(Photo provided, Ports of Indiana)
(Photo provided, Ports of Indiana)
(Photo provided, Ports of Indiana)
In northwest Indiana, Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor has welcomed the first ocean vessel of the international shipping season. Ocean7 Ranger arrived earlier this month carrying equipment for facility improvements at U.S. Steel Gary Works. A news release said the 2026 opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway to ocean vessels marked one of the shortest winter closures for Great Lakes shipping in history, 69 days, January 12 thru March 21. To commemorate the occasion, Burns Harbor Port Director Ryan McCoy presented the Ports of Indiana “Steel Stein” to Captain Ilia Kalachov on board the Ranger, a presentation that Ports of Indiana says celebrates the first ocean vessel’s arrival and Northwest Indiana’s role as “The Steel Capital of North America.”
Ocean7 Ranger, owned and operated by a German ship management company, arrived at Indiana’s Lake Michigan port 52 days after departing from Taiwan, passing through the Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal, Atlantic Ocean, and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway. “Our port operates year-round, handling barge, rail, and truck shipments, but the arrival of the year’s first ocean vessel is a signature moment,” McCoy said. “It represents Burns Harbor’s connection to the world and new global trade opportunities for local companies. This was also one of the shortest winter closures of the Seaway on record, which underscores the capability and opportunity to expand our shipping season. Adding new icebreakers and practical technologies to extend the shipping window for vessels like the Ocean7 Ranger will allow our Great Lakes economy to better compete in global markets.”
