Port plays a key role in growth of wind energy

Years of market development by Lake Superior Warehousing Co., Inc., and the Duluth Seaway Port Authority began to pay dividends this spring with the arrival of a cargo of wind turbine equipment.

The German-registered Bavaria's arrival in April marked the first of what are expected to be five ships carrying wind turbine equipment to Duluth-Superior this season.

LSW President Gary Nicholson, Port Trade Development Director Ron John-son and others have invested time and energy in numerous trade missions and sales calls on wind turbine manufacturers and users since the mid-1990s in attempts to stimulate the trade.

The Bavaria's cargo included blades, manufactured in Denmark and the United Kingdom, that measured 132 feet long and weighed 16,000 pounds each. The shipment included other components for eventual truck delivery to Manitoba.

Four more wind turbine cargoes are expected from North Europe and England this year for destinations in southern Manitoba and southern Minnesota.

"With the extension of the Federal Production Tax Credit, work has begun on a significant number of wind farm development projects," said Mr. Johnson. "Most of the turbine components (blades, hubs, nacelles and tower bases) come from Europe, and we expect to handle a number of inbound ships through Duluth that will move by special trucks to two large wind farm developments in the upper Midwest. We have already begun to quote handling rates on 2006 wind farm developments."

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently announced the revision of its 2005 forecast for growth in the wind energy industry from "over 2,000 megawatts (MW)" of new capacity to "up to 2,500 MW," based on a private survey of wind turbine manufacturer plans.

"We are seeing a series of positive trends, from new major players entering the industry to strong economic activity in hard-hit rural areas," said AWEA executive director Randall Swisher.

AWEA said the revised 2005 market forecast indicates that the U.S. wind energy industry is "within striking distance of exceeding its previous record year (2001, with 1,696 MW) by 50 percent." The group noted that 2,544 MW of new capacity would be needed to reach that mark.

"More states are looking seriously at wind energy these days as an engine of economic development, and what they are seeing confirms a major study released last fall by the Renewable Energy Policy Project," said Mr. Swisher. "It reported that boosting wind energy from 6,000 MW to 50,000 MW nationwide would create 150,000 manufacturing jobs."

Refurbished caboose will add to Port's high/wide/heavy resources

A retired Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railway Company caboose (photo on back cover) was recently purchased by Lake Superior Warehousing Co., Inc., operator of the Port Authority-owned Clure Public Marine Terminal. The old-timer will soon be refurbished to start a new life as a caboose available for high/wide, heavy-lift train shipments moving through the region. The Port of Duluth-Superior has established a worldwide reputation for handling this type of cargo.