OSWEGO — The Port of Oswego Authority’s Central New York Agricultural Center, a project handled in partnership with C&S Companies, has received a silver award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), New York Chapter. “Oswego is home to the largest facility of its kind on Lake Ontario and the most technologically advanced handling […]
OSWEGO — The Port of Oswego Authority’s Central New York Agricultural Center, a project handled in partnership with C&S Companies, has received a silver award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), New York Chapter.
“Oswego is home to the largest facility of its kind on Lake Ontario and the most technologically advanced handling system in New York State and on the Great Lakes and has an on-site USDA lab,” William Scriber, executive director and CEO of the Port of Oswego Authority (POA), said in announcing the award. “The grain handling capacity and conveyance improvements from this project have helped propel the Port to its highest level of business in years. We applaud C&S for being recognized for this award, and for the great job they did on the project.” The $15 million project involved the construction of a centralized control building with dedicated spaces for electrical controls, the air-compressor system, and the automated silo-controls center. Installation of a new 4,000-amp electrical service powered the new silo. It also entailed setting up a fiber-optic network, implementing security upgrades, and executing drainage improvements. The POA selected C&S Cos. to design and oversee the construction of its Grain Handling Capacity and Conveyance Improvements Project. For decades, the POA stored grain from local farmers on the ground under aging, timber-domed buildings, it said. The authority manually loaded it out for shipment by ship or rail. Recently, the POA began exporting grain internationally. To maintain its USDA export license, the Port of Oswego needed a modern silo and conveyance system, per the release. The new system is automated and includes a 21,000-metric-ton silo, an unloading pit for trucks and rail, and load-out systems for railcar, truck, and ship. Additionally, two on-site laboratories were upgraded: one for USDA inspectors to verify exports and one for SUNY Oswego to test inbound grain. “We have more than 100 local farmers who deliver grain to the Port. This system can unload a truckload of grain (35,000 lbs.) in less than a minute, and it can load a railcar (100 tons of grain) in just minutes. This reduced unloading time allows farmers the ability to flow more grain into the facility,” Scriber said. ACEC New York represents and supports engineering professionals in New York state. It advocates for them with its clients and all levels of government. It also offers education, inclusion, partnering, and knowledge sharing. The Port of Oswego says its strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market, puts it less than 350 miles from 60 million people.