Texas Port Partners with Buckeye to Develop 81,000-Panel Project
The Port of Corpus Christi is making its first foray into solar power after sanctioning a lease agreement with Houston-based Buckeye Partners to develop an 81,000-panel photovoltaic plant in San Patricio County near Midway Junction.
Port commissioners gave Buckeye a 2-year development term to evaluate the feasibility of building the facility on 136 acres of port-owned property, with another 112 acres of land owned by Buckeye yielding a combined 248 acres of available space for the project.
The plant would have an installed capacity to produce 88,000 MWh of power per year, the port said. Commercial operations are “tentatively” slated to start in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The Port of Corpus Christi in Texas is the largest US port in total revenue tonnage.
“This is an exciting day for the Port of Corpus Christi as this lease agreement reinforces our commitment not only to embrace renewable energy developments we have long made a priority, but to solidify the port as a thought leader in the global energy marketplace, with the support of our partners at Buckeye,” said Sean Strawbridge, the port’s chief executive officer.
The port earlier this year adopted an updated environmental policy to diversify its energy mix and reduce emissions, with hydrogen production and carbon capture utilization and sequestration, or CCUS, among the clean energy proposals being explored.
The Port of Corpus Christi will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Americas 2022, taking place on 27-29 September at the George R. Brown Convention Centre, Houston. To find out about registering for the region’s largest gathering of breakbulk and project cargo professionals, click here.
