Demand for ore carriers booms on Great Lakes

Demand for ore carriers booms on Great Lakes

Demand for iron ore is so strong that a Great Lakes ore carrier that was idle for eight years has been put back in service.

   With the nation’s steel mills operating at more than 87 percent of capacity, shipments on the Great Lakes in July reached their highest level yet this year: 6.8 million tons, according to the Lake Carriers Association.

   “So strong is demand for iron ore that the steamer 'Edward L. Ryerson' returned to service on July 22. The ship had been idle since the end of 1998, primarily because it is a straight-decker that requires shoreside equipment to be unloaded,” the association said.

   With no excess capacity in the fleet, the 730-foot-long 'Ryerson' was fit-out at Bay Shipbuilding Co. in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The vessel’s first iron ore cargo was loaded at Escanaba, Mich., and delivered to Indiana Harbor, Ind.

   For the year, Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Seaway iron ore trade stands at 30.6 million tons, a 5.6 percent increase from the same point in 2005.