PORTAGE, Ind. – You admire them; photograph them and can’t stop looking at the enormous wind turbines. Have you ever wondered how they got there? Ports of Indiana wants to help with that education. The Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor has posted a new billboard on I-65 south (4740 W 1150 S, Brookston, IN) in the middle of Indiana’s beloved wind farms, to help make the connection. (See the picture from the road.)

“Port Wind Cargo Powers the Region.” Here’s how it happens in Burns Harbor… Most of our wind turbine components are imported from Europe on huge ocean vessels through the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway to the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor. From there, port stevedore Federal Marine Terminals (FMT) unloads the cargo (blades, hubs, nacelles, drive trains, etc.) and they are loaded onto semi trucks. The trucks deliver the wind components (“the last mile”) to wind farms across Indiana and beyond and are then assembled.

Note that wind projects happen all around the world. There are domestic and international producers. In the end, a wind turbine may have pieces from Europe and the United States combined.

Wind turbines and components are most easily transported by ship because this mode of transportation can handle the massive size of wind cargos. Vessels are also the least disruptive mode of transportation and cost effective. However, trains and trucks are also a huge part of this multimodal transportation process. The Great Lakes region is the wind cargo hub of North America and the catalyst of renewable energy nationwide. Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor is a valuable piece to this multimodal shipping process.

There are 65,000 wind turbines across the United States that generate clean, reliable power. These turbines efficiently power homes, businesses and cities or can store for future use.

Fun facts: Many wind turbines stand 300+ feet tall (same as Statue of Liberty). One wind blade is typically 120 feet long and weighs 7 tons.

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About the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor: The Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor opened in 1970 and is operated by Ports of Indiana, a statewide port authority managing three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. Established in 1961, the Ports of Indiana is a self-funded enterprise dedicated to growing Indiana’s economy by developing and maintaining a world-class port system.

Information: portsofindiana.com. Follow us on Twitter: @PortsofIndiana.

Media Contact: Jen Hanson, jhanson@portsofindiana.com