Port Everglades wins $30.75 million grant for fuel terminal upgrade
The planned public-private Slip 1 project is estimated at $184.5 million, with the first construction phase scheduled for 2028.
Key Takeaways
- •The federal Port Infrastructure Development Program awarded Port Everglades $30.75 million.
- •The port's latest announcement calls for widening Slip 1 to 450 feet to accommodate larger vessels.
- •The port projects three to four years of construction, beginning with Phase 1 in 2028.
Port Everglades has received a $30.75 million federal infrastructure award for a planned upgrade to its liquid bulk terminal, where petroleum products enter South Florida.
The grant supports the Slip 1 expansion, including relocation of a structural bulkhead and widening of the slip, according to the port. The Broward County port estimates the full public-private project will cost $184.5 million and take three to four years to complete.
Phase 1 construction is scheduled to begin in 2028, the port said in its Oct. 27 announcement. The award is a funding milestone for a planned project; the announcement does not say that construction of the expansion has begun.
Room for larger vessels
The port's announcement says the slip would be widened to 450 feet, allowing it to accommodate larger vessels such as Aframax-class tankers. The work is intended to strengthen the terminal and help maintain fuel operations during severe weather.
Port Everglades is a major entry point for South Florida energy products, including gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels. The proposed berth work concerns the infrastructure used to receive those products, rather than a change to prices at the pump.
Joseph Morris, the port's CEO and director, said in the announcement that the port had received its full funding request for the Slip 1 project. The project forms part of the port's strategic master plan, according to the announcement.
How the federal award fits
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the $30.75 million award on Oct. 27 through the Maritime Administration's Port Infrastructure Development Program. The department said it was part of a $498 million package for 35 port projects across 19 states.
The federal award and the port's projected total represent different figures: the grant supports the project, while the $184.5 million estimate covers the full public-private undertaking. The announcement does not establish that the award has already been disbursed or that the total cost is fixed.
The port's project page describes a phased expansion and associated bulkhead work. Its descriptions of the planned slip width are not consistent, while the newer grant announcement specifies 450 feet. The project's final dimensions and schedule should be checked as design and contracting progress.
For fuel distributors and other users of the port, the intended improvement is greater capacity for larger ships and a more resilient terminal. The port's current timetable places the start of the first construction phase in 2028, with three to four years of work projected.
