The annual congress of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) in New Orleans concluded with over 900 participants from more than 90 ports. This congress placed significant emphasis on the need to accelerate marine infrastructure projects and collaboration among various government entities.
Emphasis on Nuclear Energy and Dredging
Sang Yi, President of AAPA, noted the unprecedented attendance of participants at the start of the congress, stating that this gathering included port officials, federal officials, and maritime industry leaders. One of the key sessions of the congress was dedicated to examining the use of small nuclear reactors for energy supply in ports and future commercial vessels.
Port of Long Beach is collaborating with the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) and Bluecore Energy to study this technology. Noel Hacegaba, Port Director of Long Beach, stated that the port currently consumes energy equivalent to 79,000 homes and is projected to reach 150,000 homes by 2050.
Need to Accelerate Dredging Projects
In another session, Lee Forsgren, Senior Army Official for Public Works, discussed the need to improve the review and planning processes for dredging projects. He emphasized that the Army is developing a "national dredging framework" to reduce delays and make better use of the U.S. dredging fleet.
Forsgren stated, "We want to build infrastructure, not paperwork." He also referred to the possibility of more effective planning of dredging projects at the regional level, adding that collaboration among entities could help reduce unnecessary vessel movements.
Overall, the results of the congress reflect the expansion of maritime efforts in the United States, which includes shipbuilding, new infrastructure, and workforce development to support these projects. The message from federal officials at this congress emphasized that they do not want projects to take as long as in the past.
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