PORT ALLEN — A new liquid terminal is in the works at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge and it's part of a broader push to grow one of the country's largest ports.

The dock is still under construction, but once finished it will be used to export bulk petroleum products.

Jay Hardman has spent 26 years at the port, the last 20 as executive director. He plans to retire at the end of November.

WBRZ's Michael Shingleton visited the port for a look at what's new and what's coming.

"We're always kind of looking at the horizon to see what might be there that we can utilize the assets that we have here to not only benefit the region but also the state as well," Hardman said.

One of the port's more unexpected operations involves wood pellets. A British company ships nearly 2 million tons of them a year down the Mississippi River to be burned as a sustainable fuel source in place of coal.

"If you would've told me that someone is going to come in and export wood pellets out of the Port of Baton Rouge to burn to make steam, to make electricity," Hardman said, "I would say I'm having a hard time with that one. But it's happened."

The port's history goes back to the early 1950s, when the port commission broke ground on the cargo dock. A grain elevator followed and at one point the port handled everything from vehicle imports to molasses storage. Community Coffee still has a footprint on the port's property today.

The grain elevator now handles about 5 to 6 million tons a year. The Louis Dreyfus Company pumped millions of dollars into the port, allowing dozens of additional barges to offload each day.

"We can't do this without the private sector," Hardman said.

Producers in West Baton Rouge benefit directly from the public elevator, where they can bring their grains to be tested, analyzed and quoted a price.

The port is currently ranked seventh largest in the country and that ranking could climb over the next decade.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working to dredge the main channel of the Mississippi River from 45 to 50 feet deep, from the Gulf all the way to Baton Rouge.

"It's a game changer. It's not a hit or miss based on river stage," Hardman said.

The deeper channel means ships can carry more cargo on each trip. The Corps estimates the project could generate a national economic benefit of about $125 million a year.