Steady cargo shipments in '12 for Great Lakes ports
Aug 18, 2012 (Menafn - The Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --Ports in the United States on the St. Lawrence Seaway System handled more than 18.8 million tons of cargo through July 31, which is flat compared to the same period a year ago, according to Marine Delivers.
The American Great Lakes Ports Association and the Chamber of Marine Commerce in Canada created Marine Delivers to promote the interests of the shipping industry throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system.
The 2012 shipping season began March 22.
The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor has had year-over-year increases in shipments of coke, fertilizer, minerals, steel and grain. Shipments of coke are up 118 percent and fertilizer are up 94 percent compared to a year ago.
"Overall shipments have remained relatively steady in 2012 coming off last year's highest annual volume in recent history," said Anthony Kuk, port director for the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor. "Our biggest increases have been driven by growth in local steel manufacturing, but we also saw continued shipments of mega project cargoes in July, and the August shipping schedule looks busy as well."
At a Ports of Indiana Commission public meeting Thursday, the commission awarded a 726,630.40 contract to Walsh & Kelly Inc. for lot resurfacing and rail improvements and approved to pay Tranco Industrial Services Inc. of Burns Harbor 43,536.56 for additional work related to its mainline rail reconstruction project.
P.I. & I. Motor Express, which handles deliveries for NLMK Indiana, recently formed a lease with the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor to stage trucks at the port. Lakes & Rivers Transfer, a division of Jack Gray Transport, also extended its lease for five more years at the port.
The parent company of the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor's terminal operator also announced this week that it would add six new vessels to its fleet of more than 80 ships.
In a statement, Fednav Limited said the vessels represent the company's confidence in the future of shipping in the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway.
The vessels will be built in Japan and the ocean-going vessels will carry cargo such as grain, steel, iron ore and sugar. Delivery is expected between 2015 and 2016 as part of a series of 21 ships added to the fleet since Jan. 1.
The 35,000-ton bulk carriers will be specially equipped for navigating in ice. The vessels will also consume less fuel and produce fewer greenhouse gas and nitrogen oxide emissions compared to vessels built 10 years ago at the Oshima shipyard for Fednav.
Fednav Limited said it is the largest international maritime bulk carrier in Canada.
___ (c)2012 The Times (Munster, Ind.) Visit The Times (Munster, Ind.) at
www.nwitimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
Copyright (C) 2012, The Times, Munster, Ind.
