Vancouver Island container port news and discussion

How is this supposed to work again?  They unload cargo in Port Alberni onto rail, freight to Nanaimo, and then put it on the rail ferry to Vancouver

 

I am not in the freight business, but where is the savings?  If there was savings they could also do the same for Seattle and unload in Port Angeles or Port Townsend ( I think there is rail service there, but I could be wrong)

I am unaware of rail service in the Northern part of the Olympic Peninsula. There is rail service to Aberdeen so that could be an option. As I said before the savings is in having boats turnaround 2 - 3 days faster than going into Vancouver where they are already pretty much at capacity.

The 24 hectare (59 acre) Fairview Container Terminal is the first dedicated intermodal (ship to rail) container terminal in North America, with an operational capacity to move 750,000 TEUs (Twenty foot Equivalent Units) per year. It is uniquely designed to efficiently handle the largest concentration of intermodal rail business. The terminal was completed in September 2007 and commenced operations with the arrival of COSCO's Antwerp on October 31, 2007.

Maher Terminals of New Jersey, one of the world's largest independent multi-user container terminal operators, have a 30-year agreement with the Prince Rupert Port Authority.

 

http://www.rupertpor...lities/Fairview

 

 

 

The Fairview Container Terminal in Prince Rupert is closer to Asian markets than Vancouver and has direct rail service.

A terminal in Port Alberni might be closer to Asia but unless they build a rail bridge to the mainland it would not be competitive.

 

 

 

 

A rail barge across the strait would be very competitive. If you can get a container ship in a day earlier and it hits the open seas immediately that represents a massive competitive advantage.

A rail barge across the strait would be very competitive. If you can get a container ship in a day earlier and it hits the open seas immediately that represents a massive competitive advantage.

A train load of containers out of Prince Rupert could easily be 100+ cars. Presently the rail bed on the island could not handle that kind of traffic.

I like the idea of sending goods by rail, but to send containers by rail from Port Alberni to Nanaimo, and then load them onto a rail barge to Vancouver would likely take more time than if the ship went directly to Vancouver and unloaded the containers.

 

However, if the proposed Raven coal mine on Vancouver Island ever goes into production, I see rail as being the way to get the coal to a terminal in Port Alberni if the rail line was improved.

http://www.theravenproject.ca/

The shipping companies and the terminals would be different companies. Over the course of the year they could likely do a whole other trip maybe 1 and half. That is huge. The rail line would have to be upgraded and an efficient transit system for the containers established but all are easily done.

Demo'd Building in Port Albernin cant remember the name of it but this Hotel was torn down last week and is alomost totally gone now

 

 

 

Was probably the towns largest old building

Yes the next biggest in size is derelict as well amazing no one has burned it down

 

Edited by History Buff, 26 September 2014 - 10:29 PM.

Perfect. They can put up some container housing.

A Vancouver company is once again seeking government approval for a coal mine near Buckley Bay, much to the dismay of environmental groups

and shellfish growers in Baynes Sound. Compliance Energy Corp. has re-applied for an environmental assessment certificate for Raven Coal Mine nearly two years after its first attempt fell short.

The B.C. Environmental Assessment Office now has 30 days to screen the application, before deciding whether to reject it a second time or order a more detailed, 180-day review.

Compliance Energy states on its website that the Raven mine, if approved, will extract up to 1.1 million tonnes of coal per year during peak production.

Trucks, or possibly trains, will carry the product to Port Alberni for shipping to steel-making markets in Japan and South Korea.

The company said in 2012 that the project would contribute $1.1 billion to local economies and create about 350 full-time jobs in the Comox Valley and Port Alberni over the 16-year life of the mine.

Another 200 jobs will be created during construction, the company said.

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.nvK8IZXl.dpuf

 

 

Things are quite tight between the Sunshine Coast and the Island. I wonder if a cruise ship could easily navigate those waters without having to employ a pilot.

They are required to have a pilot qualified and experienced in local waters. I believe Transport Canada is the overseer and Pacific Pilotage Authority operates the service, including examining and hiring. Deep sea Master's ticket is required and few, if any, are under 40 years old. Experience is critical, there can be a lot at stake.
Captains are rotated frequently and an incoming captain may be unfamiliar with the area. Two of my neighbours are marine pilots and told me the BC coast is the largest pilotage area in North America and has quite challenging conditions including shoals, strong tides and currents, heavy weather, islands and so on. These guys pilot everything from 20,000 tons to 200,000 ton cruise ships and bulk carriers.

The skipper of the Uchuck III that runs up and down the west coast used to skipper a pilot boat in the Alberni Canal.

He used to make about 30 trips a month taking freighters up and down the inlet. 

The Queen of the North sinking showed the consequences when bridge officers take their eyes off the job, even for just a few minutes.
The coast is littered with nasty rocks and shoals and quite perilous at night and in bad weather.

Many years ago I shipped out on a merchant ship and had a stop at New York. We anchored off the Statue of Liberty to await the pilot who came out and guided us into a slip on the Brooklyn side. Not the most difficult piloting job, 30 minutes, a nice $250K a year gig.

Edited by johnk, 05 February 2015 - 02:12 PM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMc3NW08FbY

 

This fully automated port will handle the world's largest container ships carrying 22,000 twenty foot equivalents (TEU's). Vancouver can handle vessels up to 10,000 TEU's.

 

Also of note is the planned LNG storage facility to large vessels. All of a sudden the LNG plan planned for Alberni, together with the one recently announced for Bamberton, is starting to make some sense both as a business case for Alberni's new shipping terminal and BC Ferries' plans for using LNG.

no mention of underutilized e&n tracks, or an intermodal hub/hubs for the lower island or whatever (or anywhere else on the island), or track extentions to port hardy.    these people have no vision.

Edited by amor de cosmos, 30 August 2015 - 01:08 PM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMc3NW08FbY

 

This fully automated port will handle the world's largest container ships carrying 22,000 twenty foot equivalents (TEU's). Vancouver can handle vessels up to 10,000 TEU's.

 

Also of note is the planned LNG storage facility to large vessels. All of a sudden the LNG plan planned for Alberni, together with the one recently announced for Bamberton, is starting to make some sense both as a business case for Alberni's new shipping terminal and BC Ferries' plans for using LNG.

BC Shipping News story addresses PATH and an Ashcroft hub in the context of Port Metro Vancouver growth and capacity issues: http://www.bcshippin...-port-ray-dykes

 

Interesting that the CPCS "pre-feasibility" study for PATH (98 MB pdf!) from May 2014 (July 28, 2015 on website) says that its confidential: http://www.portalber...studies-reports

no mention of underutilized e&n tracks, or an intermodal hub/hubs for the lower island or whatever (or anywhere else on the island), or track extentions to port hardy.    these people have no vision.

 

They'll be sending container contents to various ports via barge, which I guess is the cheapest and most efficient solution.

It would be nice to see a container port in the Alberni Canal, but the Great Circle Route to Asia is much shorter out of Prince Rupert which already has an upgraded rail line.

 

 

Okay let us consider that it takes about 8 or so hours Give her take for the container ship to make it all the way to Vancouver or seattle from the entrance to Juan de Fuca Straight, All ships have to come this way anyway Now How long would it take to go up the Alberni Canal, Unload the containers and transfer them on to barges, only to take them back out of the canal, the same way they came, to The Mainland.   Where they would have been many hours earlier?

 

If containers are transfered to trucks, it would take at least 2 hours or so depending on traffic to cross over the Island from Port Alberni to Either the Duke Point Seaspan Ferry dock, or one of the Nanaimo BC Ferries Docks.  Then another 2 hours on the ferry just to get to the mainland, when it would get to Vancouver many hours earlier if they remained on the Big Ship.

 

Now, several other things to consider, More Containers = more traffic on the road.  More trucks on the already dangerous Alberni Highway, Between Qualicum and Port Alberni.  People who have drove the Cameron Lake stretch of Highway 4 can tell how dangerous this is, and its only a 2 lane highway.

 

Also, Alberni Canal is a narrow Channel.  There is a RISK of large vessels having a Mechanical issue and running aground.  Are we prepared  and equipped in case of oil Spills from such possible scenarios?  We would have more tug and barge traffic, again, there are risks associated with this.  Now Location is everything.  Most traffic between Seattle, Vancouver heading up north, ie to Prince Rupert, etc head up the Inside Passage, between Vancouver Island and the Mainland, because it provides protection from the stormy seas of the Pacific Ocean. 

 

Rail traffic?  Okay now How many thousands of containers are on just one of these ships?   How many rail cars can a typical railship, Barge take?  That would require massive ferry ships that are much larger than Seaspan currently has.  On top of this the Railway line on the Island Sucks, Needs major replacements and upgrades.

 

Considering it only takes about 10 or so hours to get to the mainland anyway, whats the point? 

 

Port Alberni is a desperate City, a Dying City, and this is the only reason why Such a foolish idea as this is even been Proposed.

 

One other thing, Who is going to pay the $300 dollar or so bill to Bring the empty Container from Vancouver over to Port Alberni?  Is the Owner/Opperator of the Rig going to foot the bill?