Duluth Port News

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced that it has awarded more than $280 million in discretionary grant funding through the new Port Infrastructure Development Program. This funding is designed to improve port facilities at or near coastal seaports.The Port Infrastructure Development Program supports efforts by ports and industry stakeholders to improve facility and freight infrastructure to ensure our nation’s freight transportation needs, present and future, are met.

At its first meeting of 2016, the St. Louis County Board reappointed its longest serving Commissioner, Steve Raukar, to the Duluth Seaway Port Authority Board for a third term. First appointed in 1998, Raukar currently serves as Port Authority president. “The Port Authority is a strategic link in domestic and global trade, fostering economic growth for all of northeastern Minnesota,” said Raukar. Raukar has represented the Seventh District on the St. Louis County Board since first being elected in 1988.

Minnesota Power and the Duluth Port said they will reach a milestone this weekend when the 15th ship bearing wind generation equipment destined for Minnesota Power’s growing renewable energy installation in North Dakota sails into the harbor beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge. The BBC cargo ship, Peter Roenna is expected to arrive in Duluth late Sunday night carrying more than two dozen renewable wind energy components after a voyage from Brande, Denmark, where the equipment is manufactured by Siemens A.G.

The last oceangoing vessel to call on the Port of Duluth-Superior for the 2013 shipping season is expected to depart later today (ETD 4:00 PM). The Orsula arrived Sunday to load a total of nearly 22,000 metric tons (24,250 short tons) of durum wheat at the CHS and Gavilon grain terminals in Superior. Bound for Italy, the Orsula will be the last “saltie” to make a full transit this season of the 2,340-mile Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system. The 200-meter (656-ft) Orsula, flagged in the Marshall Islands, is operated by Fednav Limited, the largest dry-bulk shipping company in Canada.

Adolph Ojard, Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, plans to retire this year after serving in that leadership role for the past decade. A national search is underway for a new Executive Director. The board anticipates having that person hired by the end of summer/early fall. After a brief transitional time, Ojard will then settle into retirement. Ojard was appointed executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority in March 2003. A Great Lakes maritime and transportation veteran, he now serves as the Port Authority's chief executive officer.

Twenty seven ports were recognized today for exemplary projects and initiatives at the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) annual Awards Luncheon, held in conjunction with AAPA’s 2003 annual convention in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. Winners were announced in the association’s national Communications, Information Technology, Environmental Improvement and Facilities Engineering Competitions. Engraved plaques were bestowed at the ceremony upon the Port of Tacoma and the Port of Portland, winners in of this year’s Information Technology Awards; The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Port of Portland, the Virginia Port Authority and the Port of Tacoma, winners of the Environmental Improvement Awards; the Port of Vancouver, U.S.A.

The first of five new Polish ships built specifically for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway trade loaded its first U.S. grain cargo in the Port of Duluth-Superior. Bulk carrier Isa arrived at Duluth's AGP Grain, Ltd., to load about 22,000 tons of spring wheat and feed peas for Barcelona, Spain. Designed and constructed to serve ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system, Isa was delivered from a Japanese shipyard in April. Since then, two sister ships have been completed: Isolda in June and Isadora in early August. The fourth new ship is scheduled to enter service in December and the fifth is due in January. All five are owned and managed by the Polish Steamship Co., Szczecin, and represented in North America by Polsteam USA, New York City.

Port of Duluth-Superior citizens once again greeted German cruise vessel Columbus as the vessel made its fourth call on the port. The vessel spent a full day in the community of boat lovers, even though federal regulations prohibit public tours. Columbus' trips here are a result of continuing efforts by port and City officials to revive major cruise ship operations on the Great Lakes and bring them to Duluth-Superior. "We're finally seeing a return on our work to persuade additional lines to bring service to this westernmost tip of Lake Superior," said Port Promotion Manager Lisa Marciniak. Columbus is committed to returning twice in the new millennium. Additionally, French-owned, five-star cruise ship Le Levant, which made its maiden voyage through the Great Lakes St.