruction is put into practice.

Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, is president of Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Capt. Ashok Pandey is associate professor of International Maritime Business at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.