Ann Arbor, Mich. – Four 30-year-old generators on two Great Lakes bulk carriers will be repowered next winter with cleaner, more fuel-efficient diesel engines with help from a $1.2 million federal stimulus grant recently awarded to the Great Lakes Commission. The grant will support a $1.6 million project to be carried out at a Wisconsin shipyard on two self-unloading vessels owned and operated by the American Steamship Company (ASC) of Williamsville, N.Y.

The 900-horsepower diesel generator sets, two on each vessel, were original equipment on the 770-foot M/V St. Clair built in 1976 and the 1,000-foot M/V Indiana Harbor built in 1979. The units are used to supply electrical power to the vessels. The two ASC vessels operate primarily in the iron ore, coal and stone trades between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes.

By replacing the old generator sets – unregulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) because of their age – with new models that comply with EPA Tier 2 emissions regulations, nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions will be reduced by 46 percent and carbon monoxide by 74 percent. This will result in some 9.1 tons less NOx over a year and 2.8 tons less CO. Significant reductions will also be realized in hydrocarbons and particulate matter, and greater fuel efficiency will save up to 8,500 gallons of fuel a year per engine.

“Since these ships call on many Great Lakes ports in cities such as Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland that are struggling to meet air quality goals, the project will have significant air quality benefits not only in Wisconsin, but throughout the Great Lakes region,” said Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle. “These Recovery Act funds will not only put people to work in Wisconsin, they will make lasting improvements to our environment so generations to come can continue to enjoy all the benefits the Great Lakes have to offer.”

The repowering work, to be done during the winter lay-up season of 2010 at a yet-to-be-determined Wisconsin shipyard, will fulfill American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) objectives of job creation by generating over 12,000 labor hours, which translates to about 34 full-time jobs. Also supported will be jobs involved in manufacturing and shipping the new diesel units.

$156 million was made available by ARRA to the U.S. EPA’s Clean Diesel program which issued a request for proposals in March 2009 for projects aimed at reducing diesel emissions, particularly in “non-attainment areas” of poor air quality. The award to the GLC of $1.209 million will be matched by a 25 percent non-federal share of $403,000 supplied by ASC. The Commission will serve as the project’s financial administrator with ASC providing overall project management. The equipment installation is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2010 Great Lakes navigation season in April 2010.

“Much of the EPA’s Clean Diesel program has historically been focused on surface transportation modes, namely truck and bus fleets and railroad locomotives,” said Tim Eder, GLC executive director. “We are pleased to help the agency become more familiar with, and more involved with the marine mode on the Great Lakes where much of the equipment is long-lived and a good candidate for new technology.”

Todd Ambs, water division administrator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and GLC vice chair, noted that the timing of the grant is especially good for a northern Wisconsin ship building and repair industry that has been hit hard by the current economic downturn. “This is great news for the Wisconsin economy and great news for air quality in the Midwest,” he said.

For immediate release: July 21, 2009  |  Download PDF
Contact: Dave Knight, [email protected], office: 734-971-9135

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The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Gov. Patrick Quinn (Ill.), is an interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents. The Commission consists of governors’ appointees, state legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a “Declaration of Partnership.” The Commission maintains a formal Observer programinvolving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.