JACKSONVILLE, FL: March 04, 2019. The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) has signed a US$238.7 million, 25-year agreement with terminal operator SSA Marine to develop and operate a new container terminal at the port's Blount Island Marine Terminal.

SSA Marine will contribute up to US$129.7 million for the use of the terminal and facility upgrades, including the addition of three new 100-gauge container cranes. JAXPORT will complete US$109 million in berth rehabilitation and upgrades that are already underway and allow the terminal to accommodate two post-Panamax vessels simultaneously.

“We are thrilled to partner with a major international terminal operator that is as dedicated as we are to contributing to the economic vitality of Northeast Florida,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green. “The significant investments SSA Marine has committed to this facility, accompanied by their unparalleled industry knowledge and experience, allows us to take full advantage of all of the opportunities the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening project creates for our port and our region.”

The new facility is an expansion of SSA Marine’s current leasehold at Blount Island and will offer deepwater berthing space to accommodate fully loaded Post-Panamax container ships calling JAXPORT from Asia.

The Seattle-based company has been a partner with the port for over 40 years and currently leases 50 acres at Blount Island that will expand to 80 acres with the new terminal that is estimated to create or protect 3,000 jobs over the first 10 years of the contract.

“SSA Marine has a longstanding commitment to Jacksonville and we are proud to invest in this community in such a meaningful way,” said SSA Conventional president Mark Knudsen. “The port’s strong leadership team and strategic location in the growing southeast U.S. market—combined with the efficiencies created by a deeper harbor— give us the tools we need to operate a world-class container terminal and further position Jacksonville as a gateway for global trade.”

SSA Marine is a privately-held marine terminal operator at more than 250 facilities and rail operations in the U.S., Canada, Latin and South America, Asia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Pictured: JAXPORT CEO Eric Green and SSA Conventional president Mark Knudsen shake hands at the signing ceremony this week.