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Coal Plant O&M: River Locks and Barges Are an Aging Workforce, Too

Douglas J. Smith, IEng

During 2005, about 150 million tons of coal were transported to power plants by hopper barges plying U.S. inland waterways. With coal-fired plants expected to continue producing 50% of America’s electricity, coal barge traffic is not likely to fall off. In fact, it may increase, for two reasons.

One is cost. Shipping coal by barge (Figure 1) is cheaper than sending it by rail. According to Daniel T. Martin, a senior VP for Ingram Barge Co., barges account for 15% of total U.S. shipped coal tonnage, but those shipments produce just 5% of the industry’s freight costs. Martin says the barging of coal reduces stress on U.S. highways and railroads — a big benefit for communities concerned about crowded roads and busy rail crossings.






Cheers, Skip