The arrival of the Asian Spirit at the Duluth Seaway Port Authority’s Clure Public Marine Terminal has capped off a milestone summer for the Great Lakes port. Carrying 39 wind turbine blades, the vessel’s call concluded a six-voyage project that moved more than 100,000 freight tons of wind energy components in 2025 alone.
Duluth’s Wind Cargo Milestones
- 2005 — First shipment of wind turbine blades arrives via the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway.
- 2011 — Cumulative wind energy shipments surpass 1 million freight tons.
- 2020 — Single-season record of 525,000 freight tons handled.
- 2024 — Port discharges its longest blades to date, measuring 260 feet.
- 2025 — Six-voyage project delivers over 100,000 freight tons of blades, towers, and components.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of wind energy cargo deliveries to North America’s farthest-inland seaport. The first shipment of turbine components arrived in April…
