COVID-19 may be negatively impacting overall global shipping – but the binational St. Lawrence Seaway is on track for one of its best years in history for project cargoes, due notably to a sharp increase in wind energy components moving through the system that connects the Atlantic Ocean to North America’s industrial hinterland.

Niche carriers transporting wind energy components are having a busy year on the St. Lawrence Seaway. photo credit: Paul Beesley
Niche carriers transporting wind energy components are having a busy year on the St. Lawrence Seaway. photo credit: Paul Beesley

“Total volume year to date is 70,000+ MT compared to 26,000 MT for the same period last year,” Bruce Hodgson, director of market development of Canada’s St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, told the American Journal of Transportation. “Machinery and general cargo shipments have been steady. Indications are that this trend should continue for the balance of this navigation season.”

“We are seeing imports from a number of origins: Brazil, Mexico, China, India, Korea, Thailand, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain,” he indicated. Destinations are varied through the system and include Thunder Bay, Burns Harbor, Buffalo, Ogdensburg, Duluth, Chicago, Erie and Monroe. 

“This broad mix of origins highlights the accessibility of HWY H2O from all global markets and how the system can serve many markets throughout the heartland of North America. For importers of over dimensional cargoes this reduces bottlenecks and provides them with a fluid supply chain, reducing the number of times their cargo is handled, while in transit,” Hodgson said.

Among various U.S. ports on the Great Lakes,  Buffalo has received five shipments of wind turbine components over the last four months from South Korea and Germany for the 27- turbine Cassadaga Wind Project south of Buffalo.

The Port of Monroe in Michigan is recording a stellar project season, handling 14 vessels delivering a total of 560 wind turbine segments from Becancour, Quebec for General Electric’s wind energy efforts in the state.  

At the Port of Duluth, nine ships loaded with wind components visited the Clure Public Marine Terminal through Aug. 31, contributing to what could be a record campaign for the renewable energy cargo.