AEP Barges into the Liquid Transport Markets
Answering the needs of longstanding clients, bulk transport giant AEP dips its toes into the liquid transport arena. AEP River Operations needs no introduction for most MarineNews readers. One of the true river giants operating on America’s domestic inland waters today, AEP is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and is primarily known as a barge company that provides transportation of dry bulk commodities throughout the inland river system. AEP River Operations is owned by American Electric Power, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5.3 million customers in 11 states. The current AEP fleet includes more than 79 towboats ranging up to 11,000 horsepower and more than 2,900 hopper barges, moving more than 65 million tons annually.
Editor's Note
Even if, as Marcon International’s Bob Beagle says, barges are the workhorses of the towing industry, then the pushboats that propel the 38,000 (documented and undocumented) deck, hopper, tank, crane and miscellaneous purpose barges to their destinations are the heart and soul of the most efficient – and greenest – means to move cargo known to man. This month, we take a close look at what’s developing for both types of hulls; in terms of design, markets, boatbuilding and everything else in between. There’s something happening on all fronts. The second quarter of 2014 finds North American shipyards and the service and manufacturing sectors that support them still roaring along. But, it’s not just production – it’s also about innovation.
