Blown away! Galveston Wharves reaches new wind cargo milestone

Galveston Wharves set a new wind turbine cargo record in May, importing more than 500 pieces, including tower sections, blades and nacelles.

As wind energy imports have steadily increased over the past 15 years to meet the nation’s transition to renewable energy, the port and its partners have made improvements to accommodate this growing industry.

“We’re one of the few ports with the skilled labor and infrastructure to handle these huge pieces of cargo,” said Rodger Rees, port director and CEO. 

“Our rail and roadway infrastructure are designed to efficiently move these large components. We’ve also benefited from the addition of 17 acres of privately operated laydown area with rail service for wind components opened earlier this year.” 

In May, the port imported 529 wind cargo pieces totaling 33,444 tons. That’s a 39 percent increase over the previous record of 417 pieces, equaling 24,063 tons in March 2020.  

Galveston Wharves cargo business totaled 4.3 million tons in 2020, exceeding 2019 totals by 300,000 tons, with general cargo, grain and fresh fruit leading the gains. Cargo activity generated more than 400,000 work hours for the ILA and had direct and indirect economic benefits for other related businesses.