Saginaw River Docks - Consumers Energy

The first dock incoming vessels see is the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville. Located just off the Front Range of the Saginaw River, it is the longest dock on the river at over a half mile long. This dock was rebuilt and lengthened just over a year ago making it the newest along the river.

Walter J McCarthy unloading at Consumers with the Joyce L. - Great Lakes Trader passing outbound

The Consumers dock is serviced mainly by American Steamship Company footers delivering coal, but on occasion, equipment for the power plant is delivered by tug and barge. In 2009, there were 21 deliveries to the dock which is about average. in 2007 there were a total of 46 deliveries by a variety of vessels both large and small. This was due to problems with a shoreside unloader for the trains that also bring coal to the plant, forcing more deliveries by water to make up the difference.

Consumers Energy Dock as seen March 2010

There are plans in the works to add another coal-fired generating plant to the site in the near future. If this takes place, it would almost surly increase vessel traffic to the Consumers Energy dock.