CONSOL Energy Inc. reports that coal shipments to international markets began leaving its Marine Terminal in Baltimore last night. This is after a shutdown of the terminal due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge on March 26.
The first empty ship arrived at the CONSOL Marine Terminal early Sunday morning, was loaded throughout that day and awaited clearance from officials for the 7:00PM departure time Monday night.
According to CONSOL Energy, CEO, Jimmy Brock, “While we are still limited in terms of size of ships and night-time departures, we are hopeful to resume normal operations as soon as possible. We want to thank the leadership and hard work of local, state and federal officials and various agencies for their quick and thoughtful response.”
The first shipment leaving the Marine Terminal was approximately 56,000 net tons, compared to traditional shipments of about 140,000 net tons in larger vessels. The channel is now cleared to about 350 feet wide and needs to be about 400 feet wide to accommodate larger vessels.
In related news, the MV Dali, the container ship that collided with the bridge, was refloated, and removed Monday.
Brock added, “The ability to ship products from the Baltimore terminal is critical as we continue our shift to export markets. In the first quarter 2024, 65% of our total recurring revenues and other income were derived from sales into the export market.”
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
