Officials welcomed the new ocean vessel Federal Indiana to Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor on Monday.
It is the ship’s first visit to its namesake state.
Fednav, a Canadian bulk shipping company, owns and operates Federal Indiana, which was launched in 2024. The vessel is 200 meters long and 24 meters wide. It is the maximum dimension for vessels that pass through the locks connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
“The ship was named after the state of Indiana because it is one of the most important international shipping destinations for Fednav,” said Paul Pathy, Fednav president and CEO, in a press release. “This new vessel signifies our strong commitment to Great Lakes shipping and a strategic decision to maintain one of the youngest fleets in the world.”
Montreal-based Fednav operates a fleet of 120 vessels that transport more than 30 million tons of cargo worldwide. The company operated the general cargo terminal at Burns Harbor for nearly 30 years until 2023. It also provides a liner service, FALLine, that sails between Europe and Burns Harbor.
“It’s a tremendous honor to welcome the Federal Indiana to our port and to know that this vessel carries the name of our state around the world as it delivers critical cargoes to global markets,” Jody Peacock, Ports of Indiana CEO, said. “This vessel symbolizes the strong partnership between Fednav and Ports of Indiana that has existed for decades as well as the prominent role Indiana plays in international shipping on the Great Lakes.”
According to the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., Indiana is responsible for more than half of the U.S. economic activity generated by Great Lakes shipping.
The Federal Indiana arrived in Burns Harbor carrying 11,798 metric tons of tinplate for use in the canning industry. It also carried 3,025 metric tons of steel coils for Arcelor Mittal. The cargo originated in Germany and was transported via barge, truck and rail to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium. From there it was loaded on the Federal Indiana and set sail for Burns Harbor on Oct. 4.
Ports of Indiana is a statewide port authority operating three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. Established in 1961, Ports of Indiana is a statewide resource for maritime issues, international trade and multimodal logistics.
