b'Breakbulk lumber is booming at the Port of Lake CharlesBREAKBULK LUMBER IS BOOMING AT THE PORT OF LAKE CHARLESBreakbulk lumber is booming at the Port of Lake CharlesLouisiana port is also considering development of an offshore wind facility.By Peter Buxbaum, AJOTJul 25, 2022 | Published originally in AJOT Issue #743L ake Charles, Louisiana has been a port of call since the earlyof its 900,000 square feet of warehousing capacity in 2021. The 1800s for vessels picking up cargoes of Louisiana lumber.port has started to replace some of that lost capacity by putting The local sawmill and lumber industries saw increased growthup two tension fabric buildings totaling 100,000 square feet.after the end of the Civil War, when rebuilding efforts in theWe hope to have those up and running by September of South stimulated the demand for lumber. The turn of the 20ththis year, said Chretien.century saw a declining lumber industry at the port, in partOther breakbulk growth areas for the Port of Lake Charles because sandbars made the Calcasieu River impassable to allhave been in structural steel and rubber shipments. A recent but shallow-draft schooners. shipment saw 10,000 cubic meters of steel going to Israel. We Fast forward to 2022, and lumber is now the biggest growthexpect to be handling two more structural steel shipments by cargo for the Port of Lake Charles. In 2019, the port handledthe end of the year, said Chretien. And, in a first for the port, a 12,000 cubic meters of lumber. That grew to 111,000 cubicnearby Firestone plant loaded a breakbulk ship with synthetic meters in 2020 and 128,000 in 2021. rubber destined for customers in Spain and Poland.Weve already exceeded 2021s total this year, saidThe future of breakbulk at Lake Charles could include Therrance Chretien, the cargo and trade development directordevelopment of an offshore wind port. The port handled several for the Port of Lake Charles. We are projecting to handle overshipments of wind blades and power components between 300,000 cubic meters of lumber in our facilities in 2022. 2019 and 2021. So far this year, however, there has been no Lumber Shipments action on that front. Tax credits for new offshore wind projects These days, the lumber handled at Lake Charles are importsexpired at the end of last year, which may account for the lack from Europe. Ultrabulk, a dry bulk and breakbulk operatorof activity. A fresh package of tax credits is included in the headquartered in Denmark, began calling on the port in 2020,so-called reconciliation bill which is currently pending before delivering loads of pine and spruce dimensional lumber fromCongress.Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, and Spain.Offshore Wind ProjectsMany of the loads are destined for Home Depot and LowesLast year, the port hired the Moffatt & Nichol consulting locations in Louisiana and Texas, while others go to distributionfirm to examine the feasibility of developing an offshore wind centers throughout the country. Demand for the lumber ismarshalling port and/or a manufacturing port on land parcels mostly in the residential sector, said Chretien. Ultrabulk hasthat are available or may become available at the ports increased the numbers of its customers bringing lumber intoIndustrial Canal. The port is located in close proximity to the Lake Charles from five to eight since it began calling on the port,strong offshore wind resource located off the coast of Texas he added. and westernLouisiana, the consultants report noted. Sites The Port of Lake Charles is challenged to handle the growthat the Industrial Canal may become available to support the in breakbulk cargoes because Hurricane Laura destroyed halfoffshore wind industry as a marshaling or staging facility, and/or an offshore wind component factory. The potential Industrial 8'