Louisiana International Terminal Operator Group Formed

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), Ports America and Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), a container terminal investment company and operator within MSC Group, have announced the formal incorporation of Louisiana Terminal Holdings LLC, a joint venture between the two private entities that will serve as the operating group for the terminal project.

Port NOLA is in the permitting phase for the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT), a container terminal planned for a greenfield site in Violet, La., a community in lower St. Bernard Parish, below the Crescent City Connection bridge and free of any air draft restrictions. Port NOLA’s current container terminal, located above the bridge near the intersection of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street, is limited to ships with an air draft of 166 feet or shorter, depending on river stage. According to the port, the terminal at Napoleon Avenue is limited to ships carrying between 6,400 and 9,400 containers, while other Gulf ports are able to receive much larger New Panamax and Post New Panamax ships.

While a port spokesperson said officials don’t expect the permitting process to conclude before the summer, the formation of the operating group is nonetheless an important milestone for the project.

“We are at a defining moment for the future of Louisiana’s role in international commerce,” said Port NOLA President and CEO Beth Branch. “The Louisiana International Terminal is not only an impactful regional project. It is a nationally significant investment that will strengthen U.S. supply chains, expand export capacity and ensure Louisiana remains competitive in the global economy for generations to come.”

Louisiana International Terminal Holdings will manage operations of the terminal in coordination with Port NOLA, which is tasked with designing and constructing the project.

While the project has received some pushback from neighborhood groups, the port has emphasized the positive impacts the terminal will have on St. Bernard Parish. According to an economic impact study by Greater New Orleans Inc. (GNO Inc.), the terminal, at full buildout, will generate about $33.3 million in new annual tax revenues for the parish. That’s a 64 percent increase above St. Bernard Parish’s 2024 total tax revenue. The project is also expected to create 4,339 new jobs in the parish.

Besides the project itself, Port NOLA is working with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to design and build the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor, an elevated roadway that will connect the terminal to the interstate system, while also providing an additional evacuation route for the community.

Port officials expect construction to commence as soon as permits are issued. Initially estimated to cost $1.8 billion to construct, the project thus far has received $1.78 billion in funding commitments, including $500 million from the port, $180 million from the Louisiana legislature, $800 million from Ports America and TiL, $74 million from a U.S. Department of Transportation MEGA grant and $226 million from an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant.

Featured image caption: An artist’s rendering of the forthcoming Louisiana International Terminal, a new container terminal to be built in St. Bernard Parish, La. (Image courtesy of Port NOLA)