Port Tampa Bay inks lease deal with Agunsa

Port Tampa Bay, Florida’s largest port, signed two lease agreements with Agunsa (AGS) for facilities at the port’s Eastport and Hookers Point locations.

AGS, a multinational group with over 91 years of port services experience across 20 countries, provides ocean transportation, logistics solutions, and port terminal services.

Initially, AGS will operate on 18 acres at Eastport, with the possibility of taking an additional 10 acres in the future. The company will also lease 15 acres at Hookers Point, with plans to develop a trans-load warehouse distribution facility, and the opportunity to expand that site as well.

“We look forward to a long-standing and mutually successful partnership with AGS. They are trusted and experienced shipping and logistics experts, and will add immensely to our port’s portfolio of services for the efficient movement of cargo,” explained Paul Anderson, President & CEO, of Port Tampa Bay.

“By partnering with Port Tampa Bay, AGS is not only expanding its value proposition to customers worldwide but also positioning itself as a key player in Tampa’s exponential growth as a gateway to Florida and the broader US market. Tampa Bay’s strategic location, combined with this new partnership will provide a solid foundation for facilitating trade and connecting with global markets efficiently,” said Max Urenda CEO of AGS.

“The strong history of Agunsa/AGS and their extensive commercial relationships in Latin America and beyond, makes them a perfect partner for Port Tampa Bay. We look forward to working closely with AGS to expand services to the fastest growing region in the fastest growing state in the US,” said Raul Alfonso, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Port Tampa Bay.

In December 2023, Port Tampa Bay emerged as the likely location of an intermediate storage facility for CO2 captured from industrial sources throughout Florida. Namely, Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) secured a $400,000 grant from the United States Department of Energy to study the development of its proposed Tampa Regional Intermodal Carbon Hub.

The hub would initially receive, store, and process two million metric tons of CO2 per year, which would ultimately be transported by OSG vessels across the Gulf of Mexico for permanent underground storage. This storage and transport hub would be the first of its kind in the nation and could be scaled to meet expanded volumes of captured CO2.