Greens Port Mechanical Team Keeps Wind Energy Moving The wind energy market is growing at a rapid
The wind units are typically transported on
pace and the Watco team at Greens Port is seeing
flatcars that are equipped with special fixtures
a large number of turbines moving through the
used to secure the equipment to the railcar.
port. One essential piece to moving the massive
The Watco mechanical team has been seeing
units is ensuring the railcars are inspected and
an average of about 135 cars each week.
repaired prior to being loaded and delivered to one of the port’s Class I partners.
“We can have a short window once the cars arrive to get them inspected and repaired,” said
Watco’s Keith Johnson, Manager of Mechanical,
Johnson. “Depending on when the cars arrive,
directs the crew tasked with inspecting and
we can be working weekends and longer days
repairing every single wind energy railcar arriving
to ensure the cars are completed and staged
at the port. Wind turbine traffic has picked
at the docks and ready to be loaded.”
up at the port recently and the two-man crew of Alfredo Vazquez and Roger Howard have been dedicated solely to managing to the wind cars. Additional assistance from the mobile mechanical crew is pulled in when needed. “Keith and team do a great job coordinating with the Greens Port rail ops team on the arrivals of the wind energy trains to ensure they are inspected and repaired in a timely manner,” said Damian Cantrell, Watco’s Vice President of Rail and Liquids. “The inspection and repairs are a key component of the success Watco has in pushing
Watco’s Vice President of Houston Sales, Maureen Solomon, said the services provided by the mechanical team at the port are an important piece in keeping the wind energy business at the port.“ Having an experienced team on site who are able to provide inspections and repairs is a big part of the service package we can offer our wind energy partners. When they come to Greens Port, they know they have a one-stop solution for taking care of their supply chain needs.”
these trains through the facility in a safe and very efficient manner.” September 2021 | The Dispatch 5
