BNSF Logistics, Tri Global Energy team up to develop wind energy logistics center

BNSF Logistics L.L.C. and Tri Global Energy L.L.C. (TGE) in late February formalized an agreement to align their resources, market knowledge and industry relationships to support BNSF Logistics' development of a wind energy logistics center in West Texas.

A site has been selected for the center in the heart of a proposed TGE project and development is under way. The initial stage calls for developing 40 acres, although BNSF Logistics holds an option on 200 acres. When fully developed, the center will receive, store and load out hundreds of turbine components each month, receiving components via both rail and truck, said BNSF Logistics and TGE officials in a press release.

Aligning infrastructure, resources and services to the wind energy industry in the West Texas region will enable BNSF Logistics to fast-track development and "ultimately deliver the improved economies that the industry covets,” said BNSF Logistics Chief Marketing Officer Jim Craig.

In September 2013, TGE announced the largest community-sponsored wind farm project proposed to date in the United States. The company has 16 planned projects in various stages of development and has more than 640,000 acres under lease for current and future development.

"West Texas has emerged as the 'bulls-eye' for wind energy projects in North America, due to ideal wind speeds, geography and being at the nexus of the three U.S. power grids," said TGE Chief Executive Officer John Billingsley.

Discussions regarding the center are under way with a number of wind energy component and original equipment manufacturers, and component transloading and in-transit handling innovations are being developed, BNSF Logistics officials said.

"[We were] very active in wind energy in 2011 and 2012, and we are fully prepared to take our participation to the next level in 2014-15," said BNSF Logistics President Ray Greer.