Release Date: 6/1/2009

PORTAGE, Ind. – Giant wind turbine components are being unloaded today and tomorrow at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor for one of the world's largest wind farms under construction in northwestern Indiana.

The components, brought from Europe on the ship BBC Amazon, will be used in Phase I of the Meadow Lake Wind Farm, a 26,000 acre "clean energy" project in White and Benton counties that at full build-out could have 600 turbines powering more than 250,000 homes. This shipment included 30 power generators and 30 turbine hubs, which connect the 120-foot-long blades scheduled to arrive at the port on a second ship in mid-June.

The BBC Amazon, chartered by Baltship out of Denmark, is being unloaded by port stevedore Federal Marine Terminals with dockworkers from the International Longshoremen's Assoc. Local 1969 and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. The 60 components, totaling more than 2,000 tons, will be unloaded in less than two days.

The turbines were built by Denmark-based Vestas Wind Systems, the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world, which has installed 38,000 turbines in over 60 countries since 1979. The Meadow Lake Wind Farm is owned by the Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy, which operates more than 15 wind farms across the country.

Media can contact Jody Peacock for port access and more information about the shipment at (317) 233-6225 or jpeacock@portsofindiana.com