Baltimore Bridge Collapse - Seek and Thee Shall Find
With 644 RoRo calls last year, The port of Baltimore is the largest RoRo port on the USEC. However, when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on the 26th of March, three out of four automotive terminals where effectively cut off with only Sparrow's Point still being operational.
A few key observations
* M/V Carmen from Wallenius Wilhelmsen arrived Dundalk terminal in BAL on the 24th of April and is still laying at the quayside awaiting for safe passage and continue her voyage to Brunswick
* 9 RoRo ships have called Sparrow's Point after the incident, i.e.
- Wolfsburg (VWL) ex EU
- Brooklands (K-line) ex EU
- Amethyst Ace (MOL) ex EU
- SFL Conductor (VWL) ex EU
- Silver Moon (Sallaum Lines) ex EU
- Glovis Crystal (Hyundai Glovis) ex FE
- Guardian Leader (NYK) ex FE
- Donnington (K-line) - currently at berth
* With 162 port calls into BAL last year, Wallenius Wilhelmsen is by far the largest operator outperforming the runner up, MOL with 2:1, averaging 13 calls per month.
* Looking at the 10 largest RoRo ports on the USEC, we see significant uptick in vessel activity for March for Brunswick (+17), Jacksonville (+8), Newark (+8) and Davisville (+7) indicating re-routing of vessels ex BAL to alternative ports
So far it appears that the overall disruption has been managed by spare capacity from neighboring ports on the US East Coast. However, the port is now working hard to clear the channel and as communicated from the "Key Bridge Response 2024" website on the 6th of April; "Traffic through the alternative channels, while still limited, is gradually increasing, with 10 vessels transiting since yesterday".
We believe with the hard dedication and focus currently displayed to re-open the water ways, BAL will soon resume normal operations. In the meantime - cargo, just like water, will always find its ways...
#baltimore #roro #disruptions #newnormal #shipping #automotive