The Prince Rupert Port Authority and Maher Terminals have also instituted performance standards that include having import containers loaded and moving within 3.5 days. Recently concluded labour agreements were designed to ensure a high level of labour stability at Pacific Gateway ports, railways and throughout the supply chain through 2010. Furthermore, the national Government of Canada and the Government of BC are committed to keeping goods moving and have quickly ended past labour disruptions. In addition to port, rail, road and infrastructure expansion to increase capacity, other efficiency measures to reduce bottlenecks and congestion and enhance competitiveness include efforts to develop smart systems that reduce commercial vehicle stops at weigh-in stations, a Government of Canada commitment of over C$430 million to more efficient border crossings, as well as increasing the number of border security and marine ports officers. Below we highlight the recent achievements of Canada’s major ports and report on their current plans.
Port of Prince Rupert
The Port of Prince Rupert has sailed safely through the receding global economic storm, recording its highest volume throughput since 1997. The port handled 12,173,672 tonnes of cargo in 2009, up 15 percent over 2008 volumes. The higher volumes in 2009 were not driven by one line of business, but were up for most Prince Rupert facilities including containers and bulk cargo. The Fairview Container Terminal handled 265,259 TEU in 2009, a 45.9 percent increase over 2008, despite the global economic downturn that has resulted in declining container traffic through other North American West Coast ports. Prince Rupert Port Authority President & CEO Don Krusel says over the first two full years of operations, Fairview Terminal and CN’s North American network has provided shippers unparalleled reliability, speed and cost efficiency year round. “We are confident that the Port of Prince Rupert and our partners, including CN, Maher Terminals, longshore workers and the shipping lines, have demonstrated the competitive advantages of the Port of Prince Rupert as a gateway for transpacific container trade,” notes Krusel. “Our continued growth reflects the increasing confidence and satisfaction of our customers with the quality of service they are receiving through the Prince Rupert Gateway.” On the bulk cargo side of the business, Prince Rupert Grain (PRG) volumes jumped 35.1 percent to 5,080,834 tonnes, the terminal’s highest throughput since 1994. Wheat shipments, the core of PRG’s business, were up 55.8 percent to 4,638,010 tonnes, offsetting decreases in volumes for barley, canola and grain pellets. Ridley Terminals Inc experienced a surge in coal volumes in the second half 2009, following a weak first half, to push total traffic to 4,159,679 tonnes. This was down 14.2 percent for the year compared to 2008. While overall metallurgical and thermal coal volumes declined 30.9 percent due to weak global demand, this was significantly offset by strong increases in coking coal (110.5 percent), petroleum coke (46.4 percent) and wood pellets (108.7 percent). In the cruise business, passenger traffic was down 46.8 percent as a result of the loss of a weekly cruise vessel port of call in 2009. Looking ahead in 2010, Krusel says the port remains focused on growing container volumes and furthering the progress of the Phase 2 expansion of the Fairview Container Terminal. A second priority is the development of the Ridley Industrial Park to accommodate new terminal and logistic services development to support the expansion of the Port of Prince Rupert. “We have not only created a new trade corridor for trans-pacific container trade, but also have drawn the attention of the shipping world and opened the door to a multitude of new investment and development opportunities.”
Port of Montreal
The Port of Montreal’s market diversification mitigated the impact of the global economic crisis on its 2009 traffic results, recently announced the Montreal Port Authority. In fact, container traffic with the Mediterranean grew 5.5% while marine grain shipping traffic also rose, recording a 14.7% increase over the previous year. Overall throughput at the grain terminal (ships, trains and trucks) in 2009 totalled 2,418,559 tonnes, an increase of 4.4%. “The diversification of our markets puts the Port of Montreal in a strong position to benefit from the economic recovery. Moreover, recent growth in certain types of dry bulk cargo traffic, such as iron ore, could be a harbinger of economic recovery,” stated the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montreal Port Authority, Ms Sylvie Vachon. All traffic combined, the drop in volume handled at the Port of Montreal was 12% compared to 2008, reaching 24.5 million tonnes. The volume of containerised cargo recorded a 15.4% decrease, to total just over 11.3 million tonnes. In the number of full and empty TEU, the decrease amounted to 15.3% over the same period in 2008, to total 1,247,690 TEU. The volume of bulk cargo experienced an 8.7% decline, reaching just over 13 million tonnes. The volumes of petroleum products remained essentially the same with an increase of 0.4%. The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) operates the world’s largest inland port. It is a leader among container ports, through which more than 24.5 million tonnes of cargo transited in 2009. More than 1,260,000 TEU were handled at the Port of Montreal in 2009. The Port of Montreal owns its own rail network, operated directly on the piers. It is linked to two major railways and a highway system. The Port also operates a grain terminal and a marine passenger terminal. All other terminals are operated by private stevedoring firms.
Port Metro Vancouver
This January Port Metro Vancouver’s new third berth at Deltaport officially opened for business. The new berth is a $400 million investment in the future of Canada’s Pacific Gateway. Deltaport is the largest container terminal in Canada, handling approximately 45 percent of the containerised cargo that moves through Canada’s west coast and more than half of the containerised cargo through Port Metro Vancouver. The new third berth will increase Deltaport’s capacity by 50 percent. Deltaport’s expansion project is in direct response to the growing needs of Canadian industry and consumer demand. The $400 million infrastructure investment was completed on-budget and on-time by Port Metro Vancouver and Global Container Terminals. “Over the next 10 years, container traffic through the west coast is expected to double,” said PMV President and Chief Executive Robin Silvester. “The new berth at Deltaport is part of a long-term plan to strengthen Canada’s Pacific Gateway and ensure our ability to accommodate the growth in container trade in particular with Pacific Rim economies like China.” Last year, PMV’s container throughput fell 14% to 2.15m TEU, but recent months have shown a moderate rise as the global recession loses momentum. Meanwhile, a project to build a new three-berth terminal at Deltaport, known as the Terminal 2 project, remains part of PMV’s corporate plans, though actual completion has been delayed until about 2020.