SC Ports plans expansion with purchase of former manufacturing site

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South Carolina Ports plans to purchase the former WestRock paper mill site in North Charleston to further expand port capacity at the Port of Charleston.

The SC Ports Board of Directors voted Tuesday to move forward with a purchase sales agreement with WestRock. The transaction is expected to close as soon as practical.

“The tremendous backing from our state and an excellent partnership with WestRock allows us to make investments today that will support our state’s economy and create opportunities for future generations of South Carolinians,” S.C. Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin said in an announcement. “We are adding significant port capacity to support growth in South Carolina and throughout the Southeast.”

The roughly 280-acre industrial waterfront property sits adjacent to North Charleston Terminal, offering a natural extension of the container terminal that will enable SC Ports to handle more cargo for port-dependent businesses, the news release said.

Businessman Ben Navarro, meanwhile, has said he will buy Union Pier from S.C. Ports after a Ports Authority plan for the 70-acre waterfront property was put on hold last summer after a large group of residents and others spoke out against the S.C. Ports development plan for the site.

Terms were not divulged for either real estate deal.

The additional land at the WestRock site will expand the terminal’s capacity to handle 5 million containers in the future, and create 5,000 feet of linear berth space for container ships and around 400 acres of terminal space for cargo, according to S.C. Ports.

“South Carolina’s economy is prospering, and we must continue to invest in our world-class port system to support the companies investing in our state,” Melvin said in the release. “This is an incredible opportunity to enhance our high-performing North Charleston Terminal with renewed capacity to handle future growth.”

S.C. Ports plans to modernize the existing North Charleston Terminal with an optimized layout, upgraded cargo-handling equipment and significant new container capacity — “yielding an even more reliable, productive port service,” the release stated. Customers will also benefit from the on-terminal rail service offered by Palmetto Railways with dual connectivity to CSX and Norfolk Southern, and proximity to Interstate 526.

“WestRock and its predecessor companies had a long history operating the North Charleston mill, and we greatly appreciate the contributions made by our team members over the years. We are pleased that SC Ports intends to transform the site into a world-class container terminal and continue to support the state’s economy and create jobs for South Carolinians,” WestRock President and CEO David Sewell said in the release.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation is playing a role in the project. As part of its expansion of Interstate 526, the DOT plans to replace the Don Holt Bridge, which will remove height constraints for larger vessels.

Plans are also underway to achieve a 52-foot depth up to North Charleston Terminal. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, is undertaking a feasibility study — a critical first step toward deepening this stretch of the Cooper River an additional five feet, the release said.

This deepening effort, combined with the new bridge height, will allow the biggest container ships calling the Port of Charleston to access North Charleston Terminal.

“Modernizing the terminal, raising the Don Holt Bridge, deepening the Cooper River and purchasing the former WestRock property are all critical components that will yield a state-of-the-art North Charleston Terminal,” Melvin said in the release. “These achievements would not be possible without the support and foresight from Gov. Henry McMaster, S.C. House Speaker Murrell Smith, S.C. Senate President Thomas Alexander and the entire S.C. Legislature.”

The site also provides key support functions for Ingevity Corp.’s North Charleston manufacturing facility. S.C. Ports has been working with Ingevity to align their future needs during the transition, the release stated.

S.C. Ports will work with DOT, Palmetto Railways, Ingevity and the city of North Charleston to master plan the infrastructure to best support the region’s economy and residents.

“This land purchase represents a tremendous opportunity to position our port system and our state competitively for decades to come,” S.C. Ports Board Chairman Bill Stern said in the release. “Our port infrastructure investments directly support thousands of South Carolina companies that depend on S.C. Ports to do business, and we are expanding to ensure we have the capacity to handle the growth in the Southeast.”