This past week one of several wind turbine barges called on the Port of Oswego (POA), unloading 15 of the first of 91 tower sections that will be delivered to the Port. The tower sections were manufactured in Michigan and transported by tug and barge to Oswego, with the ultimate destination of Steuben County’s Eight Point Wind Energy Center.
“This is one of many projects that the port has been working on and we are proud to be building a strong reputation as a leader in maritime commerce on the Great Lakes,” said William Scriber, POA executive director.
“This year, the port loaded the first grain shipped out of the Great Lakes,” Scriber said. “We’ve also received and transported the largest wind turbine blades in New York State and received a record 732 truckloads of corn so far this year from local farmers and unloaded the first of several aluminum slab ships to support Novelis. Each slab weighs more than 26 tons and there are 316 per shipload. Another aluminum slab delivery is currently on its way to the Port.”
Fran Enwright, chairperson, POA board of directors, said: “We’re seeing levels of activity at the Port that we haven’t experienced in decades. With just six months of the year behind us, we have more projects shipping grain, offloading aluminum and wind turbine components than ever before, and we are on-track to shatter previous levels of activity by year’s end.”
“The real success of these many projects is the local jobs they support and supporting local farmers has clearly been established as a top priority,” Scriber said. “Our success is solely based on the success of our many customers and partners. Our mission is to create and support jobs in upstate New York and we continue to prove that we are one of the largest job generators in the City of Oswego.”
The Eight Point Wind Energy Center project will continue for several months with the storage, preparation for travel, and loading for truck transport to the site, located in the Towns of Greenwood and West Union. The completed project will have a maximum generating capability of 101.8 megawatts from an estimated 31 wind turbines.
The Port of Oswego’s strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market, puts them less than 350 miles from 60 million people. As one of the most productive ports in North America, the port supports 209 local jobs, $26.7 million in economic activity, and $13.8 million in personal income and local consumption expenditures, Scriber said.
