One challenge facing wind energy is how to transport the huge components. A port near us has been successfully gearing up to handle that challenge because the steady shift to renewable energy is happening.
A record amount of cargo containing components used for generating wind power moved through the Twin Ports during the 2019 shipping season. The surge in wind traffic comes as Duluth-Superior handled the lowest amount of coal in more than three decades.
Around 8 million tons of coal moved through the Twin Ports last year, marking the lowest volume Duluth-Superior has seen since 1985. Jayson Hron, spokesperson for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said the decline comes as demand for renewable energy sent a record 306,000 freight tons of wind turbines and other components through the port.
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"It’s really a competition between coal, natural gas, and renewables. Over the last 10 years, natural gas especially has been the winner. In the last five years, renewables have really been the winner," said Nemet. "Coal really can’t compete with either of those."
The twin ports sit at the westernmost tip of Lake Superior and enormous amounts of cargo move through here every year. I’m always amazed at what people and equipment can move and this port is very impressive. I can not describe the scale of modern wind turbine components so I’ll just let the pictures do the job. All of these pictures (there are more at the website) are property of Duluth Cargo Connect. I have no connection at all to the company but I have been to Duluth many times and I highly recommend visiting. The company project gallery has much better, expandable versions of these pictures and are well worth a look.
