Port Traffic Metrics: Great Lakes/Seaway
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U.S. Great Lakes Ports Gear Up For 2016 Shipping Season
The St. Lawrence Seaway opened two weeks earlier this shipping season and U.S. ports took advantage of the warm weather to move cargo for their customers.
Said Betty Sutton, administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation: "During the first nine weeks of the 2016 navigation season, ships arrived from 30 countries and delivered high value cargo that supported a wide range of manufacturing. With the 58th navigation season well underway we are excited about the strong mix of cargoes that have moved through the U.S. Seaway locks."
"The array of salties at our Clure Terminal this spring reflects the versatility and vitality of the Great Lakes-Seaway System," said Vanta Coda, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Among the cargoes offloaded in Duluth from these ocean-going ships have been heavy-lift oil and gas refinery equipment for a project in Montana, kaolin clay from Brazil to supply Minnesota paper mills; and a shipment of 62-meter (203-foot) wind turbine blades for a wind energy project in Iowa. Two additional ships are en route with tower sections, nacelles, and hubs for that same project. "Making these vital connections to the heartland of North America is precisely why we market our services as Duluth Cargo Connect," said Mr. Coda.
"During the month of May the Port of Oswego received three shipments of aluminum totaling 9,079 metric tons, which was delivered to us on the Alouette Spirit and Evans Spirit," reports Zelko Kirincich, the port authority’s executive director and CEO. "The Evans Spirit is a shallow draft vessel with two cargo holds that have a pass-pass loading and discharge arrangement. This is the first time the Evans Spirit has been to the Port of Oswego with its new loading and discharge system."
Thus far in 2016, Oswego has handled 19,507 metric tons of aluminum, an increase of 86 percent from last year. The port also took delivery of 8,802 tons of potash from Thunder Bay on Lake Superior and 11,400 tons of corn from Hamilton on Lake Ontario. Said Mr. Kirincich: "We are excited to have had a very busy start to the shipping season and are looking forward to an even busier year ahead with both inbound and outbound cargo."
"May was a busy month at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor with 15 international ships," said Port Director Rick Heimann. "Shipments included European beer fermentation tanks as well as organic corn and soybeans to be used for specialty animal feeds in U.S. farms. Since 2014, the port has handled more than 80 beer tanks for craft breweries around the Midwest with most of those going to Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Chicago."
"Steel has arrived at a steady pace for regional manufacturers, matching last year’s strong volumes" said Paul Vornholt, port director of the Port of Milwaukee. "The first part of the 2016 shipping season has also brought steady saltie traffic to the port’s largest grain silo."
"The Port of Cleveland is currently lagging slightly behind 2015 tonnage numbers at the start of our season for our traditional non-containerized steel business line," according to David Gutheil, vice president maritime and logistics for the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. "We are optimistic that our numbers will increase moving into the summer months and that the growth we have experienced since 2009 will continue. The Cleveland-Europe Express continues to attract new customers, as evidenced by our recent partnership announcement with Lubrizol for export container business to Europe. We also moved our first cargo to the country of Georgia, a 100-ton transformer from Siemens Energy in Mt. Vernon (OH)."
In May, the port commissioned two new mobile harbor cranes. A new 21,000-square-foot warehouse will be ready for use late this month. Due for delivery this September is a 275-ton capacity hydraulic crawler crane ordered by port authority tenant Federal Marine Terminals to handle large and complex project cargoes."
The St. Lawrence Seaway reports that year-to-date cargo shipments for the period March 21 to May 31 were 6.5 million metric tons, down 4.15 percent over the same period in 2015. Dry bulks were up nearly 5.0 percent, thanks to tonnage gains by salt (+25 percent), potash (+35 percent) and gypsum (+108 percent. Declines were recorded by iron ore (-9 percent), coal (-1.0 percent), and steel products (-23 percent). "Other general cargo" jumped 113 percent.
The St. Lawrence Seaway opened two weeks earlier this shipping season and U.S. ports took advantage of the warm weather to move cargo for their customers.
Said Betty Sutton, administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation: "During the first nine weeks of the 2016 navigation season, ships arrived from 30 countries and delivered high value cargo that supported a wide range of manufacturing. With the 58th navigation season well underway we are excited about the strong mix of cargoes that have moved through the U.S. Seaway locks."
"The array of salties at our Clure Terminal this spring reflects the versatility and vitality of the Great Lakes-Seaway System," said Vanta Coda, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Among the cargoes offloaded in Duluth from these ocean-going ships have been heavy-lift oil and gas refinery equipment for a project in Montana, kaolin clay from Brazil to supply Minnesota paper mills; and a shipment of 62-meter (203-foot) wind turbine blades for a wind energy project in Iowa. Two additional ships are en route with tower sections, nacelles, and hubs for that same project. "Making these vital connections to the heartland of North America is precisely why we market our services as Duluth Cargo Connect," said Mr. Coda.
"During the month of May the Port of Oswego received three shipments of aluminum totaling 9,079 metric tons, which was delivered to us on the Alouette Spirit and Evans Spirit," reports Zelko Kirincich, the port authority’s executive director and CEO. "The Evans Spirit is a shallow draft vessel with two cargo holds that have a pass-pass loading and discharge arrangement. This is the first time the Evans Spirit has been to the Port of Oswego with its new loading and discharge system."
Thus far in 2016, Oswego has handled 19,507 metric tons of aluminum, an increase of 86 percent from last year. The port also took delivery of 8,802 tons of potash from Thunder Bay on Lake Superior and 11,400 tons of corn from Hamilton on Lake Ontario. Said Mr. Kirincich: "We are excited to have had a very busy start to the shipping season and are looking forward to an even busier year ahead with both inbound and outbound cargo."
"May was a busy month at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor with 15 international ships," said Port Director Rick Heimann. "Shipments included European beer fermentation tanks as well as organic corn and soybeans to be used for specialty animal feeds in U.S. farms. Since 2014, the port has handled more than 80 beer tanks for craft breweries around the Midwest with most of those going to Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Chicago."
"Steel has arrived at a steady pace for regional manufacturers, matching last year’s strong volumes" said Paul Vornholt, port director of the Port of Milwaukee. "The first part of the 2016 shipping season has also brought steady saltie traffic to the port’s largest grain silo."
"The Port of Cleveland is currently lagging slightly behind 2015 tonnage numbers at the start of our season for our traditional non-containerized steel business line," according to David Gutheil, vice president maritime and logistics for the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. "We are optimistic that our numbers will increase moving into the summer months and that the growth we have experienced since 2009 will continue. The Cleveland-Europe Express continues to attract new customers, as evidenced by our recent partnership announcement with Lubrizol for export container business to Europe. We also moved our first cargo to the country of Georgia, a 100-ton transformer from Siemens Energy in Mt. Vernon (OH)."
In May, the port commissioned two new mobile harbor cranes. A new 21,000-square-foot warehouse will be ready for use late this month. Due for delivery this September is a 275-ton capacity hydraulic crawler crane ordered by port authority tenant Federal Marine Terminals to handle large and complex project cargoes."
The St. Lawrence Seaway reports that year-to-date cargo shipments for the period March 21 to May 31 were 6.5 million metric tons, down 4.15 percent over the same period in 2015. Dry bulks were up nearly 5.0 percent, thanks to tonnage gains by salt (+25 percent), potash (+35 percent) and gypsum (+108 percent. Declines were recorded by iron ore (-9 percent), coal (-1.0 percent), and steel products (-23 percent). "Other general cargo" jumped 113 percent.
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