Port of Galveston ditches grain for more profitable project cargo
The Port of Galveston is set to demolish its century-old grain elevators to make way for new cargo types, including roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo and wind turbine components. The decision reflects a shift in the port’s focus towards more profitable cargo segments.
The demolition process, which is expected to take approximately nine months, will involve the use of heavy machinery to dismantle the concrete structures. The recovered materials will be repurposed for other port projects, including the expansion of the West Port Cargo Complex.
Demolition of the decommissioned grain elevators will begin this summer and be completed next year, according to the port.
Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees said, “As we say goodbye to a piece of the port’s history, we welcome the opportunity to handle cargos that will be more profitable for the port and generate more work hours for members of the International Longshoremen’s Association.”
In July, the port began a $90 million cargo infrastructure expansion project and a $151 million cruise complex at Pier 16. The port’s fourth cruise terminal is set to open in November 2025.
“More than many other types of business, cargo is influenced by geopolitics, weather events, global economics and technological advances. Grain is no different. Over the years the grain market has softened, opening the opportunity for the port to use acreage occupied by the facility in other, more profitable ways,” concluded Rees.
