Port Authority has highest annual tonnage since 2011
The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority recently announced a 22-percent increase in tonnage through the Port of Toledo in 2021, when compared to 2020.
A total of 11,428,753 short tons traveled through the Port of Toledo last year – the highest tonnage the seaport has seen since 2011. The Port of Toledo also set a record for the most aluminum handled in a season totaling nearly 276,000 short tons.
Additionally, iron ore tonnage at the Port of Toledo was the highest reported since 1979. The increase in iron ore is mainly attributed to the start of operations of the new Cleveland-Cliffs Toledo Direct Reduction Plant at Ironville Terminal.
The Port Authority continues to make investments at the Port of Toledo by improving infrastructure and facilities at its General Cargo Dock, managed by Midwest Terminals of Toledo, increasing the Port’s handling and storage capabilities.
In 2021, the Port Authority purchased a new Liebherr 550 Mobile Harbor Crane with $5.5 million in state funds awarded through the Ohio Maritime Assistance Grant Program (MAP). The new crane complements the Port of Toledo’s two existing Liebherr 280 Mobile Harbor Cranes, which were acquired in 2010. The Liebherr 550 has increased efficiency at the port and further modernizes its handling capabilities with its capacity to facilitate heavy lifts, as well as handle bulk, project cargo, scrap, and containers. The crane has a maximum capacity of 154 tons per swing and a lift height maximum of 148 feet.
This year, the Port Authority is moving forward with reconstructing and upgrading the dockwall at the General Cargo Dock, which is funded through a combination of state and federal grant funds totaling $24 million. The Port Authority will also invest $3.5 million in state funding to purchase a new bulk material conveyor system at the General Cargo Dock.
The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System marine shipping industry supports nearly 238,000 jobs in the U.S. and Canada and generates $35 billion in economic activity. The System moves 143.5 million metric tons of cargo annually. The Port of Toledo supports $669 million in economic activity and more than 7,000 jobs in the region. The mission of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is to develop expertise and assets that drive and grow the region’s transportation and logistics infrastructure and its economy.