Duluth Superior port sees surge in heavy-lift traffic

This maritime season has been an excellent one for the Port of Duluth, which is experiencing a surge in heavy-lift cargo.

“The Port Authority’s breakbulk terminal in the Port of Duluth-Superior has seen a surge in project cargoes this summer,” Adolph Ojard, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, told Marine Delivers, a publication that chronicles trade on the St. Lawrence Seaway System. “We’ve handled nearly a dozen shipments of wind turbine components (nacelles, hubs and blades), plus multiple shiploads of domestically manufactured blades being exported to Brazil. The surge, while partly attributable to the rush to finish wind projects before production tax credits expire, has also brought to Duluth a variety of other breakbulk cargoes – including huge steam/gas turbines and generators, mining machinery, and other heavy-lift equipment for projects across the Midwest and Canada.

“This uptick in project cargoes serves as a noteworthy reminder of the important role the Seaway plays in sustaining the economic vitality of our port and region. Anchoring the western tip of this inland waterway enables us to serve customers expediently here in the heartland of North America and around the world,” he added.

“The Great Lakes Seaway system is an attractive market for breakbulk cargoes, and offers one of the most promising areas for growth,” said Craig H. Middlebrook, Acting Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

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