Ports Of Indiana Enjoy Record 2018

Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 7:58 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

A record-breaking 2018 for Ports of Indiana could encourage the establishment of the state's fourth inland port in Lawrenceburg.

Ports of Indiana photo.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) – As a fourth port is considered for southeastern Indiana, the state’s three existing shipping ports handled a record amount of cargo in 2018.

Coal shipments led to record years at the state’s three ports at Mount Vernon, Jeffersonville, and Burns Harbor, according to Ports of Indiana. The ports handled 14.8 million tons of cargo last year, a 25 percent increase from 2017. It is also 21 percent more than the previous cargo record set in 2015.

Driving the ports’ business were coal shipments up 58 percent from 2017, soy products increasing 26 percent, grain up 17 percent and four percent more steel shipments.

“We are so grateful for such an extraordinary year and fully appreciate what it took on behalf of all our port businesses and employees to achieve this kind of highwater mark,” said Vanta E. Coda II, CEO of the Ports of Indiana. “Each of our ports builds and maintains exceptional infrastructure to allow our world-class port businesses to leverage what Indiana does exceedingly well – manufacture the products essential for modern life and move food products for the world. Our essential multimodal connections provide companies access to water, rail and road, and provide critical avenues for businesses to meet market demands and remain globally competitive.”

Ports of Indiana is continuing due diligence on establishing a potential fourth inland port at the former Tanners Creek Power Plant site on the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg.

The port authority is currently in a purchase agreement reached in 2017 with property owner Tanners Creek Development LLC. Last year, the agreement was extended through mid-2019 to give Tanners Creek Development time to finalize “environmental work plans for the land.” The former power plant site contains a series of coal fly ash ponds and landfills, which pose a risk to environmental and human health.

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and State Representative Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) have each indicated that the proposed port could be a boon for the southeastern Indiana economy.