Transport 360, which operates the St. Joseph Regional Port, is working with the wind turbine industry to unload blades, towers and components from barges at the St. Joseph Regional Port Facility.
The port has been upgraded with private investment funds estimated at $700,000 to $800,000 in capital investment for two permanent reinforced concrete unloading pads specially designed for crane offloading of barges, reinforcement and protection of the river bank and rock layment in the staging area surrounding the pads. Partners assisting with the improvement project include:
• Transport 360
• St. Joseph Regional Port Authority
• St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Partnership
• Synder and Associates
• City of St. Joseph
The first barge of blades has arrived, with a second barge of blades expected this week. In all, a total of approximately 16 barges are expected in 2020 and first part of 2021. The blades and other wind turbine components will be staged at the port after being off-loaded at the port and transported to wind farms in the northwest and northeast Missouri and eastern Kansas.
The project will remove a significant load from the highway and interstate systems by utilizing the inland river system. The blades and components are arriving in the U.S. at various ports in the Gulf of Mexico, and will be transported by barge up the Mississippi and Missouri River to St. Joseph. The project is expected to last upwards of five years and has the potential to remove over 1,000 heavy semi-trailer loads from the U.S. highway system.
