The project will construct two grain storage silos make electrical service upgrades and fund purchase of additional grain and cargo handling equipment to expand the capacity of the port to handle…

The Department of Transportation Maritime Administration awarded the North Carolina State Port Authority $28,472,092 on December 18, 2025, under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (CFDA 20.823) to construct grain storage and handling infrastructure at Cape Fear, North Carolina.

The project spans four components. Component 1 involves excavation, pilings, and construction of two concrete storage silos, each 70 feet in diameter and 125–135 feet tall with approximately 9,000 metric tons capacity per silo, plus purchase and installation of bin unloading and aeration systems. Component 2 funds grain and feed handling equipment including a bucket elevator and conveyor system for a second receiving line at 20,000 bushels per hour capacity, a second conveyor across Carferry Drive at 20,000 bushels per hour, two fill conveyors to supply the new silos at 30,000 bushels per hour, and two unload conveyors returning product to the original ship loading system at 40,000 bushels per hour, along with supporting spouting and accessories. Component 3 covers electrical service upgrades including tie-in to existing service, a new motor control center room, 480-volt three-phase wiring for new motors, hazard monitoring equipment wiring, and integration with the existing programmable logic controller. Component 4 funds acquisition of rolling equipment: a railcar mover, wheel loader with bucket and forks, and excavator with corn bucket.

Performance runs through October 30, 2028. Work is performed at Cape Fear, NC 28401. The award provides assistance on a reimbursable basis to improve port capacity for movement of grain and feed commodities.

The project will construct two grain storage silos make electrical service upgrades and fund purchase of additional grain and cargo handling equipment to expand the capacity of the port to handle the movement of grain and feed commodities. Activities to be performed the recipient in coordination with its subrecipient will carry out the following activities on this project component 1 storage silos. Excavation of foundations of storage silos. Pilings and subsurface foundation supports. Construction of two concrete silos each will be 70 FT in diameter and 125 135 FT tall having a capacity of approximately 9000 metric tons MT. Purchase and installation of a BIN unloading system. Purchase and installation of a BIN aeration. Engineering and construction management. Component 2 grain and feed handling equipment. Purchase and installation of a bucket elevator and conveyor to add second receiving line in receiving building at an additional 20000 bushels per hour capacity. Purchase and installation of a second conveyor across carferry drive at 20000 bushels per hour. Purchase and installation of two fill conveyors and needed support structures to fill new concrete storage structures coming from original elevator at 30000 bushels per hour. Purchase and installation of two unload conveyors of new storage structures that come back to original ship loading system at 40000 bushels per hour. Purchase and installation of spouting and accessories to match correct capacity. Engineering and construction management. Component 3 electrical. Tie into existing electrical service. Add new motor control center room. Wire all new motors at 480V 3 phase. Wire in all hazard monitoring equipment for new conveyance. Tie into existing programmable logic controller. Construction management. Component 4 rolling equipment. Purchase railcar mover. Purchase wheel loader w bucket and forks. Purchase excavator with corn bucket. Deliverables expected outcomes performance measure table from schedule g page 11 of the grant agreement measure category and description measurement frequency vessel calls. Economic competitiveness and opportunity measures the number of vessels calling to the project study area. Must be reported in total and disaggregated by any of the following where applicable vessels type EG container bulk RO RO LNG frieight capacity vessel length or other. Quarterly. Cargo volume. Competitiveness and opportunity measures the movement of freight through the project study area. When applicable report the total cargo volume and the volume disaggregated by type of freight IE containers in TEU and bulk in tons or type of intermodal transport truck or rail. Quarterly. Intended beneficiary city of milwaukee. Subrecipient activities none.