April 18 - The Port of Longview has discharged wind turbine blades measuring 177 ft (54 m) in length for wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, which the port claims are the longest blades to be discharged at the US port since 2003 when it began handling wind
The port utilised both of its Liebherr mobile harbour cranes to lift the blades off of the vessel and place them onto railcars running along the port's on-dock rail system. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) labourers secured the blades to swivelling bases to ensure they were locked into place, but still able to rotate with each turn along the rail line to their final destination in Illinois.
"Operations like these require a lot of attention to detail and strategising to ensure that it is efficient and cost effective for both the port and the customer," said the senior terminal superintendent, Larry Landgraver.
According to the Port of Longview, it is the only port on the west coast to discharge blades directly onto railcars, an operation it is planning on expanding in the near future.
