One of the twin mobile harbor cranes that longshore workers use to handle wind energy components in Vancouver.
The Port of Vancouver, Wash., has been identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as the leading U.S. port in handling cargo related to wind energy projects. The port handled more than 2,700 pieces of wind turbines in 2009, utilizing near-dock rail transloading facilities, and the regional and national highway networks. The port’s two Liebherr heavy-lift mobile harbor cranes have a single crane lift capacity of 140 metric tons (mt), and tandem picks to 280 mt, according to the port.