Port of Brownsville Business Park Lands First Tenant
Westa Inc. to Invest $20 Million in State-of-the-Art Flour Mill
| From Left to Right: Adam Gonzalez, CEO, COSTEP; Zaur Kafkas, CEO, Westa Inc; William Dietrich, Interim Port Director and CEO, Port of Brownsville; Esteban Guerra, Chairman, Brownsville Navigation District; Ralph Cowen, Vice-Chairman, Brownsville Navigation District; John Reed, Commissioner, Brownsville Navigation District; Sergio Tito Lopez, Commissioner, Brownsville Navigation District; and John Wood, Secretary, Brownsville Navigation District. | |
The Port of Brownsville in April announced a ceremonial groundbreaking for its first tenant at the Port of Brownsville Business Park, Westa Inc. The ceremony, held Thursday, April 18, marks a significant milestone in the development of the port’s 118-acre business park.
Westa Inc., a major player in the agricultural industry, will invest $20 million to establish a state-of-the-art wheat flour mill and wheat storage silos at the Port of Brownsville. The company will develop more than 10 acres at the business park, located right at the turning basin of the Brownsville Ship Channel. Once operational, the facility will employ 120 people.
“We are excited to welcome Westa Inc. to the Port of Brownsville Business Park and look forward to more announcements as we continue to attract diverse industries to our region,” said Brownsville Navigation District Chairman Esteban Guerra. “As the port’s business portfolio expands, these increased private investments indicate the port’s substantial role in fueling economic development and fostering innovation for the Rio Grande Valley.”
This regional collaboration brought together key stakeholders that made the new agreement possible including representatives from the Port of Brownsville, Westa Inc, and the Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP). COSTEP played a key role in bringing Westa and the port together for this important project.
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Celebrating Service
BND Commissioner Ralph Cowen Completes Term
| From Left to Right: John Reed, Commissioner, Brownsville Navigation District; John Wood, Secretary, Brownsville Navigation District; Ralph Cowen, Vice-Chairman, Brownsville Navigation District; Esteban Guerra, Chairman, Brownsville Navigation District; and Sergio Tito Lopez, Commissioner, Brownsville Navigation District at a regular board meeting held May 1, 2024. | |
After more than a decade of dedicated service, Brownsville Navigation District Commissioner, Place 1, Ralph Cowen has completed his term. First elected in May 2008, Cowen has been a leading advocate for the Port of Brownsville and the communities it serves.
"We are grateful for Commissioner Cowen’s leadership and dedication to the Port of Brownsville," said Brownsville Navigation District Chairman Esteban Guerra. "We extend our heartfelt appreciation to him for his invaluable service and wish him continued success in all future endeavors."
| Port of Brownsville Awards $32,000 in Scholarships to High School Graduates | |
Thirty-two graduating high school seniors have been selected to receive the Brownsville Navigation District’s (BND) 2024 Port of Brownsville Scholarship.
The recipients will each receive $1,000 scholarships upon enrollment in a college, university, or technical school. The scholarship winners – selected for their academic performance, community involvement, extracurricular activities, and work experience, as well as for essays penned as part of their applications – attend 16 public and private high schools located within the navigation district.
"On behalf of the Brownsville Navigation District, I extend my congratulations to these amazing students," said BND Chairman Esteban Guerra. "We are thrilled to see our local talent move forward to the next chapter in their educational journey. The future of the region rests on the shoulders of these ambitious scholars and the Port of Brownsville proudly supports their dedication to fulfill their goals."
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Dominion Energy Reaches Milestone in Construction of Charybdis
| Editor's Note: This article was originally featured at www.prnewsire.com | |
Dominion Energy announced April 15, that Charybdis, the United States' first Jones Act-compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel, was successfully launched from land to water at the Port of Brownsville, marking a major milestone in the vessel's construction. To achieve this milestone, welding of the ship's hull and commissioning of the vessel's four legs and related jacking system were successfully completed.
The 472-foot vessel is being constructed at the the Port of Brownsville shipyard of global marine and offshore engineering group Seatrium, using domestically-sourced steel. At peak construction, over 1,200 workers were employed on this project. Once complete, the home port for the vessel will be in Hampton Roads, one of the nation's premier offshore wind installation harbors, and utilize an American crew.
| Vestas windmill blades arrive via rail at the Port of Brownsville concluding a 1,650-rail-mile journey. | BRG/OmniTRAX Move Longest Windmill Blades in U.S. | |
Editor's Note: This article was originally featured at www.progressiverailroading.com
OmniTRAX’s Great Western Railway of Colorado LLC and Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway LLC (BRG) teamed up with BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad to move 12 of the V163-4.5 MW blades from Vestas’ Windsor plant to the Port of Brownsville.
The 1,650-rail-mile move began on Feb. 21 and took seven days to complete. In northern Colorado, GWR interchanged with BNSF, which moved the blades to Texas. BNSF then handed the train off to UP, which interchanged with the BRG in Olmito, Texas. The short line completed the move to the port.
| Port Abilities: Steel Cargo Handling in Action | |
Transporting cargo from vessel to dock safely and efficiently is key to operations at the Port of Brownsville.
Steel is one of the primary commodities moved at the port, providing jobs for our community. This shipment arrived on the M/V Kassioplgr from Brazil and was unloaded by Gulf Stream Marine. Take a peek at this time-lapse video to see your port at work.
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BROWNSVILLE NAVIGATION DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Secretary
Commissioner
Commissioner
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PORT OF BROWNSVILLE ADMINISTRATION
William Dietrich
Interim Port Director & CEO
Port Administration
Contact Us:
Ph: 956.831.4592 / 800.378.5395
Fax: 956.831.5006
www.portofbrownsville.com
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May 10
Mother's Day (Mexico)
May 12
Mother's Day (U.S.)
May 15
BND Board Meeting
National Peace Officers Memorial Day
May 16
Port of Brownsville's 88th Anniversary
May 22
National Maritime Day
May 27
Memorial Day- Port offices closed
| Protecting Our Waters:
Port PD Attends Training | Officers from the Port of Brownsville's Police and Security Department in April attended a training session hosted by the U.S. Border Patrol Riverine Unit to enhance response capabilities and foster better communication among agencies operating to mitigate potential threats at the ship channel.
Additionally, Port Police partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard on April 29, to host a discussion on the risks and challenges of maritime fires. Firefighters from the Los Fresnos, Brownsville and Port Isabel Fire Departments participated.
| Texas LNG Sells Over Half of Offtake with an Additional LNG Tolling Agreement with EQT | |
Editor's Note: This article was originally featured at www.businesswire.com
Texas LNG Brownsville LLC 's proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal to be constructed in the Port of Brownsville, has signed a second Heads of Agreement with EQT Corporation for natural gas liquefaction services for an additional 1.5 MTPA of LNG over 20 years.
This transaction expands Texas LNG’s total HOA volume with EQT to 2 MTPA. Final terms remain subject to the negotiation of a definitive 20-year LNG tolling agreement. With this transaction and Texas LNG’s recently announced offtake agreement with Gunvor, only 1.5 MTPA of additional offtake is pending public announcement to reach Texas LNG’s fully permitted capacity.
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