Port board pays for pilothouse display at National Museum of the Great Lakes

Toledo, OH – The National Museum of the Great Lakes will receive aid totaling $150,000 from the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority for the museum’s new pilothouse attraction, following action by the port’s board of directors Thursday.

The board approved a grant of $25,000 and a loan of $125,000 to reimburse the museum’s construction of a concrete foundation on which to display a historic Great Lakes freighter pilothouse.

The pilothouse belonged to the St. Mary’s Challenger, a lake freighter that has been repurposed as a barge. The structure was acquired in 2015 amid competition from other entities that wanted it, said Kate Fineske, spokesman for the museum, located next to the Glass City Metropark on Front Street in East Toledo.

The St. Mary’s Challenger was a “fleet mate” to Col. James M. Schoonmaker, the museum’s floating lake freighter exhibit.

Ms. Fineske said the pilothouse was removed because the St. Mary’s Challenger was taken out of service as a steamship. When it sailed its last as a steam-driven ship in 2013 it was the oldest vessel on the Great Lakes.

Originally, the pilothouse was planned to be part of the second floor of the museum. The plan now is to make it part of the exterior grounds with an enclosed connection to the main building so it can be used year-round, she said.

“The end goal is to be able to connect to it from the interior of the museum so people can have a pilothouse experience all year long,” Ms. Fineske said.

Ms. Fineske said the Challenger pilothouse will be more accessible than the pilothouse in the Schoonmaker, and it will be more contemporary, unlike the Schoonmaker, which was restored to an older condition.

She noted that while the pilothouse was being floated from the storage space to its display place at the museum on Dec. 30 that was provided by Midwest Terminals it passed the hull of the former St. Mary’s Challenger in use on the Maumee as a barge.

Christened the S.S. William P. Snyder, the vessel that would become the Challenger was the first of six vessels built for Shenango Furnace Co. in the early 20th century; the Schoonmaker became that fleet’s flagship in 1911.

Read the Toledo Blade story here: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/city/2022/02/24/port-board-pays-for-pilothouse-display-at-national-museum-of-the-great-lakes/stories/20220224102?fbclid=IwAR2i94F6mp4NqVM94qnOxvQjf5ppkOuzCRhCrIK-kj_nwY_TydzvdHI_Klc

2.2 million tonness of cargo moved through Toronto’s port in 2021

If you’ve ever taken a stroll along Toronto’s waterfront, maybe had a night out at Rebel nightclub (or one of its predecessors) or a visit to Sugar Beach, you’ve undoubtedly come across the massive lake freighters that move cargo in and out of Canada’s largest urban centre.

Shipping takes many forms, with cargo aircraft, freight trains, and trucks transporting goods around the region, but when it comes to moving heavy masses of raw materials, large freight vessels that can transit the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes locks systems are still the most cost-effective solution out there.

Imported materials including cement, steel, sugar and salt moving into Toronto ports surpassed 2.2 million metric tonnes for the fifth consecutive year in 2021, with 190 cargo vessels in the city last year. The total of 2,295,815 metric tonnes delivered marks a four per cent increase from 2020.

But just what do 2.2 million tonnes of cargo look like in relatable terms? It turns out it’s a pretty difficult weight to quantify with even the largest of artificial objects, as even the single-tallest freestanding structure in the western hemisphere is merely a fraction of this weight. You’d need to break down 18.65 CN Towers worth of material to reach that colossal volume of material shipped.

If you’re still struggling to visualize just how vast this quantity is, here’s another comparison. If you collected all of the approximately 1.1 million cars in Toronto as of 2014, you’d still be about 232,000 cars short of the weight of cargo that flowed through the city’s ports last year.

So how did this incredible mass of materials break down? A considerable contribution came from cement cargo and steel imports, which soared to 19 and 18-year highs, respectively, with more than 734,000 metric tonnes of cement and 185,000 metric tonnes of steel supplying the wave of construction transforming the city.

Whether it was all the pandemic home-baking projects or our reliance on calories as a source of comfort, sugar imports from Central and South America were way up, 572,683 metric tonnes of the sweet stuff keeping the city’s food and beverage industries supplied through hard times.

Countering all that sweetness, 583,425 metric tonnes of salt also arrived at city ports last year.

There were a few big 2021 deliveries that you may have already heard about, with three bridge spans arriving from Nova Scotia to connect the new Villiers Island with the city’s road network.

And that’s not all that’s arriving in Toronto, with Geoffrey Wilson, CEO of PortsToronto, stating that “while the Port of Toronto will continue to play an essential role in our national supply chain in 2022, it will also play an important role supporting Toronto’s tourism sector as we anticipate hosting a record 37 cruise ships in 2022, including a number of new cruise ships designed for expedition cruising on the Great Lakes.”

Blog TO

Neebish Island residents warned service may stop due to ice

Neebish Island, MI – We have no current plans to shut down but the crossing continues to get worse and we may need to get to the point of shutting down. Our goal is to continue to run, but mother nature will dictate and we cannot risk damaging the vessel. Please make arrangements to store extra supplies, i.e. propane, groceries, medications, and any other needs if a prolonged shutdown is necessary. Stage vehicles on the mainland if so needed. We will continue to monitor and communicate any changes.

The Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority

Canadian owner puts Duluth’s Great Lakes Fleet up for sale

Duluth, MN – In an earnings call last month, Canadian National Railway shared a desire to sell off its Twin Ports-based Great Lakes Fleet of ore carriers.

The move comes as the freight rail company reviews its non-rail business, including a trucking firm, TransX. “We are in negotiations regarding the divestiture of the Great Lakes vessel (sic),” said Jean-Jacques Ruest, CN president, chief executive officer and director, during an earnings call with shareholders Jan. 25.

The Great Lakes Fleet of lake freighters features nine ore boats, including three 1,000-footers. Its base of operations is located in offices at the CN ore docks in Duluth, near 34th Avenue West. The vessels are itinerant, often visiting the local ore dock for loading, but only occasionally making a long-term visit. For instance, there are no members of the fleet wintering in Duluth this offseason.

A potential vessel sale process is progressing with some active bidders,” said Helen Quirke, senior vice president and chief strategy officer, in a transcript of the call. “But any transaction needs to be at a favorable value to us. Therefore, we are willing to continue to operate the vessels should a deal not be concluded at a favorable value to us.”

Quirke further explained that while the fleet of ore boats helps earnings, it dilutes the company’s operations. “Great Lakes Fleet is a heritage brand in our port, with decades of history,” she said. “It’s an important part of the past, present, and hopefully the future of our region’s maritime industry.”

The Great Lakes Fleet is operated under the locally based company, Key Lakes Inc., a workaround that allows the Canadian owner to apply its assets on the Great Lakes, between U.S. ports — from Minnesota ore mines to the country’s blast furnaces and steel mills on the lower Great Lakes. The Jones Act prohibits foreign ships from delivering cargoes between American ports.

The Great Lakes Fleet is home to the popular Arthur M. Anderson, the last vessel to communicate with the Edmund Fitzgerald prior to its infamous sinking in 1975. Other vessels in the fleet include 1,000-footers Edgar B. Speer, Edwin H. Gott and Presque Isle, along with the John G. Munson, Cason J. Callaway, Philip R. Clarke and Great Republic.

A final vessel in the fleet, the Roger Blough, was badly damaged by fire in February 2021 during its winter layup in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. CN did not illuminate the current status of Roger Blough. At the time of the fire, the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department reported an estimated $20 million in damages to the $100 million laker.

The Port Authority’s DeLuca noted the potential jobs at stake. “The local jobs and commerce connected with Great Lakes Fleet being home-ported in Duluth are meaningful,” DeLuca said. “So, we certainly want to see a good local outcome for the fleet and its employees.”

Read the story here: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/canadian-owner-puts-duluths-great-lakes-fleet-up-for-sale?fbclid=IwAR3Zam_8gqMV5puSNEDIckyRBdSQfwj-z02hN2Ge6FREX_FgEtdueIO2DT0

Cleveland to be port of call for new Viking ‘Great Lakes Collection’ cruise starting in 2023

Cleveland, OH – Starting next summer, travelers on Viking’s “Great Lakes Collection” luxury cruise will get to experience the city of Cleveland as one of its ports of call. The 15-day tour from Toronto, Canada, to Duluth, Minnesota will allow travelers to sail on all five of the Great Lakes. Stops will include Niagara Falls, Cleveland, Detroit, Mackinac Island, and Sault Sainte Marie.

During the day-long stop in Cleveland, travelers will have an opportunity to experience:
“Cleveland Highlights” – A scenic drive through Cleveland before delving into music history at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“Arts & Parks” – A visit to the Cultural Gardens and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
“Taste of Cleveland” – Sampling the city’s diversity at the West Side Market.
“Cleveland’s Waterfront” – A tour of the Great Lakes Science Center and the historic Great Lakes bulk freighter William G. Mather.
Cuyahoga Valley hike
Cuyahoga River by kayak
Cuyahoga Valley by bike

Passengers for the Great Lakes Collection will sail aboard the Viking Polaris, which is due to join the company’s fleet later this year. Like its sister ship Viking Octantis, 378 guests will be able to be hosted in 189 luxurious staterooms.

Viking first announced the addition of Great Lakes destination cruises in January of 2020, just prior to the pandemic. “The Great Lakes are a phenomenal destination in the world, and they are currently underserved [by cruise lines],” said Viking chairman Torsten Hagen at the time of the announcement.

The company now offers six different cruising options for the Great Lakes and Canada. However, a Great Lakes Collection trip on Viking Polaris will cost you some bucks. Prices for the 15-day cruise start at just under $14,000. One of Viking’s eight-day Great Lakes trips will cost you about $6,000.

The first Great Lakes Collection trip is due to set sail on June 10, 2023. Click here for more information. https://www.vikingcruises.com/expeditions/cruise-destinations/great-lakes-canada/great-lakes-collection/pricing.html?return=true

Lorain, Lordstown could become sites for new naval submarine dry dock, equipment depot

Cleveland, OH – Thousands of jobs may soon be coming to two Northeast Ohio communities as part of a plan to address a shortage of naval shipyards across the nation.

Bartlett Maritime Corporation is seeking to build a submarine dry dock for the U.S. Navy in Lorain and a naval equipment depot in Lordstown. According to The Bartlett Maritime Plan™, 2,000-3,000 new jobs would be created in Lorain, with an additional 500-1,000 in Lordstown.

The project is being led by Bartlett Maritime Corporation CEO and former Navy captain Edward Bartlett, who served as a submariner and also a submarine design engineer. He founded the company in 2019 as a response to a shortage of dry docks and shipyards in the Navy.

Last month, Bartlett told 3News’ NBC sister station 21 WFMJ that Lordstown would become “the Navy’s centralized equipment depot for the nuclear powered fleet aircraft carriers and submarines.” The proposed American Naval Shipyard in Lorain would bring the total number of certified naval dry docks to 20.

Bartlett believes Ohio is the ideal place for the facilities to be built due to the state’s available industrial revenue bond program, which would fund the multi-billion dollar cost via a 3-way public-private partnership.

Response to the proposal has been enthusiastic. On Monday, Lorain City Council passed a resolution in support of the dry dock. Last month, the Metal Trades Department (MTD) of the AFL-CIO, which has represented the vast majority of shipyard skilled trades personnel in the United States since 1908, signed a cooperation agreement with Bartlett Maritime Corporation.

“The Metal Trades Department and its affiliated international unions are proud to join Bartlett Maritime in its efforts to become the next public-private U.S. Navy maintenance and repair shipyard,” said MTD President James Hart. “We look forward to this partnership and the impact it will have on creating and sustaining good, unionized jobs in Ohio.”

The proposal is currently being reviewed by the United States Navy. Phase 1 of the plan calls for a six-month research, planning, and concept demonstration. It could be completed by the end of the summer.

Bartlett told 3News that the hope is for ceremonial groundbreaking for both facilities to take place in October, with heavy construction to start at both locations in the early spring of 2023.

WKYC

Boatnerd Soo Gathering returns June 23-24

Boatnerd is delighted to announce the return of our annual boat watching events in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers annual Engineer’s Day (Friday, June 24) open house at the Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

• Boatnerd Picnic at Sherman Park, Thursday, June 23*
• Optional: Three-hour Soo Locks Freighter Chasing Cruise aboard the tour boat LeVoyageur  (ticket prices and information TBA) at 6 p.m. Friday, June 24
• Boat watching at Sherman Park and at Mission Point Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• Lots of friendly Boatnerds

*The Boatnerd  Picnic will be Thursday, June 23, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Sherman Park, just west of the locks. Bring a dish to pass. Burgers, hot dogs, buns and condiments will be provided by Boatnerd. Free.) Save the date and think early about your travel plans and lodging. The event will be held rain or shine, but lets hope for sunshine!

Great Lakes iron ore trade down 4.7 percent in January

Cleveland, OH – Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 2.5 million tons in January, a decrease of 4.7 percent compared to 2021.  Loadings were above the month’s 5-year average by 17.6 percent.

Lake Carriers’ Association

On first mission to Great Lakes, NOAA ship will sonar map Lake Erie

Cleveland, OH – What’s underneath Lake Erie? The answer isn’t a total mystery to Great Lakes mariners, but parts of lakebed off Ohio and Pennsylvania haven’t been surveyed since the 1940s and nautical charts that commercial ships rely on are long overdue for an update.

Because of that, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is sending one of its four deep-water hydrographic survey ships, the Thomas Jefferson, into the Great Lakes for several months this year to sonar-map the lakebed under heavily trafficked areas.

The mission marks the Jefferson’s first visit to the Great Lakes, and the first visit from a NOAA survey ship since Lake Huron was mapped off Alpena in the early 1990s.

The 2022 mission is part of a stepped-up effort to map the Great Lakes in recent years and will also involve surveying parts of the Detroit River and Lake Michigan off Wisconsin.

“It’s been a long time,” said Matthew Jaskoski, commanding officer of the Thomas Jefferson, which is embarking for the St. Lawrence Seaway in April following a drydock refit in its homeport of Norfolk and some ocean mapping off Virginia.

Read more at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2022/02/on-first-mission-to-great-lakes-noaa-ship-will-sonar-map-lake-erie.html

EGLE to offer $9 million in grants to ‘repower’ marine vessels

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) will allocate $9 million in grants to push clean energy on the state’s bodies of water.

The money for the department’s Fuel Transformation Program (FTP) will come from the state’s $64.8 million portion of the national settlement with Volkswagen over the German automaker’s violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Volkswagen’s installation of emission testing defeat devices on its vehicles resulted in two settlement decrees.

“This is a great opportunity to reduce emissions from rail and marine sources to help improve air quality in neighboring communities and protect the environment. While cars get the most attention, other transportation sectors are also integral to Michigan’s transition to zero emission or cleaner fuels as called out in the draft MI Healthy Climate Plan,” Elizabeth Browne, director of the Materials Management Division at EGLE, said in a statement.

According to the EGLE news release, applicants awarded the FTP grants will receive from $100,000 to $5 million to replace or “repower freight switchers and marine vessels with clean engines” and “install shore power.” Among the watercraft eligible for repowering or replacement are ferry boats and tugs. Applications also will be accepted for “installation of shore-side power for vessels that operate within the Great Lakes.”

FTP funds will cover between 25% and 75% of the respective repowering project, and the technology used. Replacement or repowering with zero emission technologies such as electric and hydrogen fuel cells qualify for the highest funding percentages. Lower funding percentages may be granted to repowering and replacement by alternative fuel and diesel.

“We don’t have a specific number of replacements or repowers expected but have made a very rough estimate of the emission reductions we hope to realize with the funding,” Debra Swartz, EGLE environmental quality specialist, told The Center Square.

The FTP programs were developed to reduce oxides of nitrogen emissions as well as to promote the adoption of zero emission and alternative fuel engines in accordance with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s climate change mitigation goals.

The application process begins Wednesday, Feb. 23, and closes Sept. 23, 2022.

Coast Guard to hold mass ice rescue exercise on Little Traverse Bay today

Petoskey, MI – Coast Guard units and area partners will conduct a full-scale ice mass rescue exercise at the Petoskey Municipal Marina and on the waters of Little Traverse Bay beginning at noon on Saturday, February 26.

The exercise, named Operation 45 North, will include on-ice rescue operations in Petoskey’s marina by about a dozen area ice rescue teams, as well as helicopter hoisting exercises with an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter based at Air Station Traverse City. Surface and aviation units of the Coast Guard will be joined by local firefighters, city police, sheriff’s departments, Emmet County EMS, Michigan State Police, and many more.

“Exercises like Operation 45 North are crucial in strengthening relationships among local, state, tribal and federal first responders,” said Capt. Anthony Jones, commander of Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, which oversees all of Lake Superior and the northern portions of lakes Michigan and Huron. “The training and techniques shared are vital in ensuring that first responders are ready and able to respond.”

USCG

Video highlights the 2021 shipping season in the Duluth, Superior, and Two Harbors area

The video contains 45 lake carriers in total. While it’s a long video, it’s broken into chapters so you can easily find the ships you want to view. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLTrdVa_qC4

Cleveland-Cliffs to indefinitely idle Blast Furnace No. 4 at Indiana Harbor

Indiana Harbor, IN – Cleveland-Cliffs plans to indefinitely idle Blast Furnace No. 4 at the Indiana Harbor steel mill, the second blast furnace in East Chicago to be taken offline in the last three years in a major blow to and further erosion of integrated steelmaking in the Calumet Region.

The Cleveland-based steelmaker said no jobs will be lost as workers will be transferred to other positions at the sprawling mill along the Lake Michigan lakefront. The dwindling amount of steelmaking capacity along the Lake Michigan lakefront will, however, have long-term effects on employment opportunities at the Region’s steel mills. Indiana Harbor had still operated five blast furnaces a little over a decade ago.

Cleveland-Cliffs announced it would raise steel prices as it took the steelmaking capacity offline, reducing the overall supply on the market at a time of strong demand. It plans to increase the price of carbon hot rolled, cold rolled and coated steel products by at least $50 per ton.

The flat-rolled steelmaker plans to idle Indiana Harbor Blast Furnace No. 4 because of operational improvements that include adding hot-briquetted iron to the blast furnaces and maximizing the use of scrap in basic oxygen furnaces.

All the employees will be transferred to other positions at Cleveland Cliffs Indiana Harbor Works, which combines the former LTV and Inland steel mills that were consolidated under previous ownership. The company said it currently has more available job openings at Indiana Harbor in East Chicago than it had workers at the blast furnace, which forged raw materials into iron, the precursor for the steel that goes into cars, appliances and buildings nationwide.

Cleveland-Cliffs expects the closure will reduce its carbon emissions as integrated steelmaking is a carbon-intensive process that involves burning coke, a form of coal that’s been stripped of impurities.

“Our strategy of increasing productivity at our ironmaking and steelmaking facilities through the use of both in-house produced HBI and additional scrap has allowed us to reduce coke rate and consequently reduce CO2 emissions, as well as to stretch hot metal utilization and still be able to produce similar amounts of crude steel with fewer blast furnaces,” Chairman, President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said. “Said another way, by concentrating the operation and maximizing productivity at IH No. 7 we are improving our carbon footprint and, at the same time, lowering our cost structure for the same level of steel production and shipments. Most importantly, as we have enough job openings on site for all impacted employees, we are now able to fill several available job openings at Indiana Harbor Works with the current workforce of IH No. 4.”

Cleveland-Cliffs said normal operations will continue at the Indiana Harbor steel mill and the Riverdale Works mill it supplies just across the state line. Indiana Harbor Works still has two steel shops, the hot strip mill and finishing facilities.

Once the largest steelmaker complex in the world, the mill in East Chicago is down to just a single blast furnace. Indiana Harbor Blast Furnace #7 will now supply all operations at the steel mill in East Chicago and Riverdale Works in Riverdale, Illinois.

Read more here: https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/cleveland-cliffs-to-indefinitely-idle-indiana-harbor-blast-furnace-4-in-blow-to-nwi-steel/article_d01e0f35-1c67-5d40-8072-a71d708e8599.html?utm_source=nwitimes.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter-templates%2Fbreaking&utm_medium=PostUp&utm_content=93ce67453a2cc791fc40aefd0dc66bea7d28609f&fbclid=IwAR0n13It6cwnnmjo0nLOrQJo7nKeaUotIbr3kxeMHM6qjhbzk8thGtZBjT4

CEO: ‘The future is bright for Cleveland-Cliffs’ as steelmaker works to limit volatility

Cleveland-Cliffs looks forward to a bright future after posting record profits last year.

The steelmaker is projecting another strong year as automotive demand picks back up, it locks down more long-term contracts and shifts focus to bigger, more stable customers.

“The future, and specifically, 2022, is clearly bright for Cleveland-Cliffs,” CEO Lourenco Goncalves said in a conference call for investors. “Underlying demand remains strong, infrastructure-related spending has started, particularly regarding electrical steels. And the chip shortage affecting the automotive has begun to ease, leading to meaningful pent-up demand for cars and trucks.”

The Cleveland-based steelmaker, which has a large presence in Northwest Indiana, expects to benefit from the auto industry’s rebound from the global semiconductor shortage.

“That should benefit Cleveland-Cliffs a lot more than any other steel company in the United States,” Goncalves said in the conference call. “Let’s make this abundantly clear to our investors. There is no other steel company, integrated or mini-mill, in the U.S. or more broadly in North America capable of supplying all the specs and all the tonnage we supply the American automotive industry. Cleveland-Cliffs already has all the equipment and technological capabilities that other companies are only now spending several billions of dollars to try to replicate by building new melt shops and new galvanizing lines.”

Read more at this link: https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/ceo-the-future-is-bright-for-cleveland-cliffs-as-steelworker-works-to-limit-volatility/article_3990124e-d99d-5868-b635-93f0e020cb25.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_The_Times_of_Northwest_Indiana&fbclid=IwAR2DGnbYau0cYla9igRmvd-eBzs6EGWC1jEi7x5oSBFLmpDiJcAFBSGdJF0

New owner of M.S. Norgoma has no definite plans for ship

Port Colborne, ON – Jeff Dwor, the new owner of the M.S. Norgoma (which at one time plied the waters of Manitoulin Island as a ferry), has no definite plans as to what he is going to do with the ship at this time.

“I like its lines, this vessel could be converted into something else,” said Mr. Dwor, who lives in Port Colborne, after having purchased the ship from the City of Sault Ste. Marie. “The ship is not too big, but not too small either. It is about 185-188 feet in length and 38 foot wide. It is a substantial vessel.”

“It is in good enough shape with ample space. I was thinking of turning the ship into living quarters for now, but I’m open to any kind of idea,” said Mr. Dwor. “I really don’t know yet what I am going to do with the ship. But I am open and flexible to any ideas.”

“One thing about it, I can’t move anything on the lakes until May,” quipped Mr. Dwor.

Earlier this month, Mr. Dwor, a retired ship salvager, purchased the Norgoma for $2,500 from Sault Ste. Marie. City council approved the sale of the 188-foot former package freighter/passenger ferry/museum ship. Tom Vair, the city’s deputy chief administrative officer for community development and enterprise services told Soo Today.com Mr. Dwor has sold his business (Dwor Metal Co. Ltd. of Port Colborne) but is looking at the M.S. Norgoma as a personal project and renovating her for private use. Recently, Mr. Dwor came forward with interest in acquiring the vessel. He flew to Sault Ste. Marie, toured the vessel and expressed interest in purchasing it.

Mr. Vair told The Expositor “council approved the sale of the ship to Mr. Dwor. “The agreement was reached January 31 and concludes in May, so there is a bit of finalization to be done. Part of the decision by council was so the marina by the Roberta Bondar Park marina can be redone. Council had to force the decision and have the Norgoma moved, and currently it is parked at the docks at Algoma-Steel and the town has been paying $40 a day in docking fees (since 2019).”

The city had planned to sell the Norgoma to The Sweet Shop in Tobermory but that deal fell through when the potential owner couldn’t find a berth in the municipal marina there.

Mr. Vair told The Expositor that since then, city staff has been looking for a new location for the Norgoma while also obtaining estimates to decommission the vessel.  A recent updated budget revealed decommissioning the vessel would have cost between $275,000-$325,000.

Mr. Dwor will take possession of the Norgoma some time in May. “If someone has a great idea for the ship that I can explore, bring it to me and I will listen. I’m not opposed to anything. Maybe people on Manitoulin could find things that it could be used for.”

MS Norgoma was a Canadian package freighter and passenger ferry that could also transport automobiles on a limited basis. Originally constructed as steam-powered ship in 1950, SS Norgoma primarily sailed the route from her home port of Owen Sound to Sault Ste. Marie, providing a five-day round trip, once a week, serving isolated communities along the North Shore. After conversion to a motor ship, Norgoma was transferred to the Manitoulin Island ferry route between Tobermory and South Baymouth along with her sister ship SS Norisle, replacing the smaller ferry, MS Normac on that route.

Norgoma, owned by Owen Sound Transportion Company Limited, was built at the Collingwood shipyards in 1950. She replaced the SS Manitoulin, which was retired in 1949.

Norgoma travelled mainly on the North Channel route until 1963. Improvements to Ontario’s highways, such as the Trans-Canada Highway (Georgian Bay route) completed in 1962, brought about stiff competition for the company. In that year, a 60-kilometre road was constructed into Killarney from Highway 6, the first port of call for the steamer. At the time, increased traffic on the Manitoulin Island-Tobermory route demanded a greater automobile capacity than her sister ships SS Norisle and MS Normac could handle.

In 1974, both Norgoma and Norisle were replaced by the much larger and more modern MS Chi-Cheemaun which could accommodate more vehicles than both sister ships put together. Norgoma was berthed as a museum ship in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. In 1981 the ship was transferred to a charity, the St. Mary’s River Marine Heritage Centre. The Norisle was purchased at the same time. By Assiginack Township and is still berthed at the Manitowaning Marina.

Manitoulin Expositor

U.S. Coast Guard rescues missing person on ice

Sault Ste. Marie, MI ⎯ Members of U.S. Coast Guard Station Sault Sainte Marie and Air Station Traverse City rescued a missing ice fisherman on Lake Superior Feb. 20, 2022. Chippewa County reported the missing individual as a 63-year-old male on a snowmobile towing an ice shanty who was last seen approximately one and a half miles off the shore of Lake Superior in Emerson, MI.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie launched an Ice-Rescue Team from Station Sault Ste. Marie and the Coast Guard Ninth District launched an MH-60 helicopter from Air Station Traverse City. The crew of the MH-60 immediately located a heat source approximately two miles south of the missing person’s last known position.

The Ice-Rescue Team proceeded to the identified location and found the missing person. The person was taken back to a staging area for evaluation by awaiting Emergency Medical Service personnel. No injuries were reported.

USCG

Collingwood museum launches new exhibit on shipbuilding industry

Collingwood, ON – Collingwood Museum has launched a new exhibit in honor of the inter-generational tradition of Collingwood’s ship-building industry. “Launch Day” focuses specifically on Collingwood’s most photographed and cherished event – the side launch.

The exhibit explores the history of shipbuilding in Collingwood, a century-long tradition that saw more than 200 steel ships plunge sideways into the harbour. Collingwood’s shipyard was one of the last to perform the traditional side launch in Canada. With a small and shallow harbor, side launching was a dramatic solution to this spatial challenge.

Visitors to the new exhibit will experience what it was like to watch, along with thousands of spectators, as five-story-high steel vessels crashed into the water below. They will also learn about the stages of the launch and the unique stories behind some of Collingwood’s most notable ships.

The potential and realized dangers of shipbuilding are also explored through a small section of rope connected to one of the Collingwood Shipyards’ most devastating days, the launch of Tadoussac on May 29, 1969.

From shipbuilding tools and ship models to a stunning silk dress, this new exhibit has something of interest for everyone!

Advanced bookings are recommended by calling museum staff at 705-445-4811 Ext. 7211. Please note that Proof of Vaccination is required for indoor participation. Collingwood Trails maps will be available for those wishing to explore the Promenade Trail alongside the rectangular launching basin as well as the Shipbuilders’ Memorial on Heritage Drive.

The Collingwood Museum is located at 45 St. Paul Street. Please consult the Collingwood Museum’s website for up-to-date COVID-19 protocols. https://www.collingwood.ca/culture-recreation-events/heritage-museum/collingwood-museum

U.S.-flag shipping on the Great Lakes up 16.8 percent in 2021

Cleveland, OH – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 81.8 million tons of cargo in 2021, an increase of 16.8 percent compared to 2020.  The 2021 float was less than 1 percent below the fleet’s 5-year average.

Iron ore cargos totaled 41.7 million tons, an increase of 12.4 percent compared to a year earlier.  Shipments of all other commodities increased as well in 2021. Coal cargos were up 42.7 percent to 10.4 million tons.  Limestone and cement shipments increased by 16.7 and nearly 5 percent, respectively.  Salt cargos were up by 34.2 percent.  Shipments of sand were up by 21.6 percent, while grain cargos increased by 16.3 percent.

See chart below.

The mighty St. Lawrence, from a maritime pilot’s bird’s-eye view

Simon LeBrun sails the St. Lawrence River, running cargo between Montreal and Trois-Rivières. His social media posts offer marine enthusiasts and landlubbers alike a window into his world.

View the video here: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2003799619851?fbclid=IwAR2u81-71IQugRmuMOpcZrqOSfxna909AKvvGXwTkPbFxUTmPpvrhYU4KTA

Lake Michigan cyanide spill results in $3M fine for steel mill owner

Burns Harbor, IN – An Indiana steel mill owner will pay a $3 million fine and donate property for land conservation as part of a court settlement following a toxic chemical spill that killed thousands of fish in a Lake Michigan tributary.

On Monday, Feb. 14, Ohio-based Cleveland-Cliffs agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by two environmental groups in the wake of the 2019 spill, which released thousands of pounds of ammonia and cyanide into the waters around Portage, Ind. The lawsuit was originally filed against ArcelorMittal, which Cleveland-Cliffs acquired in 2020.

This week’s consent decree, filed in U.S. District Court by federal and state officials, includes an agreement from the company to upgrade its facilities to prevent future discharge violations, improve notification procedures, and transfer 127 acres of land for future conservation use.

The settlement must be approved by a judge. It will be open to public comment for 30 days afterward.

Read more at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2022/02/lake-michigan-cyanide-spill-results-in-3m-fine-for-steel-mill-owner.html

Canada eyes ‘green steel’ as way to catch up on cutting carbon emissions

Ontario’s steel industry is aiming for a dramatic reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions, a move that will help Premier Doug Ford’s government get closer to achieving its climate-change targets.

The three biggest industrial emitters of CO2 in Ontario are all steel plants. Steel production alone accounts for more than 40 per cent of all industrial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the province, more than the refinery, forestry, mining and chemical sectors combined.

But a push is now on — funded in part by nearly $2 billion from provincial and federal taxpayers — to convert Ontario’s steel plants to using lower-carbon sources of energy. The expected reductions in CO2 emissions stand to make this the Ford government’s single biggest initiative on climate change.

The latest step toward what’s being dubbed “green steel” is Ford’s announcement of a $500 million provincial government contribution to ArcelorMittal Dofasco in Hamilton, the biggest producer of flat-rolled steel in the country and the single biggest industrial source of CO2 emissions in Ontario.

The plan is to convert Dofasco’s coal-fired blast furnaces to electric-powered systems by 2028.

“Car-makers are investing billions and billions of dollars searching for ways to reduce carbon emissions along their supply chain,” Ford said in a news conference Tuesday. “Well, I have news for all of them. That search starts and ends right here in Hamilton with Dofasco Steel.”

Ford’s announcement comes six months after the federal government announced it’s putting $400 million into the Dofasco plant’s conversion, which means taxpayers are contributing about half of the $1.8 billion cost of the project.

The province and the feds are also backstopping another coal-to-electricity conversion project at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, number two on Ontario’s list of biggest industrial greenhouse gas emitters.

The projects will reduce the two steel plants’ combined annual CO2 emissions by as much as six megatonnes (MT). Ontario needs to reduce its total annual emissions by about 18 MT from current levels to meet the government’s target for 2030 under the Paris Accord.

“I think it’s a positive development,” said Keith Brooks, programs manager for Environmental Defence, a Toronto-based advocacy group.

“The steel industry is a large emitter, it’s one of the harder-to-decarbonize sectors, and we’re not in a world where we’re trying to phase out steel,” Brooks said in an interview Wednesday.

Premier Doug Ford came to Hamilton’s ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant to announce the provincial government’s $500 million contribution toward the steel-maker’s efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. (CBC)

Despite the potential significance of these emission reductions from the steel industry, Brooks says the Ford government is still a long way from achieving its climate change targets, which are less ambitious than the previous Liberal government’s targets and those now set at the national level.

“We have no policy in place to increase the uptake of electric vehicles. We have no policies to reduce emissions from buildings. We have no policy actually to deal with emissions from industrial facilities,” said Brooks.

Steel production is carbon-intensive because the blast furnaces used in the smelting process are fuelled by coal and coke (metallurgical coal).

Since Ontario’s electricity generating system is more than 90 per cent free of CO2 emissions, converting the steel plants’ coal-fired blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces will substantially reduce the carbon emissions.  “We will fundamentally change the way we make steel,” said Ron Bedard, president and CEO of ArcelorMittal Dofasco.

“We will decommission our coal plants and our blast furnaces. Coal will not be used in our future processes here at Dofasco.”

CBC

Indiana leads nation in steel production after 12.5% jump

Indiana led the nation in steel production last year, maintaining the top spot it has held nationally for more than four decades.

“Indiana was No. 1,” said Ashley Romberg, the digital and online manager of the American Iron and Steel Institute, a Washington D.C.-based trade association that represents the United States of America’s steel industry.

The Hoosier State made 24.3 million tons of steel in 2021, up from 21.6 million tons in 2020. Neighboring Ohio, the home of North America’s largest flat-rolled steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs, ranked No. 2 nationwide in steel production.

Much of the steel production in Indiana occurs at the hulking integrated steel mills that ring Lake Michigan’s South Shore in Northwest Indiana, where Cleveland-Cliffs, U.S. Steel and NLMK Indiana operate mills. Lake and Porter counties account for about half the nation’s blast furnace capacity.

Many major steel distributors move metal in Northwest Indiana, including Republic Steel, Alliance Steel, AAA Supply Corp., Kenwai Steel, TMS International, Ratner Steel Supplies, Crossroads Steel Supply, Adriatic Steel Co., Leeco Steel, Bayshore Metal, Serve Steel, Coltrade Inc., RW Conklin Steel Supply, Steel Cities Steels, Chicago Specialty Steels and Steel Supply Corp.

NW Indiana Times

Bone dry January drops some Great Lakes’ water levels more than usual

It was a very dry and cold January across the Great Lakes’ drainage basin. As a result, all of the Great Lakes had declining water levels in January. Three Great Lakes declined more than usual.

Lake Superior’s water level declined 3 inches from December to January. The 3-inch decline is right at the long-term average decline for January. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers states the inflows into Lake Superior are preliminarily estimated to be the lowest inflows on record for January. The precipitation over the Lake Superior basin was only one inch, which is 56 percent of normal. Evaporation was also high due to cold air and dry air.

Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have the same lake level since the water flows freely through the Straits of Mackinac. Lakes Michigan and Huron declined 4 inches in January, which is double the normal January water level fall. Lake Michigan-Huron is still 11 inches above the long-term January average. Lakes Michigan and Huron have fallen considerably from record high levels in 2020. The two lakes are 19 inches lower than last year at this time and 26 inches lower than the record levels in January 2020.

Read more and view graphs at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/weather/2022/02/bone-dry-january-drops-some-great-lakes-water-levels-more-than-usual.html

Obituary: Mary Barbara Dalby; ran Toledo’s Sandpiper cruises

Mary Barbara Dalby passed away peacefully in her daughter’s arms at her home in Ottawa Hills, Ohio, on Friday, February 11, 2022, at the age of 76, after many years with progressive lung disease. She was surrounded by love, music, flowers and her meticulous houseplants, of which she had many.

In 1992, she purchased the M/V Sandpiper, a 65-foot river boat modeled after old Erie Canal crafts. For 25 seasons, she captained cruises on the Maumee River and Lake Erie, entertaining countless passengers with her legendary sense of humor, commanding voice, and vast knowledge of Toledo and the Great Lakes. She was known by many as “The Boat Lady.”

Born on May 24, 1945, in Pittsburgh, PA, she was the only daughter and eldest child of Frederick and Barbara Dudderar. A 1963 graduate of Portage (Ind.) High School, she received her undergraduate degree in English (’67) and master’s degree in library science (’69) from Indiana University in Bloomington, where she graduated with honors.

In August 1969, she married George Dalby and they lived in the Chicago suburb of Glenview, IL, where she worked as a librarian at Glenbrook South High School. In 1976, her beloved daughter Megan was born with her same sparkling blue eyes, wit and sense of curiosity.

Job prospects in 1980 brought the family to Toledo and they settled in Ottawa Hills. Mary was involved in many civic and social groups, including the Junior League and American Association of University Women. She supported Toledo Area Metroparks and was the president of the International Park board when in 1987, it acquired the 617-foot iron ore freighter, the Willis B. Boyer, now the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, at the National Great Lakes Museum.

As a prominent small business owner, she was deeply invested in the city, striving to make it better. Mary was a member of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce as well as the Maumee and Port Clinton area chambers. She frequently attended local government and downtown development meetings and events.

Deeply loyal and blessed with a bright and easy smile, Mary made many friends and kept them for life. She treasured one-on-one conversations, tradition, sharing stories and facts about any item of interest. If it was important to a friend, it became important to her. Through friendships she acquired varied interests including a passion for Notre Dame football, Jimmy Buffet, and Highland bagpipes.

In Mary’s memory, the family encourages each person touched by her spirit to carry out acts of service and civic engagement. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Harvesting 4 Haiti, the Great Lakes Historical Society, or the Cherry Street Mission in Toledo.

Visitation will be held at Coyle Funeral Home in Toledo on Saturday, February 19, from 1-6 p.m. A private family service is planned for the spring. Please leave a condolence message for the family at www.CoyleFuneralHome.com.

Coast guard confirms 30,000 litres of fuel spilled by Alaskaborg off Newfoundland’s coast

The Canadian Coast Guard is reporting that 30,000 litres of heavy fuel has been pumped into the ocean off Newfoundland’s south coast, and the cargo ship responsible for the incident is steaming toward St. John’s.

Transport Canada has directed the M/V Alaskaborg to proceed to port in St. John’s, and the coast guard ship Ann Harvey is monitoring its progress, a coast guard official wrote in a statement to CBC News late Friday afternoon.

“We continue to work with the owner on the development of an appropriate response plan to ensure a reasonable and appropriate response to the pollution incident,” the statement reads.

Federal officials confirmed Friday morning that an “accidental pollution incident” had occurred in the waters off the south coast of Newfoundland. By Friday afternoon, the coast guard said the ship’s fuel tank was punctured during heavy sea conditions, allowing some 30,000 litres of fuel to leak into the ship’s bilge. The oil-water mix was then pumped overboard.

Alaskaborg, which has often visited the Great Lakes, is a 143-metre ship built in China in 2012, and is owned by a company called Royal Wagenborg, which is headquartered in The Netherlands. The vessel was transiting between Baie Comeau, Quebec and the Dutch city Rotterdam at the time of the incident.

According to a statement from the company, the spill was discovered after daylight on Thursday morning and the incident was immediately reported to authorities in Canada and The Netherlands. Initially, the ship was ordered to stop in its position some 100 nautical miles south of Cape Race. No injuries were reported, and the source of the leak has been stopped.

The company described the spill as an “unintentional outflow,” has offered its full co-operation, and pledged to take measures to mitigate any further environmental damage. Royal Wagenborg has been ordered to provide a response plan, and the owner has also engaged a Transport Canada-certified spill response company, according to the coast guard.

CBC

U.S. Great Lakes fleet invests $83 million in maintenance

Cleveland OH – It is an annual occurrence which keeps the iron ore, stone, and cement moving on the Great Lakes fueling the North American economy and infrastructure improvements.  U.S.-flagged Great Lakes shipping companies’ partner with repair facilities around the region to conduct annual maintenance and upgrades to keep vessels operating efficiently during the nine-month operating season when the Soo Locks are open for business.

This year, companies will invest nearly $83 million in their vessels moored in New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.  That translates into jobs for hundreds of workers in these Great Lakes states.  Wisconsin shipyards will get $41 million in work, Ohio $37 million, Pennsylvania $4 million, and New York $1 million.

Work on the vessels will range from engine and navigation system upgrades to steel replacement on the hulls and decks of the vessels. The same iron ore these vessels hauled from Lake Superior ports during the summer which was turned into steel in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania will now go back into the large self-unloading ships.

“The Great Lakes Navigation System is truly interdependent.  From the mines that produce the bulk materials, to the ports which deliver and receive products, to the U.S.-flag ships that move the material to production facilities, to the end products being used to make our lives better and more efficient.  The jobs sustained by this system are vital to the economy,” stated Jim Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers’ Association.

Two shipyards in the Great Lakes were specially designed to handle 1000-foot-long vessels that are 105-feet wide.  Some of those vessels will be removed from the water and placed on blocks so the underwater hull can be inspected and painted.  Others will have their massive engines lifted out and replaced with new.  With only two-months left before the Soo Locks open, the work is critical and time sensitive to ensure vessels are ready to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from March through January.

Lake Carriers’ Association

Cliffs to idle Northshore Mining in the spring

Silver Bay, MN – Cleveland-Cliffs announced on Friday that the company is going to idle Northshore Mining in the spring, and it could go into the fall or beyond.  Northshore’s mine is in Babbitt, and the pellet plant is in Silver Bay. Nearly 600 people work between the two.

CEO Lourenco Goncalves told investors that one factor is they need fewer pellets, because they are using more scrap metal. And when they decide to reduce production, the first thing they look at is cost structure.

“Because we are able to produce DR grade pellets at Minorca, and mainly due to ridiculous royalty structure in place with Mesabi Trust, we are idling all production at Northshore in the spring, carrying through at least the fall, and maybe beyond,” Goncalves said.

During the last call, in October, he referenced that Northshore could be idled every now and then, and be their swing operation.

Silver Bay’s mayor, Wade LeBlanc, said, “Hopefully it’s a short term deal, and not a long term deal. We’ve been through this before, we’ll weather it again.”

WDIO

Thunder Bay ready for influx of cruise ships

Thunder Bay, ON –  Beginning in late May, the Thunder Bay cruise ship port will be bustling with travelers arriving on the Viking Expeditions’ Viking Octantis and the American Queen Voyages’ Ocean Navigator passenger vessels.

Paul Pepe, manager of tourism for the city, says the arrival of the cruise ships will mark the first time Thunder Bay has seen passenger ships in more than nine years. The Octantis will arrive for seven turnarounds this summer and the Navigator will visit twice.

“This is a pretty big advancement in the cruise shipping industry from the Great Lakes and for Thunder Bay, because (the Viking Octantis) will be in port for about 48 hours every two weeks while exchanging passengers, and with that, taking on groceries and supplies for the ship’s servicing of the vessel,” said Pepe.

“Passengers will be flying in and out of Thunder Bay to pick up the ship here and some will be staying a few days longer as a result — so it extends the economic impacts on the city immensely.”

The Octantis, which will arrive around May 26 from Milwaukee, is a new ship that went into service about three weeks ago and is currently in the Antarctic.

“The 378-passenger vessel is very luxurious and at 665 feet long, it is the largest cruise ship ever in the Great Lakes, in the history of the Great Lakes,” said Pepe. “It’s absolutely beautiful and it’s an ice-class polarized vessel.”

As an added attraction, passengers on board will be able to take advantage of two submersible vessels that can be deployed for the guests to explore shipwrecks and other underwater life.

“It’s a big development in cruising and it definitely appeals to a global audience like a global clientele and affluent travelers that are looking to connect with a new destination,” Pepe added.

Toronto Star

Kingston’s Marine Museum of the Great Lakes gets ready to open its doors

Kingston, ON  – COVID-19 has taken its toll on a number of sectors, including tourism. But for at least one Kingston museum and one local art gallery, that’s about to change. Starting on Feb. 9, the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes will be conducting tours. At the Marine Museum, lessons will be learned about Kingston and the water that surrounds it.

“We’re the only museum in Canada representing the maritime heritage of the Great Lakes,” says Michelle Clarabut, the museum’s programs and communications manager.“ We’re very committed to being able to connect people with that natural, social, cultural heritage in any way that we can through programs, through exhibits, through guided tours and even on social media.”

Clarabut says there were a few people through the museum a few months ago, but when the doors open on Feb. 9, it will mark the first time since 2016 that the general public has been able to visit the Ontario Street facility.

“For those who register for our pre-booked guided tour of our national historic site, the Kingston drydock, you’d be welcomed by a staff member who will take you on a 45-minute guided tour of the site,” says Clarabut.

“Weather permitting, we will start outside and come inside — at this time of year, likely the the whole inside. But we’ll take you through the entire historic site and see spaces that have not been seen in many, many years.”

Obituary: Captain Nathan Smith

Capt. Nathan Smith passed peacefully on Wednesday Jan.19, at Sarnia, ON, in his 93rd. year. Captain Smith was born in Petrolia and moved with his family to Sarnia as a young boy and remained in the Sarnia area until the present time. He first went to sea at the age of 15 on the ship Hamonic. He left to return to school but after two years he went back to sea and has been a sailor ever since. He loved sailing and never looked back. He came aboard the Imperial Sarnia in 1969 and acquired his captain’s papers in 1974. He loved his ship and his life on the Great Lakes

He had a great sense of humor and loved to share his stories of being on the ships for 42 years. After retirement, he enjoyed many years on his yacht ‘Masters Plan’. He was a member of the International Ship Masters Association (ISMA), Port Huron Lodge No. 2 and For decades was an active photographer, writer for Imperial Oil Fleet News.

He will be greatly missed by his loving wife Velma Smith and family. He was predeceased by his parents Dorothy and Lyall Smith, his 3 brothers, 2 sisters and his daughter Dorothy Smith. Memories and condolences may be sent online at www.smithfuneralhome.ca

In the search for less carbon-intensive fuels, freighters powered by soybeans may be the answer

Toronto, ON – When the lights in the ship’s galley didn’t flicker, CSL Group’s Louis Martel knew he was on to something.

The Atlantic Huron’s power generator, which fed electricity to the cabins, unloading machinery and other auxiliary functions on the Great Lakes freighter, was running on a blend of marine diesel and biofuel made from soybeans. The successful test was the first step in what is believed to be the world’s largest trial of powering massive cargo ships with biodiesel.

Canada Steamship Lines, the domestic arm of CSL, expanded the trial over the past few years, gradually increasing the fuel mix to 100-per-cent soybean-derived diesel and running eight of its 16 ships on the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes in 2021. The fuel swap reduced carbon emissions at each ship’s smokestack by almost 12 per cent without requiring any modifications to the engine. There were no failures, and repeated mechanical teardowns and inspections showed no excessive wear.

“Reducing our environmental footprint has been an objective of the company for many years,” said Mr. Martel, chief executive officer of the Montreal-based shipping company. “It showed that we can operate our fleet with biodiesel as a drop-in fuel, we don’t have to modify any piece of our engine or equipment.”

In the search for less carbon-intensive fuels, the transportation industry is exploring wider uses of electric batteries, hydrogen and ammonia to power ships, planes, cars, trains and trucks. Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. has converted one locomotive to run on hydrogen and is working on two more, with financial aid from the province of Alberta. Several global ship operators are developing vessels powered by ammonia. Plane makers are working with electric- and hydrogen-powered propulsion.

However, most of these innovations are years from being commercially viable, and require big investments in engines and fuel storage and other infrastructure. Ammonia, most hydrogen and often electricity require the production of petroleum, undercutting their emissions-free claims.

Eric Galbraith, a professor in McGill University’s department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, said it is “absolutely essential” the shipping industry moves away from fossil fuels, which are the main cause of climate change.

Maritime transport, which moves 90 per cent of the world’s goods, emits 2.5 per cent of greenhouse gases, or 940 million tonnes a year, according to the European Commission.

“Transportation, of which shipping is a major part, adds up to a major source of CO2 emissions, as well as particulate aerosols, which are bad for health,” Prof. Galbraith said. “I doubt biodiesel will be the best long-term solution for shipping – hopefully, we will have other options in future that will have even lower impacts. But for now, it’s an easy change to make, and it’s essential that we get off fossil fuels as quickly as possible.”

CSL turned to biodiesel, made from the refuse oil that is a byproduct of crushing soybeans into livestock feed, because it is a direct replacement for diesel. Biodiesel pollutes less when burned and is biodegradable if it spills, an important consideration for the marine industry. It also replaces petroleum production, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent from the oil well to the ship’s wake.

“It’s a very simple way to green your operation,” said Giovanni Angelucci, vice-president of Canada Clean Fuels Inc., which supplies biodiesel to CSL as well as cities, trucking companies and other consumers across Ontario.

However, biodiesel thickens in cold weather and has a shorter shelf life than diesel. It is also almost twice as expensive as marine diesel, costing about $2,200 a tonne compared with $1,200 for marine diesel. In a ship that burns 15 or 20 tonnes a day, that can make moving such low-value goods as iron ore or wheat a money-losing venture. (For the trial, CSL said it split the added costs with its partners.)

CSL had to get a permit from the federal government to run its trial because biodiesel is not an approved marine fuel. Mr. Martel said CSL plans to extend the trial this year, and there are plans to widen biodiesel’s use to the dozens of ships it sails on international waters.

Hicham Ayoun, a Transport Canada spokesman, said the government will study the safety and emissions results of the trial before a decision is made on the widespread approval of 100-per-cent biodiesel.

Read more at this Globe and Mail link: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-in-the-search-for-less-carbon-intensive-fuels-great-lakes-freighters/?fbclid=IwAR13biWWd48YpnCoQEA6RRiEHDX5Gq1GEYbf-SBlNiBsvMp2bFo-A_KGvUQ

Icebreaker shortage slows deliveries to Alpena, other ports

Alpena, MI –  A shortage of U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers slowed cargo destined for Great Lakes ports last month.

January ice trapped sailors on freighters trying to get through the Soo Locks – including crew members from Alpena, Rogers City, and the surrounding area – as breakdowns forced the Coast Guard to remove icebreakers from service, according to Eric Peace, secretary of the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force.

Every ship delayed in the Soo, the Sault Ste. Marie passage between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes, means a delay for those waiting for the goods onboard the freighters, from salt for slippery roads to raw materials to build infrastructure, Peace said.

A provision in the federal Build Back Better Act, which passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, would allocate $350 million for the construction of a new Coast Guard icebreaker for the Great Lakes.

Meanwhile, 20 voyages and 750,000 tons of carrying capacity for iron ore, coal, and cement were delayed in January because the Coast Guard lacked the capacity to keep up with Great Lakes ice, Peace said.

Coast Guard cutters lost a total of 68 icebreaking days in the first weeks of January because of equipment fires or engine breakdowns, in addition to scheduled maintenance. At one point in January, five of eight Coast Guard icebreakers were simultaneously unavailable because of mechanical failures.

Icebreakers were unable to dislodge the freighter American Century, the last upbound ship of the season, when it got stuck in ice in the St. Mary’s River on its way to the Soo Locks, delaying three ships trying to leave Lake Superior before the locks closed for winter maintenance on Jan. 15.

That forced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin draining the locks for maintenance a day later than planned, and “a day late to the Army Corps is a big deal,” Peace said.

The Army Corps closes the locks from Jan. 15 until March 25 each year, performing needed maintenance on the locks in a tight timeframe so shipping operations can resume as quickly as possible to keep the country’s flow of commerce moving.

Tugboats like the tug Manitou, which frequents Thunder Bay to break ice for vessels headed for the Lafarge Alpena harbor, ensure freighters and barges reach small piers, docks, and harbors but are not built to withstand the heavier ice in the middle of Great Lakes and in federal navigational channels, Peace said.

In addition to slowing the transportation of cargo and potentially threatening dock workers’ jobs, lack of icebreakers can endanger vessels and the people aboard them. In past years, ice has sliced ships open and caused collisions, Peace reported.

One Canadian vessel was nearly forced aground in the Straits of Mackinac by ice this year, with the closest Coast Guard icebreaker more than 12 hours away.

The freighter Alpena, too, struggled in ice near the end of the season as it tried to get through the Straits of Mackinac on its way to Thunder Bay, according to Peace.

With Great Lakes temperatures at record-breaking warmth this fall, ice breaking did not begin until December 29 this season, two weeks later than usual.

Alpena News

https://www.thealpenanews.com/news/local-news/2022/02/icebreaker-shortage-slows-deliveries-to-alpena-other-ports/?fbclid=IwAR1QiOLrwgAhInv7-vEcVR7ceI6X56EpP46e94AS3P6K_f8kZTUd8wlQVJc

Port of Cleveland sees 69% increase in tonnage in 2021

Cleveland, OH – Cleveland’s port was well used in 2021 amid ongoing supply-chain issues across the U.S.

The Port of Cleveland on Thursday reported a 69% increase in tonnage across its docks compared to 2020. The port said significant increases in goods both in and out of containers, and iron ore shipments to the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works steel mill, drove the increase.

The general cargo terminal ­– which includes steel, containers, project cargo, salt and cement ­– saw 649,324 metric tons go across the docks, a 57% increased from 2020. It’s the second-highest total in 10 years, slightly behind 2015 numbers. The bulk terminal, where iron ore and limestone are delivered, saw a 71% increase over 2020 with 6,943,139 tons.

The Port said shipping container volume also doubled. “Our cargo volumes bounced back in a big way in 2021 across the board, which indicates business is up at regional firms that depend on our Port,” said William Friedman, president and CEO of the Port of Cleveland. “We are particularly pleased to see containerized cargo grow significantly because we’ve worked for years to position Cleveland as an alternative to congested coastal ports.”

The Port expanded its iron-ore tunnel and its main gate at the general cargo facility in 2021. It also reactivated its foreign trade zone.

According to the port, cargo owners used Cleveland as a new solution to avoid coastal ports, which have been backed up in the last year. The Cleveland port is the only one on the Great Lakes with container shipping.

Cleveland.com

https://www.cleveland.com/business/2022/02/port-of-cleveland-sees-69-increase-in-tonnage-in-2021.html?fbclid=IwAR04Js8mltu2bMaMgq_vjv6b78_T-TLXYkCuI5bx3TqFWaIuvtisoaU1jOk