Port of Indiana cheers arrival of brewery tanks

   The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor said it was “smooth ale-ing” for the bulk carrier M/V Federal Mackinac as it arrived carrying 12 brewery tanks destined for a Michigan brewery.
   Each cylindrical brewery tank can hold the equivalent of 800 barrels of beer — 198,400 pints. Each brewery tanks weighs 25,353 pounds and is 40 feet long and 14 feet in diameter. The total weight for this cargo was 138 metric tons, the port said.
   “When you consider our port’s strategic location in the U.S., its logistical access to ocean vessels, river barges, rail and truck transportation and our experienced cargo-handling services, our port is uniquely qualified to handle oversized cargoes,” said Ian Hirt, the port director. 
   “For large shipments of beer tanks, wind turbines or machinery, shippers can realize significant savings by keeping the cargo on water as long as possible, rather than dealing with the hassle, permitting and costs to drive oversized loads to or from the East Coast or West Coast. Having ocean access in Indiana is a tremendous advantage for Midwest shippers,” Hirt said.
   The stainless-steel tanks arrived from an international manufacturer and were discharged from the M/V Federal Mackinac by Federal Marine Terminal’s shore crane into a storage area. The brewery tanks were then scheduled to be loaded onto heavy-haul semi-trucks for final delivery.