BIG IN TEXAS
SMALL FOOTPRINT
The New Economic Paradigm in South Texas reflects not only the sheer sizes of the
emerging industries. The common perception about industrial development is that it
will inevitably diminish the environmental quality of the region. This will probably not
be the case for those new industrial projects, all of which will rely on natural gas as
opposed to the conventional petroleum coke as energy supply.
M&G, TPCO, and voestalpine will also be heavy users of water mostly for cooling
purposes; but they will either operate their own desalination plants with seawater
or recycle most of the water consumed during the operations. Officials of those new
facilities have also made strategic plans to minimize their footprint and emissions,
while making their operations most cost efficient by their own industry standards. All
told, those facilities promise to be not only the largest but the most environmentally
friendly projects in the world.
. . . not only
the largest
but the most
environmentally
friendly
projects in the
world.
PORT’S NEW ROLE
Another aspect of the emerging economic paradigm is the increasing role of Port
Corpus Christi in regional growth. The Port has passed its tipping point from being an
importer to an exporter in cargo shipments. Expansion in outbound traffic is expected
to continue first with exports of crude oil and condensates to foreign destinations.
Shipments of other commodities will also pick up in the next few years when much
of the output from the newly developed industrial sites will be destined for export to
Europe, South America and Asia through the Port.
Meanwhile, the Port is making strategic plans to expand its core operations by
leveraging current developments around the world, especially Latin America, such as
the expansion of the Panama Canal, M ^X