Marine Log - March 2008 - (Page 12)

Update he Port of Duluth-Superior in Minnesota finished the 2007-08 shipping season with its fourth consecutive year of growth, moving cargo of 47.86 million net tons, up from 47.06 million net tons. Over the past four years, port tonnage has increased 24 % or 9.4 million net tons. A good part of the growth at the port was attributable to grain shipments, which rose to 3.18 million net tons, up from 2.24 million net tons in 2006. The growth in grain was driven by a weak dollar in combination with poor grain harvests overseas and a strong U.S. harvest. Located on the western tip of Lake Superior, Duluth is the leading U.S. port for iron ore pellets and largest handler of grain on the Great Lakes. One of the unique cargoes handled at the port in 2007 were wind turbine components for North Dakota wind farms. Wind turbine blades, manufactured in Grand Forks, North Dakota, were also shipped from the port to Spain. Of the 1,231 vessels that called on the INLAND • COASTAL • OFFSHORE • DEEPSEA Grain drives cargo growth at Port of Duluth T Self-unloader Herbert C. Jackson loading grain at General Mills Photo: Jerry Bielicki GRAIN GROWTH AT DULUTH 2007 2006 Canadian exports 667,191 189,131 Domestic shipments 432,593 312,176 Overseas exports 2,083,283 1,740,352 Grand Total 3,183,068 2,241,659 Source: Port of Duluth-Superior port in the 2007 season, 158 were oceangoing ships. Lower water levels on the Great Lakes required 22 additional U.S. or Canadian ships to move almost the same tonnage as the last shipping season. The average laker, which typically transports iron ore or coal, carried 300 fewer tons per voyage than in the previous shipping season. Less cover ice in winter, when most water evaporation occurs, may be the cause of the lower lake levels, according to Dr. Jim Bruce, co-chair of a public interest advisory group for the International Upper Great Lakes Study. The diminishing cover ice, said Bruce, is due to increased surface water temperatures. Water levels in Lakes Huron and Michigan have fallen annually by one meter since 1997, he said. Bruce discussed his theory at the annual meeting of the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority on Feb. 21 in Point Edward, Canada. 12 MARINE LOG MARCH 2008 www.marinelog.com http://www.deltatsystems.com http://www.deltatsystems.com http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - March 2008

Marine Log - March 2008 Contents Editorial Second Thoughts Update Inside Washington Navy's Toughest Battle Building Future Fleet Less Fuel, Lower Emissions A New Generation of Mariners Training for the Future LNG Security: Resources Needed Models of Perfection Tech News Newsmakers Contracts Events Infodirect Website Directory ML Marketplace Opinion

Marine Log - March 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.