Port of Morehead City Receives PIDP Grant

November 15, 2024

Morehead City, N.C. – North Carolina Ports has been awarded a Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grant for the modernization and revitalization of barge berths at the Port of Morehead City. This almost $15 million grant will assist in rebuilding the barge berths utilized by Nutrien, one of the world’s largest providers of crop inputs and services, primarily shipping dry and liquid fertilizer products through the Port.

These funds will extend the life of the berths by 50 years and allow Nutrien to continue serving worldwide customers by barge, keeping cargo off highways and railroads.

“This grant will restore and revitalize Port assets, eliminating the need to divert cargo to other modes of transportation,” said Brian Clark, Executive Director, North Carolina Ports. “Nutrien is a longstanding customer of the Port of Morehead City. Their operations support regional agriculture industries in the U.S., and exports through the Port of Morehead City help to feed the rest of the world.”

The total cost to reconstruct the barge berths is roughly $18.9 million. The PIDP grant will cover 80% of the total cost, and the remaining balance will be shared by both Nutrien and NC Ports.

Nutrien is the Port of Morehead City’s largest tenant by volume, moving nearly 800,000 tons of cargo by barge and vessel annually.  This project will prevent this volume from moving via highway and rail, which is anticipated to produce over $60 million of benefits in avoided emissions, highway congestion, noise, crashes, and vessel congestion.

This project is expected to take 18 months once construction begins. As of right now, construction is expected to begin in FY26.

These funds come from MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program, which received $2.25 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve port infrastructure.

About North Carolina Ports

With deepwater port locations in Wilmington and Morehead City, plus an inland port in Charlotte and intermodal rail access through CSX’s Carolina Connector (CCX) in Rocky Mount, North Carolina Ports links consumers, businesses and industries to world markets. Our ports also serve as magnets to attract new business and industry to the State of North Carolina. Port activities contribute statewide to more than 88,200 jobs and $660 million each year in state and local tax revenues.