Henderson Port Adds Capacity, Eyes Long-Term Development

The Henderson County Riverport Authority in Kentucky is preparing for the future with a new electric material handler on order and a new concrete staging pad under construction.

The facility, at Ohio River Mile 808, has also received one grant and applied for another that would partially cover the cost of a new master plan to guide development well into the future.

Increased Material-Handling Capacity

Over the past year, the port had the opportunity to repurpose its secondary dock, which had previously been used by a grain operation, Executive Director Ben Weithman said. It is now available to a variety of customers and concentrates primarily on handling bulk products. During busy times, the port now also has the capability of unloading two barges at a time.

A grant from the Kentucky Public Riverport Construction and Maintenance grant program covered much of the cost of a $2 million Sennebogen 865R-HD electric material handler, which will aid in offloading dry fertilizer from barges at the secondary dock. The new material handler, along with the port’s existing 125-ton electric-pedestal crane, can handle commodities from barge, truck and rail.

The new material handler should arrive in the United States at the end of October, be in Henderson in mid to late November and is expected to be up and running by mid-December, Weithman said.

Enlarged Storage Options

Coinciding with the arrival of the material handler, the riverport authority has opened 6.5 acres for outdoor bulk storage on a concrete staging pad at the dock. Weithman noted that the site already has a 10-car capacity rail siding, a rail scale and easy road access, so it made sense for bulk storage.

The new, $95,000 staging pad is expected to be completed by mid-October. It was made possible by a $76,472 Kentucky Riverport Improvement grant with the riverport authority matching the outstanding 20 percent.

Additionally, the port authority has received a $50,000 Kentucky Transportation Cabinet planning grant to go toward updating its master plan, which is several years old. It has also applied for a federal Delta Regional Authority grant of up to $150,000 that would cover the remaining cost for design up to about the 50 percent level.

“In speaking to the board, we thought it was time to give some thought to it,” Weithman said of formalizing a plan for the future. “We are constrained by space, so making the most efficient use of our land is paramount.”

The port has grown substantially since its previous master plan, with some previously available land since leased to a new tenant and with two additional warehouses having been built since the previous plan was completed.

Changing markets also mean the port wants to make sure it is building so that current and potential future customers have access to indoor bulk storage facilities with the capacities they need along with convenient transportation options, whether that might mean building an additional dock or perhaps a future rail expansion in a location that makes the best use of the port’s property.

————

Featured photo caption: The Henderson County Riverport Authority is adding a new material handler and new concrete bulk storage pad to its facility at Ohio River Mile 808. (Photo courtesy of the Henderson County Riverport Authority)