Logistics challenges abound managing global shipments through Port of BaltimoreBy Peter A. Buxbaum, AJOTThe easy part came last July. That’s when Suzlon Wind Energy Corporation, a US subsidiary of Suzlon Energy Limited, the world’s fifth largest wind turbine manufacturer based in Pune, India, contracted with Edison Mission Group, the fifth largest wind project owner in the United States based in Irvine, CA, for fifty of Suzlon’s wind turbine units. Then came the hard part: actually getting the wind turbine components, originating in factories in India, Germany, and Spain, to their ultimate destinations, two wind farms near Somerset, PA. The turbine units are comprised of three components. The generator and rotor blades, both manufactured in India, and the tower, which is fabricated in Germany and Spain. Once assembled at a wind farm, the generator sits atop four tower sections while three rotor blades connect to the generator through a hub. Wind turns the rotor blades, allowing the generator to create electricity, which is then sold to public utilities. At the fulcrum of the logistics challenge was finding the port most suitable to handle the project, according to Kris Helling, logistics manager at Suzlon Wind Energy Corporation. The rotor blades are each 150 feet long and the towers are each 250 feet tall. The generators weigh 160,000 pounds each. “Many factors came play into play in choosing a port,” Helling said, “one being geographic proximity to the project site. A second factor was the type of storage area each port offered.” The last of the wind turbines won’t be built until June, so it was also necessary to store the components for months at a time before shipping them to the site. In fact, the components are being delivered to the port on several vessels over a period of months, but won’t be forwarded to the job site until all units are ready to be assembled. The reason is that the massive cranes used to assemble the turbines are expensive to maneuver on and off the wind farm sites. “Another huge factor was the willingness of state and local governments to allow this big equipment to pass through their jurisdictions,” Helling continued. “The cargo needs multiple escorts, and sometimes traffic has to shut down. All of this cargo is overweight, over-height, over-width, and over-length. Transporting these units to Pennsylvania is a lot different than transporting it to rural Iowa or Minnesota, where a lot of these projects go.” After considering the ports of Newport News, Wilmington, DE, and Philadelphia, Suzlon decided to ship the cargo through Baltimore. “We got a very good price on the land storage close to the berth,” Helling explained. “The Maryland Ports Administration and the stevedoring group were very receptive to us, and were willing to go the extra mile.” Collaborative effortThe first Suzlon shipment of wind turbine components arrived in Baltimore on December 12. Several more consignments will be arriving over a six-month period. “Any time you have project cargo with individual pieces of 70,000 to 160,000 pounds, geographic location becomes important,” said Dave Thomas, director of operations for the Maryland Ports Administration. “This contract became a prime target for us as soon as we became aware of it.” Attracting project and other niche cargoes is an important element of the MPA’s strategic plan, Thomas noted. Winning this business involved a collaborative effort among the MPA, landowners, and terminal operators, he added. Suzlon will lease nine acres from the Trans Atlantic Agencies for at least six months. The land is located near the North Locust Point Terminal, operated by P&O Ports. Of course, choosing and coordinating with the Port of Baltimore represents the mid-point in Helling’s logistics challenge. For the generators and rotor blade shipments originating in India, Suzlon chartered four vessels for two years, each geared for project cargo. The shipment delivered in December to the Port of Baltimore arriv