Changes at Vancouver breakbulk terminals

Last year Port Metro Vancouver was able to break the previous years’ cargo records in spite of a strike by container truckers in March. The year was summarized in a statement at year-end, “[Last year] Was marked by best-ever volumes in the bulk and container sectors, resulting in a record overall year in tonnage. The port’s terminals handled 140 million tonnes of cargo in 2014, up three per cent from 2013. Import cargo rose 4.1% to 29 million tonnes, and exports rose 3.3% to 111 million tonnes.” Port President & CEO, Robin Sylvester, commenting on the results, said: “The port had another record year for cargo volumes, illustrating the demands created by a growing Canadian economy and increasing international desire for Canadian trade.”

But, breakbulk traffic at the port was down marginally even though inbound household goods experienced an upswing of 265% (to 2,637MT), and inbound textiles increased by 922% (to 599 MT). Exports also saw major increases as the volume of construction/materials increased by1,202% (8,104 MT) as well as industrial, auto and vehicle parts by 299% (to 181MT). On the downside inbound woodpulp declined 72% (to 18719MT),and outbound wood products declined 60% (to 1,173MT) and log exports as bulk dropped 7% (to 6,553,265 MT). (A large proportion of forestry products at the port are shipped in containers). However, the biggest event on Vancouver’s waterfront was the arrival, in three sections, of an 80 metre-tall crane from China at Seaspan’s $155 million modernized shipyard on the port’s North Shore. The arrival was a sign that, after roughly 30 years, the shipbuilding industry had finally returned to the West Coast. The Cdn$155 million transformation of the shop began in 2011 when Seaspan, part of the Washington Companies headquartered in Missoula, Montana, won its share of a federal National Shipbuilding contract and set out to build seven non-combat ships for the Canadian Navy and Coast Guard. Among the group of vessels allocated to the West Coast are a new Canadian icebreaker and two large joint support ships for the navy. Construction of a new Canadian Coast Guard research vessel is now underway at the shop. The major event at Vancouver’s other breakbulk terminal on the Fraser River has been the approval of a coal transfer facilbreakbulk terminal on the Fraser River has been the approval of a coal transfer facilfacility that will move U.S. thermal coal from BNSF rail to barges to be hauled down the river to Texada Island in the Strait of Georgia for loading into bulk carriers destined for China. FSD management has said that: “Although the project proposal was for a volume of four million metric tonnes per year, there is potential to increase volumes up to eight million metric tonnes of coal per year over the longer term.” Construction of the coal transfer facility from rail to barges will require a receiving pit for unloading bottom-dump rail cars, conveyor systems, associated structures and enclosures as well as construction of a new barge loading and a snorkel loading system.