The Port of Milwaukee has a new $40 million ag export facility from which handymax bulk vessels – typically between 150 and 200 meters in length – can deliver commodities to international buyers through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway.
The facility will have a storage capacity of 45,000 metric tons and is expected to handle primarily distillers’ grains, but can also ship corn, soybeans and other commodities, according to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
Port Director Jackie Carter called the facility an “integral link in the Wisconsin economy” in a statement published by AMS. “In this case, we are connecting Wisconsin farmers, growers, and producers with new international markets,” she said.
Why it’s important: Wisconsin’s nine ethanol plants have been shipping most of their distillers’ grains on trucks to Chicago for export in containers. Now the corn product can be sent via rail or truck to the Port of Milwaukee for bulk shipment. AMS estimates the new construction will eliminate about 1,600 truck trips annually while also offering the potential to serve Iowa and Minnesota ethanol plants.
