Response Planning: Spill response in ports
Cruise Industry: The significance of cruise
International Trade: How to trade with a dragon
BC SHIPPING Commercial Marine News for Canada’s West Coast.
Volume 7 Issue 5
NEWS
www.bcshippingnews.com
June 2017
Industry Insight
Prince Rupert: What a difference a decade makes
B.C. Terminals Activity update
Green Marine
Celebrating 10 years of environmental certification
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BC SHIPPING
Contents
NEWS
June 2017 Volume 7 Issue 5
Cover Story
18
39 Environment
Green Marine Celebrating 10 years of environmental certification By Amanda Schuldt
41 Cruise industry
The significance of cruise
43 Legal affairs 7
Editor’s note
8
In brief
By Jane McIvor
16 History lesson
Locks The stepping-stones of our waterways By Lea Edgar
Industry traffic and news briefs
12 Industry insight
Prince Rupert: What a difference a decade makes Don Krusel, President & CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority With 25 per cent of the labour force now employed by port facilities, as the Port economy goes, so goes the City of Prince Rupert
18 Terminals
B.C. terminal activity update
32 Short sea shipping
Vital cargo flowing short distances By Darryl Anderson
34 Incident response
It’s terminal Marine response at the land/sea interface By Kiley Sampson and Joe Spears
37 Response planning
The tide is against underwater noise By Karissa Kelln
45 Seafarers
Mission plays an important role for visiting seafarers By Captain Stephen Brown
48 International trade How to trade with a dragon By Darryl Anderson
52 Technology
Hybrid RTGs growing in popularity
41
Spill response in ports under the Oceans Protection Plan By Dr. Trevor Heaver
12 On the cover: The Antwerpen Express at Deltaport (photo: BC Shipping News); above: Fraser Surrey Docks (photo: Dave Roels); right: Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place (photo: Port of Vancouver); left: Don Krusel. June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 5
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Proud member of: 300 – 1275 WEST 6TH AVENUE, VANCOUVER, BC V6H 1A6 T: 604-893-8800 / F: 604-708-1920 E: JANE@BCSHIPPINGNEWS.COM 6 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
International Sailor’s Society Canada
EDITOR’S NOTE
Photo: Dave Roels
A sad month for the shipping industry
N
o sooner had the news of Captain Zak Farid’s passing been announced, than we lost yet another stalwart of the shipping industry, Sydney Heal. Both men were well-respected for their long-time dedication to the local maritime community; the knowledge both possessed will be equally missed. I had known Zak for many years and had an enourmous amount of respect for his work at the Canadian Marine Advisory Council as well as his leadership of the Navigation Aids and Navigation Safety Sub-committee of the Pacific Coast Marine Review Panel. He was always a gentleman, always respectful of others’ opinions, and always with good humour.
Syd, on the other hand, I only had the pleasure of getting to know over the past six years. Within the first few months of launching BC Shipping News, I reached out to invite him to write for the magazine — I had been a fan of his articles in Harbour & Shipping and knew he possessed an enourmous amount of knowledge that would benefit readers. It was a number of months later that I finally received his response: “Okay,” he said. “Looks like you’re doing a good job. Here’s my first article...” For me, this was a defining moment — it was one of the first signs that I was on the right track with the content in BCSN. It was validation at the exact time I needed it.
Since then, Syd became an integral part of the magazine. He wasn’t just a contributing writer — he was a sounding board for ideas; he continually offered guidance on topics and issues. Right up until his final few days, he remained very alert, still sharp-witted and still offering up ideas for articles. More important than his contributions to the maazine, Syd’s friendship provided inspiration and determination. He was more than just a colleague and I consider myself lucky to have had such a good friend. It’s always sad to say goodbye to such noble people but I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to know both Zak and Syd — it was a true honour. — Jane McIvor
Cyber-enabled ships: ShipRight procedure With autonomous ships likely to enter service soon, LR has set out the ‘how’ of marine autonomous operations in a new ShipRight procedure guidance.
Read the guidance at www.lr.org/cyber
Working together for a safer world Lloyd’s Register and variants of it are trading names of Lloyd’s Register Group Limited, its subsidiaries and affiliates. Copyright © Lloyd’s Register Group Limited 2016. A member of the Lloyd’s Register group. Half page BC shipping_CYBER_060516.indd 1
June 2017 — BC Shipping 11/07/2016 News — 13:39:10 7
INDUSTRY TRAFFIC
In Memoriam: Captain Zaki Farid (1934 – 2017)
G
entleman, distinguished and respected mariner, dedicated, loyal, hardworking, and dear friend…these were the words colleagues and peers used to describe Captain Zak Farid upon learning of his passing on April 15, 2017 in Victoria, B.C. Born in 1934 in Cairo, Egypt, Captain Farid’s long and distinguished career in the maritime industry began as a graduate from the Egyptian Naval Academy. Prior to relocating to Canada, he served as a Commander in the Egyptian Naval Forces and then as the Duty Harbour Master at the Alexandra Port Authority, Egypt, and as a Tug Master at the Shieba Area Authority in Kuwait. His career in Canada began in Ontario, first as a Ferry Master at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto and then as the first Hovercraft Master for Toryoung Canada Ltd. in Niagara. Indeed, he was the first Master of Canada’s first hovercraft running on a commercial basis.
Between 1974 and 2008, he held various positions at BC Ferries — first as a Second Officer and then advancing through to Director of Marine Operations and then Director of Operational Safety and Standards. In 2000, he became an ISM Auditor for BC Ferries, conducting internal audits for all vessels as required. During that same period between 2003 and 2007, he was an Instructor at the Memorial University of Newfoundland as well as a Master of the MV Salmon Seeker at the Oak Bay Marine Group. Captain Farid’s contributions to Canada’s maritime industry were numerous. He was a member of the Canadian Delegation to the International Maritime Organization for several years and was well respected for his longstanding contributions to the work of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council. He was also a fellow of the Nautical Institute, B.C. Branch and was chair of the Navigation Aids and Navigation Safety Sub-committee of the Pacific Coast Marine Review Panel. Ultimately,
his contributions were recognized in the award of Transport Canada’s Marine Safety Award in 2007. Captain Farid leaves behind his wife, Georgette, of 61 years, and his two children, Mervette and Nader.
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NEWS BRIEFS
In Memoriam: Sydney Heal (1925 – 2017)
T
he world lost a bit of colour on May 8, 2017, when Sydney Heal, an icon of the Vancouver shipping industry, passed away. Despite his advanced age of 91, Syd remained an active and prolific writer on all things maritime right up to the beginning of 2017. His work will be well-known to BC Shipping News readers as he was a regular contributor, providing insights into international shipping activities and issues. Syd’s maritime career spanned close to 75 years, starting in England when he joined the Thames & Mersey Marine Insurance Company and then volunteering for the Royal Navy in the Second World War. Since emigrating to Vancouver in 1952, he spent a full career in the marine sector as well as in various barge, water taxi and marine operating ventures, including the real estate business specializing in coastal properties and the aquaculture industry. In 1991, after retiring from the industry at age 65, Syd established Cordillera Books, a maritime book publishing
company and post-retirement project. He published more than 60 books, including 25 written by him. The most recent book, published in 2014, detailed the career of Alan Meadows of Marine Link Transportation, owner of the Aurora Explorer, a unique vessel on B.C.’s coast. A notable credit to Syd’s contributions to the industry came in 1962 when he saved the SS Master from being scrapped. Today, the Master is the sole remaining steam tug built by Arthur Moscrop that has been maintained in her original design. Syd is recognized as one of the “finest interpreters of the marine scene in British Columbia,” according to Nautitcapedia contributor John MacFarlane. “He leads the pack in his general commercial knowledge, not only historically but also in a far broader field from marine insurance and finance through to practical ship economics and operations!” He had also been a contributing writer for numerous maritime and fish
farming journals. He was recognized for his contributions to Vancouver’s marine industry with the SS Beaver Medal in 2015. Syd leaves behind son Rod and daughter Andrea as well as family and friends in the U.K.
June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 9
INDUSTRY TRAFFIC
Captain Joe Gosse to receive Legacy Award
T
he Council of Marine Carriers has announced that that Captain Joe Gosse is the recipient of this year’s Legacy Award, to be presented at the 22nd Towboat Industry Conference (June 1 to 3 in Whistler, B.C.). Joe is well known throughout the marine industry having worked for many of the local towboat companies during the 1950s and 1960s at sea and then for 30 years in various shore-side positions of increasing responsibility. Joe began his seagoing career at the age of 15 while working his “summer holidays” with Union Steamship Line,
Harbour Services and Pacific Tanker. Come 1958, he decided to make a career of it and signed on full time with Kingcome Navigation, where he was a deckhand on log-towing vessels. Joe achieved his 350-ton Master Certificate in 1964 and moved over to Rivtow Marine as Mate and later as Master. Joe didn’t stop there but went back to school and the exam room and obtained his First Mate Home Trade Certificate of Competency as a result. He was soon offered the position of dispatcher with Rivtow, which he accepted, and it wasn’t long before promotions to Operations
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Celebrating our 10th Anniversary! 10 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
Manager and general Manager were forthcoming. He moved back to Kingcome Navigation as Marine Superintendent and later as General Manager. When Kingcome became part of the Washington Marine Group in 1997, Joe continued with his role as General Manager but was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer a year later. This position oversaw the operations of the combined fleets of the former Seaspan International, Cates Tugs, Norsk Pacific, Kingcome Navigation and Seaspan Coastal Intermodal companies. Although Captain Gosse was actively involved in the Vancouver Hoo Hoo Club, he was more so with the Council of Marine Carriers and its predecessor the British Columbia Towboat Association. Joe was the President of the BCTOA. He was also the chair of the BCTOA (and later the CMC) Conference Committee and was the Conference Chairman. Joe was a long-term director of the Council of Marine Carriers in addition to serving on several of the CMC committees such as the CMC Labour Committee, the CMC Towboat Reserves and Aquaculture Development Committee, the CMC Education Committee and the CMC Joint Industry Safety Committee.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Factoring “people” into the equation Re: Marine safety systems, safety layers and safety cultures, March 2017 issue
Re: All hail THE Alliance, April 2017 issue
Dear Jane, I have to nitpick one picture in THE Alliance story. The three Japanese carriers are only merging their container operations in some fashion. This does not affect their other operations. The car ship pictured on Page 30 will remain with NYK. FYI: There were originally 12 main Japanese lines that were forced to merge into six by the Japanese government in 1964. The name Mitsui-OSK (MOL) still reflects this merger. When containerization rolled across the Atlantic in 1966/67, the costs to set up were so high, European lines were combining to form new services. The Japanese carriers, still smarting from the forced merger, wanted to retain their identities and devised the consortium concept in use today. In 1968, four lines with four ships — Japan Line, K, YS and MOL — plus a separate service with two ships operated by NYK and Showa, began a service between Japan and California. In 1970, all six lines, each maintaining a separate container service, combined to operate a three-ship service to the Pacific Northwest including Vancouver. The six-line consortium in the PNW continued until the early 1980s, then the group split up with the members joining other consortiums. In 1988, Showa was swallowed by NYK, while Japan Line and YS combined, but suspended services a year or two later. That left the three — MOL, NYK and K Line — by far the longest continuously serving container lines calling the Port of Vancouver. Fred McCague
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Good day Dr. Wiefelspuett, Bill Wallace, P.Eng., here. I’m a marine engineer, and have worked in the seagoing, shiprepair, and metal fabrication industries for over 40 years. I’ve been exposed to a range of safety protocols ranging from “none” to “very detailed and prescriptive”. I found your article in a recent issue of BC Shipping News to be thought-provoking. I would like to articulate some of my reactions in a constructive way to you, as they might be useful in any further work you do on this topic. 1) Your Marine Safety System Equation two is a good mathematical expression of the well-known layered metaphor for safety systems combined with the synergy between layers and their description. So long as one recognizes the arbitrary nature of Csyn , it’s a good comparative ranking system. 2) Your acknowledgement that “safety systems” does not equate with “safety” is excellent. 3) But I think that you miss an important element of a safety culture. People. A growing number of corporations are promoting their safety systems based on the quantifiable number of JSA’s, Stepbacks, positive interventions, and various other reports and forms, some of which are filled out each day, every day, by all workers. I suggest that this is a legal culture with a safety flavor, not a safety culture. Why? Whenever monotonously routine forms are filled out frequently by (generally) intelligent and experienced people, the filling out becomes routine and unthinking (Psychology 101). A check-the-boxes mentality takes over, and thinking stops. These routinized forms don’t prevent accidents; they protect the company from some level of liability if an accident does happen. Necessary? Perhaps, in this litigatious environment that most of us live in. But: Add to the above the prevalent presentation of the need to fill out such forms “...because the company cares about you...,” a sentiment which most tradesmen see through, and you have an additional challenge to creating a safety culture which people will buy in to (as compared to one which they will comply with in name, but not commit to wholeheartedly). An additional subconscious hurdle is the fact that most safety forms deal with easily-seen, kindergarten-level, hazards (they’re easy to quantify). Treat experienced men and women as if they were rank newbies day after day, and you will generate negative reactions. I have yet to work with any reasonable tradesperson who does not want to work safely. (I am aware that there are idiots in all walks of life; thankfully they’re still in the minority). But there is a virtually universal disrespect toward how safety systems are being generally implemented in most industries across all trade and occupational lines that I’m aware of. Thus, my challenge to you is; using the knowledge you have, how can we develop a way to foster and nurture a safety culture in the best sense of that phrase (which you have described well toward the end of your essay) which will mitigate and minimize the negative reactions by the people affected by current safety program implementation practices ?
I’ve done it in a medium-size company. It takes a lot of effort at the management and supervisory level. I don’t know if those techniques are scalable to larger organizations, but I offer the thoughts above for consideration. Sincerely, Bill Wallace
June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 11
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Prince Rupert:
What a difference a decade makes Fairview Terminal is growing its capacity from 850,000 TEUs to 1.35 million.
I
f you had asked residents 10 years ago to describe the City of Prince Rupert, the likely response would have been ‘fishing community’ or even ‘pulp mill town.’ Today, you’re more likely to hear the words ‘port city.’ “With 25 per cent of the labour force directly employed by port facilities,” said Don Krusel, Prince Rupert Port Authority’s President and CEO, “as the Port economy goes, so goes the City of Prince Rupert.” In fact, Prince Rupert’s success is having an impact on the entire region of northern B.C. Over 3,000 full-time positions and $200 million annually in wages were attributed to the movement of goods through Prince Rupert in 2014. And, given the projects currently under development and proposed, those numbers are poised to grow even more. Looking first at the expansion of Fairview Terminal, while the current project will bring capacity to 1.35 million TEUs, PRPA and terminal operator DP World are now in the planning stages for a further expansion to increase that capacity to 2.5 million TEUs. Krusel estimates that the terminal will be operating at full capacity by 2022. (Details on Fairview’s expansion can be found in the B.C. Terminal Activity Update on page 20). To facilitate that growth, construction will start this fall on a six-kilometre private, industrial road that will link Fairview to Ridley Island industrial property. In addition to easing 12 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
Photo: Lonnie Wishart (www.lonniewishart.com)
“With 25 per cent of the labour force directly employed by port facilities, ... as the Port economy goes, so goes the City of Prince Rupert.” truck traffic that would normally move through the municipality, the road will cut transit times from the current 21 kilometres to provide for a huge savings on drayage. The project is expected to take 18 months and carries an $80-million price tag. Krusel also reported that PRPA is working with local First Nations communities and is in the early planning stages to develop between 50 to 100 acres into a logistics park platform where import/export containers can be serviced. Another component to the Fairview expansion is a new maintenance and warehouse facility at the main entrance by Scott Road. Included in that project are a new Port Security and Operations Centre. “What we’re really trying to do is create a logistics enterprise cluster where the container terminal and the logistic park services are all self-contained and connected by a private industrial road,” said Krusel. “This will avoid some of the challenges legacy ports experience where logistic services are scattered and the resulting truck congestion impacts on the entire region.” Beyond the Fairview Terminal expansion project, Krusel notes that new
terminal activities are allowing the Port to diversify its commodity base. “The objective is to facilitate the growth of export containers through this gateway,” he said. “We have no problem attracting imports but, in order for us to continue growing, we have to find ways to fill empty containers so carriers can have more balanced loads coming in and out.” With that point, Krusel listed off a number of recently announced projects: • Ray-mont Logistics is adding a facility for the export of containerized crops. The integrated logistics and container loading operation will be located at the south end of the Ridley Island Industry Site and will export pulses and cereals as well as other specialty agricultural crops using the recently completed Road, Rail and Utility Corridor. The site is currently being cleared and the transloading facility should be operational in time for the 2017/18 crop year this fall. The 10-acre facility will employ about 40 people and will include a rail loop corridor in excess of 100 railcars, a grain dumper pit and a state-of-theart conveyance system. • AltaGas will be sub-leasing a portion of Ridley Terminal’s property
to build an LPG export facility. The $500-million project is now in the construction phase and will take about 18 months to complete. The liquid propane gas will be shipped in by rail rather than pipeline. • Pembina Pipeline Corporation and the City of Prince Rupert’s Legacy Inc. have entered into an agreement to explore an LPG terminal for the old pulp mill site on Watson Island. Over the past year, the City has been demolishing the current infrastructure and cleaning up the land, while Pembina will be conducting initial technical assessments and evaluating the project’s feasibility as well as meeting with local First Nations stakeholders. Krusel pointed out that the market outlook for the export of propane is quite significant and that, “even beyond these two facilities, there could be more developed in our Port Gateway to handle mainly propane but also LPGs generally.” • PRPA has entered into an agreement with Western Stevedoring to investigate the economics and opportunities
for a general cargo and breakbulk facility on South Kaien Island (SKIT). A decision is expected by the end of this year. “When Fairview Terminal was converted over to a container terminal, it left an infrastructure void on the North Coast and SKIT could solve that issue,” Krusel said. A key partner in the growth and development of Prince Rupert’s terminals is CN Rail. “Our relationship with CN is a partnership in every sense,” said Krusel. “With the exception of logs, every commodity moving through the Port of Prince Rupert for the past 30 years has relied on CN’s network to get to market. A decade ago we worked together to sell the vision of Fairview Container Terminal. More recently we established the Road, Rail and Utility Corridor on Ridley Island to unlock the potential for large-scale terminal developments. These developments will expand our
Don Krusel, President and CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority
throughput to rival the second-largest port in Canada over the coming decade. CN and our organization are better aligned than ever, working in tandem to ensure this gateway fulfills its incredible
“With the exception of logs, every commodity moving through the Port of Prince Rupert for the past 30 years has relied on CN’s network...”
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June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 13
Photo: Lonnie Wishart (www.lonniewishart.com)
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Ray-mont Logistics will start moving containerized grain from Ridley Island later this year.
maritime and commercial law on canada’s west coast W. Gary Wharton Catherine A. Hofmann
Peter Swanson David S. Jarrett
Thomas S. Hawkins Tom Beasley
David K. Jones Connie Risi
Russell Robertson Mark Gill
Anne Amos-Stewart Karissa Kelln
Megan Nicholls
Glen Krueger
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14 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
potential for the enhancement of North American trade.” In addition to the above, there are still the proposed LNG terminal projects making their way through the decision-making process. Krusel noted that Pacific Northwest LNG is still hard at work building a case for the project. Currently, the company is undergoing a complete project review which includes working with PRPA staff to look at alternative sites for a berthing facility. Krusel estimates the process should take the better part of 2017 and expects that once the review is finished, PNLNG will be in a better position to make a Financial Investment Decision. The result of all of this growth is taking a toll on the Port Authority itself which will be looking to start building an extension to the existing main office by the end of this year. “Ten years ago, we had just under 20 staff,” Krusel said. “Today, we have 80 and within the next five years, we expect that number to grow to between 100 and 120. Right now, we have four satellite offices, so as a group, we’re scattered. It will help operations greatly to be all under the same roof.” While the PRPA is in the midst of updating an Economic Impact Study conducted in 2015, Krusel can only guess at the impact port activity is having on the region. “Ray-mont will add 40 jobs, Altagas will add another 40 beyond that, and Fairview is hiring an extra 150 longshoremen,” he said. “In the past 10 years, we’ve gone from 40 longshoremen to nearly 500.” That growth has not gone unnoticed by the BC Maritime Employers Association who has just opened up a new training centre in Prince Rupert. While providing insight into the growth trends in Prince Rupert, this article doesn’t even begin to touch on current activities at Ridley Coal Terminal, Northland Cruise Terminal, Prince Rupert Grain Terminal, Westview Wood Pellet Terminal and Tidal Coast Terminal (for that, we refer you to our B.C. Terminal Activity Update on page 20). A review of 2016’s overall performance over 2015 showed activity in Prince Rupert was stable despite a few variations. Looking at the performance in the First Quarter of 2017 however, should the trend of a total 20 per cent increase in tonnage continue, Prince Rupert is on track for a stellar year-end report. BCSN
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HISTORY LESSON
Locks: The stepping-stones of our waterways Photo: Dave Roels
By Lea Edgar Librarian & Archivist, Vancouver Maritime Museum
One of the earliest documented lock designs was the flash lock ... described by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus ... that Ptolemy II built a lock on the canal spanning the Nile to the Red Sea.
S
ince ancient times, humans have used waterways, such as rivers and canals, to move people and goods over vast distances. Man-made canals have been used as a transportation system for thousands of years. The earliest evidence of locks dates back to the third century B.C.E. in Greece. Locks are fascinating mechanisms used to navigate large ships over tricky elevation changes in channels. Still in use today, these stepping-stones of our waterways have a remarkable history. A lock, or water lock, is composed of a rectangular chamber with gates on either end. Inside the lock, the water is raised or lowered so that ships can navigate differences in water elevation. Locks are generally found on canals. Canals are man-made and built for many uses besides transportation, such as irrigation,
drainage, water supply for urban centres and hydroelectric power. Some canals are designed to accommodate shallow-draft vessels, such as barges, but they can also be deep enough for ocean-going ships. An example of this is the Panama Canal. Canals are built to be level. This not only conserves water, but also allows for two-way vessel traffic. Differences in elevation are adjusted by building the canal in a series of level sections linked together by locks. By changing the water level in the lock, a vessel can be raised or lowered to enter the next section of the canal. One of the earliest documented lock designs was the flash lock. This type of lock was described by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus. He wrote that Ptolemy II built a lock on the canal spanning the Nile to the Red Sea. It was
made of just a single gate and carried vessels downstream on a gush of water. If a vessel wished to move upstream, it would be pulled up while floating on the surge of water that was released by opening the gate. This type of lock was very dangerous and used a lot of water. The next design improvement occurred in China. The first double-gate lock was constructed on China’s Grand Canal in 984 C.E. The double-gate lock, or pound lock, is the predecessor to our modern locks. The gates had panels that lifted vertically. Another lock of similar design was in place in the Netherlands in 1373. This lock controlled the water level by partly opening either the upstream or downstream gate. The design was improved again in 1485 in Italy. This new lock had smaller, valve-controlled openings in the gate panels. Even Leonardo da Vinci was in the lock design business. He invented the miter gate in 1480. This design included two gates placed in a V-shape (or mitered) and pointed upstream so that the higher water level made for a tight seal as it pressed against the panels. When the
The S.S. Swiftwater in a lock at the Welland Canal, Ontario, July 15, 1934. (Photograph by Walter E. Frost. City of Vancouver Archives AM1506-S3-2-: CVA 447-2736.) 16 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
VANCOUVER MARITIME MUSEUM gate was open, it was flush to the walls of the lock. There was one problem with this design. The upstream gate was placed higher than the downstream gate. If the lock was quite deep, the water filling the chamber from the open upper gate could create such a turbulence as to swamp the vessel inside. Luckily, this design flaw was corrected in the 17th century in France. A valve-controlled water channel for filling and emptying the lock was built into the lower portion of the lock’s stone lining. In 1827, locks were being built using cast iron. Before this time, the gates were built of wood and locks were lined with turf, wood, bricks, or stone. Steel is often used today for the gates but the lock walls are usually lined with brick, stone or concrete. One of British Columbia’s earliest locks was the BaillieGrohman Canal. In the 1880s, an English big-game hunter called William Adolphe Baillie-Grohman settled in B.C. He noticed that the Columbia River and Kootenay River were just one kilometre apart at Canal Flats. His vision was to divert the Kootenay River and connect the two streams so that floodwaters from the Kootenay could be diverted into the Columbia, creating viable farmland in the Creston area. He also saw that this plan could allow for ships to travel between the Kootenay and the Columbia. The Province granted Baillie-Grohman permission to construct a canal and promised him 73,000 acres of the farmland it would create. He obtained financial backing from investors in England and set out to build his canal. However, the CPR attempted to halt construction because they feared it would flood its main lines. In order to prevent
this, the Government required Baillie-Grohman to construct a lock on the canal and promised him 30,000 more acres if he did so. Chinese labourers began construction of the canal in 1887. It was 14 metres wide, 1,539 metres long and about three metres deep. The canal and accompanying lock were completed in 1889. Sadly, only two vessels ever passed through the canal. In 1893, the vessel Gwendoline was taken through the canal north to the shipyard at Golden to complete the construction. However, it looked as though the canal had been damaged, as there were some sections where the Gwendoline had to be pulled out of the water, partially dismantled, and pulled on rollers. The Government repaired the canal and in 1894 the finished Gwendoline travelled back to the Kootenay River via the canal. In 1902, the North Star passed through on its way to Golden. It took a month to move the ship through the badly maintained canal. The North Star sealed the canal’s fate. The ship proved too large for the lock and the canal had to be blasted so that it could get through. The canal was never used again and proved to be a costly disaster. Lock and canal construction is a fascinating endeavour. An ancient invention, the water lock is still used today in many interesting and ever more ingenious ways. As humanity still relies heavily on water transportation, perhaps we will see even more methods and uses of locks in the future. Lea Edgar started her position as Librarian and Archivist for the Vancouver Maritime Museum in 2013. She can be contacted at archives@vanmaritime.com.
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Dave aboard the CSL Tecumseh “Action Photography - everywhere!”
“Into First Narrows”
“Dave’s not just a photographer, he’s an artist.” Jane McIvor, Publisher BC Shipping News
This specially commissioned piece shows the “Sea Reliance,” owned by Crowley Marine Services of San Francisco, entering Vancouver Harbour very early on a summer morning. I had to get there earlier! Boarding a Seaspan tug, I fortunately captured the stern to show the strength of this powerful tug.
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www.johnhorton.ca (604) 943-4399 / john@johnhorton.ca June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 17
TERMINALS
B.C. terminal activity update
I
gnoring the trade-protectionist elephant in the room, 2017 might actually turn out to be a banner year for most B.C. terminals if First Quarter trends continue. That’s a big ‘if ’ however, given the unpredictability of U.S. trade policy. This follows a past year that that has been described, for the most part, as “generally stable.” Across the board, ports in B.C. handled anywhere from four per cent less to six per cent more tonnage in 2016 than they did in 2017. But there’s always the exception to the rule and this year, Nanaimo was the big winner in terms of increased activity, reporting a whopping 23 per cent jump in total cargo volumes — thanks in no small part to the success of the DP World/Port of Nanaimo short sea shipping partnership. Both Vancouver and Prince Rupert saw a drop of between four and five per cent in container volumes but made that up in the First Quarter of 2017, with gains of about five per cent for Vancouver and eight per cent for Prince Rupert. Grain and specialty crops, while not yet back up to levels seen in 2014, climbed slightly in 2016 to end with a one per cent increase in Vancouver while Prince Rupert saw a two per cent decrease. And while that trend continued at the Prince Rupert Grain Terminal (down 12 per cent in Q1 2017), Vancouver’s grain terminals were seeing increases averaging almost 15 per cent for the beginning of this year over last (report for February 2017). For coal, a reversal of fortunes can be found at Prince Rupert’s Ridley Coal Terminal. While down 10 per cent in
Nanaimo was the big winner in terms of increased activity, reporting a whopping 23 per cent jump in total cargo volumes... 2016, the terminal’s activity skyrocketed to a 153 per cent increase in Q1 2017. Same with Vancouver’s coal terminals which saw a decrease of about six per cent seen in 2016 but an increase of 15 per cent for thermal coal in February 2017 over 2016. A decrease in the overall movement of metallurgical coal, which decreased by 22.7 per cent in the same period, left the combined tally for coal down by almost 15 per cent. Bucking that trend was animal feed (up 262 per cent), specialty crops (up over 30 per cent), and wheat (down 7.4 per cent). Forest products — logs, lumber, pulp, wood chips and the like — were up by one per cent in Vancouver overall, while logs in Prince Rupert were up by four per cent in 2016 and, in another exception to the rule, wood pellet tonnages exported by Westview Terminal were 22 per cent higher. In the First Quarter of 2017, logs continued to be down by as much as 22 per cent (but an eight per cent increase at Westview); forest products in Vancouver were stable at an approximate two per cent growth rate. But, while statistics are great for looking at the big picture, they don’t tell the whole story. For that, BC Shipping News turned terminal operators throughout the province to get a more accurate picture. While efforts are made to include as many terminals as possible, we regret that we couldn’t get to them all.
Container terminals
Sometimes, the real story is not in what’s happening at present, but what’s anticipated for the future. And given that, if all the expansion and new terminal projects in British Columbia come to fruition, Canada’s West Coast will boast a combined capacity of well over 15 million TEU — much more than will be required, according to Ocean Shipping Consultants whose study in 2015 for the Port of Vancouver shows demand for the Vancouver/Prince Rupert market by 2050 to hit a range of 7.2 million TEUs (low case) and 11.8 million TEUs (high case). So, while a number of variables will continue to be in play, at some point, ports will need to look at overall regional planning to optimize opportunities. Here’s a summary of container terminal activity in British Columbia. Port Alberni Port Authority continues to be on the look-out for partners to help fund the $1.7 billion Port Alberni Trans-Shipment Hub — a fully automated container terminal with an annual capacity of up to five million TEUs, able to handle any size vessel (including new Ultra Large Container Ships with a capacity of 22,000 TEUs). Having an easier time on the funding side, the $2-billion Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project is progressing through a number of regulatory reviews,
Dwarfing the 6,350-TEU MOL Prosperity, Hapag-Lloyd’s Antwerpen Express, with a capacity of 13,200 TEU, is the largest container vessel to call on Canada’s West Coast. 18 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
Photo: BC Shipping News
TERMINALS environmental assessments and consultation initiatives. Depending on the results of these reviews, market conditions and a final investment decision, construction on the 2.4-million-TEU terminal would begin in 2018 and take about 5.5 years to complete. Other expansion projects are also adding to B.C.’s overall capacity.
GCT Deltaport
Global Container Terminals (GCT) Deltaport continues with their $300-million Intermodal Yard Expansion Project which will see the continent’s largest ondock rail yard capacity increase by 50 per cent. Once complete, GCT Deltaport will become the world’s largest, most efficient and advanced ship-to-rail discharge facility in the world — right here in our own backyard. During construction, GCT continued to service the largest vessels calling on the Port of Vancouver. “With major construction now complete, we welcomed the largest container ship to ever call the Port of Vancouver,” said Eric Waltz, President, GCT Canada. “The 13,200
TEU Hapag Lloyd Antwerpen Express arrived at GCT Deltaport on Friday, May 5, 2017.” The Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility is another improvement in the Roberts Bank area that will provide greater efficiencies and an environmentally friendly alternative to the existing Burnaby location. An initiative of the Port of Vancouver, the facility is expected to be completed later this year and operational by early 2018. The $33-million project, which has been developed in partnership with the Tsawwassen First Nation, will augment the Burnaby facility and will initiate the new Canada Border Services Agency marine container examination process, focusing more on technology scans and less on manual inspections. When asked about future projects, Waltz noted that GCT is focused on continuous improvement. “Our facilities are constantly undergoing calibration and upgrades to ensure our customers enjoy uninterrupted, leading-edge service and minimized dwell times,” he said. “Whether customers require the
seamless ship-to-rail discharge capacity (GCT Deltaport), or the fastest truck transaction times in the industry (GCT Canada is the fastest in North America), our facilities are customer and stakeholder-focused.” Waltz further noted that, as a leader in the industry, GCT is committed to making sustainability a priority. “This all provides our customers with the peace of mind that their terminal of choice is operating in a safe and sustainable manner.” To demonstrate that point, Waltz pointed to GCT’s recent introduction of their new Global Commitment seal which is proudly displayed on the eight new, electric cantilevered rail-mounted gantry cranes and two electric ship-to-shore Megamax cranes. “Moving forward, the seal will be placed on all new heavy iron GCT equipment that meets our environmentally friendly standards.” Checking briefly on activities at GCT Vanterm, Waltz said it is business as usual for now although they are considering plans to invest in increasing capacity on their existing footprint.
Leading the way for big things. On May 5th, GCT Deltaport welcomed the largest container vessel ever to call Canada, the 13,200 TEU Hapag-Lloyd “Antwerpen Express”. As the leading facility for big ships in the Port of Vancouver, our goal is to help our customers grow by providing them with the same superior level of service even as their cargo increases. Our recently completed $300 million Intermodal Rail Yard Reconfiguration project allows us to seamlessly handle the volume surges from bigger ships like the Antwerpen Express. We’re honoured to have been chosen as her first port-of-call directly from the Far East.
globalterminals.com
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@BigShipReady
TERMINALS Centerm
Looking to add another 600,000 TEUs to its current capacity of 900,000, DP World Vancouver has spent the past few months consulting with the public and stakeholders as part of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Project and Environmental Review process. An additional consultation phase is planned for mid-2017. Looking at the full extent of the expansion: • Western expansion includes extension of the container yard and intermodal yard plus an expansion of the existing wharf structure, dredging, rock dykes and earth fill. • Eastern expansion will provide for additional container storage, a new truck gate, parking and a new operations building. Ballantyne Pier will be rehabilitated with rock dykes and earth fill. • The intermodal yard will see the addition of a fifth rail track and rail track extensions to the west and east. • The container yard will be reconfigured for increased capacity and efficiency of operations. • The truck gate system will be modernized. • The vacant Ballantyne cruise terminal building will be repurposed into a new operations and administration building for DP World Vancouver with employee parking. • The Heatley Avenue Overpass will be removed to allow for the eastern expansion of the intermodal yard. Off-terminal improvements are also planned and include extending Waterfront Road to Centennial Road, providing a connection to the Main Street Overpass and creating a
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continuous roadway through port lands between downtown Vancouver and Highway 1. The construction of a Centennial Road Overpass that connects Waterfront Road to Clark Drive via Centennial Road will eliminate three at-grade rail crossings.
Fairview Terminal
Almost done! The eagerly anticipated completion of Fairview Terminal’s expansion project is expected by the summer with an opening event scheduled for late August. At the time of printing, partners DP World, Prince Rupert Port Authority and CN Rail were looking forward to the arrival of three Super post-Panamax cranes, one of the last pieces of the puzzle to bring capacity at the terminal up to 1.35 million TEUs. The project included extending the wharf to 800 metres in length; an upgrade of rail capacity with the installation of additional track and Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes in the rail yard; and the addition of 120 reefer plugs to ensure perishable cargoes are maintained at proper temperatures. The expansion is coming in the nick of time as Prince Rupert enjoyed an eight per cent increase in activity at the terminal for the First Quarter 2017. While last year’s final tally was down by five per cent, to 736,663 TEUs, the partners are expecting 2017 to continue its upward trend. As noted in our update with Don Krusel, President and CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority (see page 14), a further expansion to take overall capacity to 2.5 million TEUs is in the planning stages and, depending upon market demand, could potentially be operational by 2022.
TERMINALS
Photo: Courtesy Pacific Coast Terminals
Pacific Coast Terminals is in the final stages of an extensive upgrade and modification project.
Bulk terminals Alliance Grain Terminal
Activity at AGT continues to trend upward, pushing the limits of current capacity ever further. With wheat, canola, soy beans and peas being handled at the terminal on the south shore of Burrard Inlet, 2015 saw 2.3 million metric tonnes moved, increasing to 2.8 million MT in 2016 and is expected to finish 2017 at a record 2.9 million MT. President and CEO David Kushnier reported that work will begin this year to increase capacity to 3.5 million MT annually. “We’re starting on the foundation process now and disassembling the existing gallery to make way for a new one,” he said, noting that improvements will include a new shiploader and modifications to the weighing and distribution process to allow for faster loading. Kushnier expects the upgrades will be complete by July 2018.
Pacific Coast Terminals
Wade Leslie, Vice President and General Manager of Pacific Coast Terminals (PCT), is happy to be in the final stages of their extensive upgrade and modification project that provides the infrastructure to handle potash and canola oil. “The modifications needed to ship canola oil are done and the volumes we’re seeing are really strong,” Leslie said. “We’ve been very pleased with the throughput and estimate we’ll be over 600,000 tonnes for the year.” Over the past two years (double that if you include the permit approval process), PCT has added a new railcar unloading station; new conveyor systems and a new storage warehouse for potash; modifications to the shiploader and conveyors to add
Viterra Pacific Elevators
According to Peter Flengeris, Corporate Affairs, Viterra, the $100-million investment into Pacific Terminal involved a transformative series of operational improvements and upgrades aimed at modernizing the terminal with enhancements to increase shipping and throughput capacity, and improve current handling and processing procedures. Work included the installation of new bulk weighers, upgrades to shipping conveyors and rotary cleaners, and improved electrical and dust control systems. “The most significant project was the installation of a new shiploader system, in order to significantly increase shipping capacity and allow for the loading of “post-Panamax” vessels,” he said. With the enhancements, Pacific Terminal is now able to handle in excess of six million metric tonnes annually. This is three times the handling capacity it previously had. “This significant investment enhances our strategic position on the West Coast and our ability to continue meeting the needs of our destination customers globally,” Flengeris said, further noting that the majority of their focus at Pacific will be on pulse crops, with the upgrades supporting the efficient handling of delicate products. “This involves the use of a fully enclosed system with soft handling of products direct to the vessel.” These upgrades coincide well with work being done in other parts of Viterra’s asset network, such as the new pulse cleaning facility in Tempest, Alberta, allowing them to capture the increasing demand for pulse and specialty grain products from customers worldwide. June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 21
TERMINALS
Squamish Terminals with the AAL Melbourne at berth.
environmental covers and provide dust-free loading; extension of the rail track; upgrades to the water treatment system; new tank car unloading equipment to allow top unloading of liquid railcars; three additional storage tanks for food-grade canola oil; new liquid shipping lines from storage tanks to the vesselloading facility at Berth #1; a new articulated marine-loading arm for shiploading of canola oil; and installation of over 325 metres of floating containment boom to provide vessel containment during loading. Still to be done, dredging that was originally planned for 2015 was delayed due to a lengthy permitting process but Leslie
Photo: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
expects the work to start at the end of this year and continue into 2018, taking into consideration closures for fisheries and the like. The work on the upgrades for potash are being finished just in time to coincide with the opening of the K+S Potash Canada’s Legacy Mine (now known as the Bethune Mine), the first of its kind to be built in Saskatchewan in more than 40 years. Leslie was on hand for the grand opening of the largest single project for K+S (the world’s fifth largest global potash seller) on May 2 and expects to be receiving potash trains in a “wet commissioning phase” within the next couple of months. PCT’s other products — sulphur and ethylene glycol — have both been climbing over the last few years, “particularly sulphur which looks to have bottomed out a couple of years ago,” Leslie reported. He expects both to be “above budget” for 2017.
Break bulk / project cargo Squamish Terminals
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Visit us @ www.sqterminals.com info@sqterminals.com 22 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
President Kim Stegeman reported she is very pleased with the rebuilt berth that was completed last year following the fire of April, 2015. “It’s a significant improvement to operations at Squamish Terminals,” she said, further noting that she is “cautiously optimistic” about growth patterns for 2017. “The market in general is showing signs of improvement. Pulp, steel and project cargoes were up in Q1 2017 — all are at least equal to or higher than the same period over last year.” With more operating space provided by the new berth, which has an additional gangway landing platform to provide an extra 35 metres in length, Stegeman said the terminal continues to invest in information systems, mobile equipment and storage solutions to meet customers’ needs and ensure long-term success. As a member of Green Marine and Climate Smart (which measures the terminal’s greenhouse gasses and works with the terminal on improvements), Stegeman noted that the team is always looking for ways to improve the terminal’s environmental performance. In just one example, she pointed to the recent purchase of four electric lift trucks used to unload cargo from boxcars. Over and above continuously looking for ways to increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness for customers, Stegeman said “we have a solid business model and are looking to capitalize on market dynamics and opportunities to diversify the break bulk cargo we handle.” She also noted that there is a focus on succession
TERMINALS
Photo: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
Pacific Basin’s Mount Hikurangi at Lynnterm in North Vancouver.
planning and knowledge transfer as Joe Webber, Vice President of Operations, plans to retire later this year, after 23 years of service at Squamish Terminals. “Experience can be a competitive advantage and we want to make sure we have the best team in place moving forward.”
Lynnterm / G3TV
With the announcement in January of this year that G3 Terminal Vancouver
is officially moving ahead, Miles Hollingbury, Director of Mark-eting and Business Development for Western Stevedoring, reported that Lynnterm west has officially been taken over by G3TV and site preparation is well underway. G3 (a partnership between SALIC Canada Ltd. and Bunge Canada) will manage the grain export terminal. According to the G3 website, Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co. was selected at
the design-build contractor with completion slated for 2020. Meanwhile, Hollingbury reported that Lynn East will expand and is in negotiations with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to lease lands purchased by the port to the north of Lynnterm’s existing footprint. Should all go according to plan, Hollingbury said that more space will be available by 2018.
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TERMINALS Looking at the trends of activity over the past year, pulp volumes moving through Lynnterm are “about the same as last year,” said Hollingbury but noted that activity in the First Quarter of 2017 was trending upward. Steel volumes were lower in 2016 over 2015, and this trend continued in the First Quarter of 2017, but Hollingbury was optimistic that they were back on track in time for Q2 reporting. “We’re getting a lot of enquiries,” he said. The metric tonnage for general cargo has been stable over the last three years, although Hollingbury had noticed a decrease in Q1 2017 over 2016.
Fraser Surrey Docks
President and CEO Jeff Scott and partner Parrish & Heimbecker (P&H) are celebrating the highly successful joint venture that saw agri-bulk handling services come to Fraser Surrey Docks (FSD). The facility, which began moving corn meal and pellets in 2011, has seen substantial growth over the past five years. “That first year, we handled about 90,000 metric tonnes,” Scott told BC Shipping News. “Now, we’re close to 1.4
million MT per year. We’ve also diversified the product we can handle and now have commodities like wheat, soy beans, lentils, etc., going through the terminal.” Scott noted that the large volumes are due in part to a high-crop yield and a shortage of capacity elsewhere however, in partnership with P&H, FSD is looking at expanding with the construction of additional facilities to handle as much as 3.5 million MT more. “We’re evaluating our options right now and would then have to go through a permitting process,” he said, estimating that it would be operational by 2020 should all go according to plan. In other areas of activity, Scott was pleased to welcome their first Alliance vessel in late April and expects this new service will add about another 30,000 units a year (for a total of 150,000 TEUs annually) to their otherwise steady container volumes. “The changes that are happening with consortiums and mergers are providing opportunities — at least in the short term — as we’re seeing some of the smaller vessels that are able to access the Fraser River come back to the market.”
Other commodities moving through FSD continue to keep the Port of Vancouver’s largest break bulk facility busy: logs, of which FSD handles about half of all exported from the province, has been “steady;” steel is “stronger than last year;” and project cargo continues to be “spotty,” although Scott is optimistic that, as the oil and gas sector recovers and revives delayed projects, this activity will grow. For the future of FSD, Scott believes there are a number of opportunities to leverage their existing rail and road infrastructure which provides a competitive advantage. Having received a permit in November 2015 to proceed with shipping coal, Scott and his team continue to evaluate and discuss opportunities with customers. Based on those discussions, he is confident the project will come to fruition before the permit expires in 2020. Other plans being reviewed and considered include adjustments to improve utilization of their existing footprint as well as opportunities to expand beyond the current footprint. “But there’s nothing definite yet,” he said. The other news out of FSD is the formation of the Fraser River Industrial Association (FRIA), of which Scott is the Chair. “We officially launched our website earlier this year (www.fria.ca),” he said, “and are currently working to identify actions that fit our key mandate of increasing awareness of the economic significance of the Lower Fraser River.” He further noted that the group is already increasing their level of dialogue and discussions with stakeholders, including First Nations and government.
Tidal Coast Terminals
With 54 acres, 3,000 linear feet of direct water access and convenient road proximity to Fairview Terminal, Tidal Transport’s Ron Brinkhurst reported that a new rail transload service has been added to provide for even greater efficiencies. Providing full log sort processing, container handling, forest products reload, bagged cargo reload, and terminal handling for forest products, steel cargoes, project cargoes and the like, business was steady throughout 2016. As for 2017, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the softwood lumber tariff issue will pan out, an issue Brinkhurst is watching closely. In addition to TCT, Brinkhurst was excited about the recent launch of Gat 24 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
TERMINALS Leedm Marine (GLM), in partnership with the Metlakatla Development Corporation. In addition to providing support for TCT’s internal requirements, GLM provides transloading and freight forwarding services as well as warehouse storage, rentals and hauling services.
Photo: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
CT Terminals
Tidal Coast Terminals sits on 54 acres, the site of the old saw mill in Butze Bay, Prince Rupert.
The recently expanded transload facility on the west side of Ridley Island is reporting “good and steady” business over the past year. Tidal Transport’s Ron Brinkhurst said that, while still capable of handling project cargo, the terminal is much more focused on lumber these days, given the state of the energy market, but is still kept busy with various other cargoes, including break bulk, steel and rebar. The joint venture between Coast Tsimshian Enterprises and Tidal Coast Terminals continues to offer load adjustments, repackaging, cargo storage and container drayage. With 18 acres of land (nine for rail head and nine for RO-RO), CT Terminals continues to add equipment which now includes a new container reach stacker, lift trucks, track-mobile, shunt trucks, mobile platform, SOLAS-certified scale, a 160-foot hydraulic RO-RO ramp and four 208x50-feet barges.
Stewart World Port
Breanne Boettcher, Business Development Manager for Stewart World Port, reported a very successful 2016 for Canada’s most northerly ice-free port. With two main contracts — one for process modules to Redwater, Alta; and one
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TERMINALS for wind blades and towers to Tumbler Ridge, B.C. — SWP has opened up new shipping solutions for over-dimensional cargo. “It was the first time that wind blades have been imported into Western Canada,” said Boettcher, further noting that this size of cargo had historically limited options to southern U.S. gulf ports. Boettcher further said that the Port is working towards developing a bulk commodity loading system, which will be able to handle forest products, mine concentrates and grains. She estimates that work is still likely a year or two away, depending on demand. “Once demand is more certain it will take nine months to commission. In the meantime, we are able to rent a mobile conveying system.” With the Provincial Government’s announcement last year of plans to replace the Nass Bridge, Boettcher said this will further increase the capacity for loads in and out of Stewart. The $24 million project will see the single-lane timber bridge replaced with a two-lane concrete structure capable of accommodating heavier loads.
to discuss their work and partnership with Neptune.” Neptune’s focus on environmental excellence is paying off. “We recently completed the independent external audit of our 2016 environmental performance by Green Marine, and once again scored very high in all areas, including greenhouse gas emissions, spill prevention efforts, dry bulk handling and storage, community issues, environmental leadership and waste management.”
Westshore Terminal
One can only imagine the headscratching that went on behind closed doors at Westshore when B.C. Premier Clark made the surprise announcement to retaliate against the softwood lumber tariff by banning the export of thermal coal.
Prior to that, Westshore’s Secretary and VP of Corporate Development, Nick Desmarais, issued his report to shareholders on March 20, 2017, which showed volumes loaded at about 6.2 million tonnes in the First Quarter of 2017, down from 6.8 million tonnes for the same period in 2016. Desmarais expects that, “based on current information, 2017 throughput should be about 28 to 28.5 million tonnes, up from the 27 million tonnes reported in December 2016.” Westshore’s $270-million capital project remains on time and on budget, according to the same release. “The new consolidated office and maintenance shops, employee facilities and warehouse building are complete and functioning as planned, the replacement shiploader at Berth 1 is in service. The first new stacker reclaimer will be up and running during Q2 2017 and the other two new
Neptune
Neptune’s Director of Community and Stakeholder Engagement Lisa Dooling reported that total volumes of phosphate rock, steelmaking coal and potash shipped from the North Shore bulk terminal in 2016 were similar to 2015 levels. Further to last year’s update on terminal upgrades, Neptune now has all permits required for this project (adding a second rail car dumper, new conveyors, an additional rail loop and longer mobile shiploader boom) and engineering studies are underway to inform a decision about next steps. When asked whether additional upgrades were being planned, Dooling noted that “We have applied to the Port Authority to upgrade the spray pole system around our steelmaking coal stock pile, which is an important method of dust suppression.” Dooling was especially pleased at Neptune’s efforts to engage the community. “We held our 2017 community day on April 22. Approximately 300 people took a tour of our facilities, and 11 of our community partners (charities, as well as Green Marine, Climate Smart and the Tsleil Waututh Nations’ Burrard Action Plan representatives) set up tents June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 27
It feels good knowing more. The Port of Vancouver checks all the boxes. With real-time monitoring tools, innovative supply chain strategies and collaborative infrastructure improvements, Vancouver is the right choice now and the right choice for the future. Go to portvancouver.com to check all the details.
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2016 Blue Circle Award. 2X
X
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Full color logo on white background
The Port of Vancouver is proud to recognize the 2016 Blue Circle Award recipients Full color logo on corporate blue background
for our EcoAction Program. As part of our commitment to being a responsible and sustainable port, this program offers financial incentives for marine carriers that reduce emissions and celebrates excellence in environmental stewardship. Black & white logo
portvancouver.com/ecoaction Colour codes C:100 M: 80 Y: 15 K: 35
C: 85 M: 19 Y: 0 K: 0
C: 30 M: 40 Y: 70 K: 25
Photo: Lonnie Wishart (www.lonniewishart.com)
TERMINALS
Ridley Terminals Inc. and Prince Rupert Grain will be welcoming new neighbour AltaGas on Ridley Island.
stacker reclaimers are to be delivered in 2017 and 2018 respectively.”
Ridley Terminals Inc.
When asked about his priorities as new President of RTI, Marc Dulude said that: “Our primary objective at RTI today is to develop and convert a terminal supporting only one commodity, into one in support of a diversified set of Canadian commodities requiring access to overseas markets. Our goal is to achieve this objective in a highly responsible manner, where the safety and
pride of our employees, the protection of our environment, and the support of our community and clients, serve as the guiding values in the process. In conducting our transformation, ‘respect’ is the key word describing the approach to all facets of our path.” The terminal remains for sale by the Federal Government but, according to Michelle Bryany-Gravelle, Corporate Affairs Manager, there is no new information to report. While corporate policy prevents Dulude from disclosing customers or
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their volumes, a quick look at Prince Rupert Port Authority’s statistics show that, while 2016 was slightly lower (10 per cent) over 2015 numbers, the First Quarter of 2017 was showing a significant turnaround with strong year-overyear gains for metallurgical coal, thermal coal and petroleum coke. The other big news for RTI is their new neighbour, AltaGas, who has subleased 20.5 acres from the terminal. No anticipated changes are expected to existing RTI operations as a result.
Multi-purpose
Nanaimo Assembly Wharf and Duke Point
The team at Nanaimo Port Authority are seeing their hard work pay off as they take the top spot this year on the list of Canadian ports with the highest growth rate. Between 2010 and 2016, Nanaimo’s total tonnage handled increased by 128.5 per cent. With an increase in cargo volumes across the board — from 4.4 million metric tonnes to 5.4 million — President and CEO Bernie Dumas expects the
Watch our new log-lift video: deepsea.npa.ca
Nanaimo Assembly Wharf Versatile Upland & Marine Facilities Bonded Warehouse — Proven Efficiencies
...just a phone call away... @portnanaimo 30 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
250-753-4146 ext.229
THE SOLUTIONS PORT
www.npa.ca
upward trend to continue through 2017, including the anticipation of increased shipments of project cargo. Indeed, volumes through the First Quarter of 2017 over the First Quarter 2016 show a 38 per cent increase in cargo and a 20 per cent increase in TEUs for containers, including a 70 per cent increase for log exports. The partnership between NPA and DP World to offer short sea shipping between Nanaimo’s Duke Point and Vancouver’s Centerm is starting to see impressive results — in just one year, activity jumped 22 per cent with 43,024 containers moved in 2016 compared to 35,336 in 2015. With an investment of nearly $4 million of port capital in infrastructure over the past two years, Dumas pointed to the new 104-metric-tonne harbour crane which has provided for new load / discharge options and cargo types for barges, coasters and Post-Panamax vessels as just one example of initiatives. Log exports are significantly affecting demand for activity, illustrated by the placement of an extra 65 ILWU jobs. The 100-metric-tonne RO-RO barge ramp and 30 acres of paved storage space (including a 60,000-squarefoot bonded warehouse) are also helping with efficiencies and greater solutions for clients. Infrastructure priorities in 2017 focus on modernizing assets even more — the Port has confirmed they will be building a warehouse, office and marine works for Western Canada Marine Response Corporation at the Assembly Wharf property; they are submitting a funding application to the government for the expansion of Duke Point Terminal, doubling the size of the terminal by lengthening the deep sea dock and providing a second deep sea berth. Dumas is hoping the new upgrades will be in place by 2020 or earlier. While work continues on developing and enhancing the NPA’s Marine Domain Awareness System, the NPA is also busy with Phase I of the redevelopment of Nanaimo’s downtown marina which will see all of the docks replaced over a five-year period.
Port Alberni
While the team at Port Alberni Port Authority continue to work on finding the funds for the grand vision that is the Port Alberni Trans-shipment Hub (nothing concrete to report on that portfolio but David McCormick, Director, Public
Nanaimo Assembly Wharf.
Relations and Business Development, noted he is seeing an increase in genuine expressions of interest from the industry), activity at the three-berth Port Alberni Terminals continues to trend upward. Despite being down for 2017’s First Quarter over the same period in 2016, McCormick believes the Second Quarter will be stronger with an end result being an increase overall of about five per cent. Port Alberni had a pretty impressive 2016. Logs continue to be the breadwinner for the port that saw domestic tonnage increase by 6.5 per cent and another two per cent increase for international tonnage. Total throughput (both domestic and international), including lumber, logs, fish and miscellaneous cargo amounted to 1.6 million metric tonnes in 2016, compared to 1.57 million metric tonnes in 2015. At the time of printing, McCormick was waiting for a final assessment report that will outline infrastructure needs and recommended priorities for Berths 1 & 2. “The berths were constructed in stages over the past 60 years,” McCormick said, “so we’re anticipating upgrades to ensure continued serviceability.” Once priorities are identified and costed, McCormick noted they would be looking for contributions from various potential sources, including a request for government funding. Over and above the day-to-day business and in keeping with their “always open for business and flexible” attitude, McCormick said PAPA is chasing additional opportunities, including wood chip, marble and aggregate exports.
Inland terminals Ashcroft Terminal
With only 10 per cent of their 320acre footprint currently being utilized, Ashcroft Terminal (AT) is the envy of
Photo: Nanaimo Port Authority (Arrowsmith Aerial)
land-constrained terminals everywhere. Strategically located as the inland port with the solution to Lower Mainland congestion, AT boasts a wide range of services (bulk/transload, intermodal/ containerization, and fleet management) and ever-expanding facilities that are positioned along the main lines of both CP and CN Rail. With 18 customers already using AT to move cargoes from industry sectors like oil & gas, agriculture, forestry and mining, Managing Director Kleo Landucci was pleased to report that the terminal continually adds track every few months to keep up with demand “and there are no barriers to further development,” she said. The full build-out program for AT includes over 45 kilometres directly connected to both CP & CN mainlines, a 25,000-foot twin-looped track, and over one million square feet of import/export warehousing as well as capacity for pulp and OSB plus a 20-million-board-foot storage yard, an automated container blocking yard, room for auto storage, rail car cleaning and repair, and increased bulk storage. Support from the Federal Government in 2014 in the amount of $3.6 million and another $4.3 million in shareholder investment has allowed AT to increase its capacity by more than 650 per cent. The Federal Government is so impressed with AT’s success to date that the project was cited in the recent federal budget as an example of ongoing efforts to ease congestion of Canada’s supply chain. Bolstering AT’s business case is a recent report from InterVISTAS that outlined a number of strategic advantages, including location in proximity to both of Canada’s class 1 main railway lines and highways; no negative community impact; cost savings and reduced pressure on agricultural lands in the Lower Mainland. BCSN June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 31
SHORT SEA SHIPPING
Vital cargo flowing short distances By Darryl Anderson Managing Director, Wave Point Consulting
S
hort sea shipping continues to be a vital segment of maritime commerce in British Columbia. In the Lower Mainland, short sea shipping accounted for almost 35.2 million tonnes of cargo in 2016 (29 million tonnes of domestic traffic and 6.2 million tonnes of U.S. traffic). For purposes of comparison, that is roughly equal to the Port of Montreal’s freight record achieved for the same year. While short sea shipping traffic accounts for 26 per cent of Port of Vancouver’s total traffic, it doesn’t always draw the industry attention that one might expect.
B.C. industry profile
The publication, Short Sea Shipping in Metro Vancouver, notes that the sector is grouped into two styles of service: pointto-point tug-and-barge operations; and regularly scheduled, predominantly roll on/roll off ferry services. Point-to-point service utilizes tug and barges to move bulk raw materials (logs and aggregates) between coastal mills and quarries and the Lower Mainland, primarily on the Fraser River. Manufactured goods (lumber, veneer pulp, and paper) also use short sea shipping. Companies active in this segment of the market include Wainwright Marine, Mercury Tug and Launch, West Coast Tug and Barge, Coast Island Marine, Amix Marine Services, Seaspan Marine, amongst others. Regularly scheduled service by roll-on, roll-off (RO-RO) ferry operations is provided by BC Ferries and Seaspan Ferries. While trucks use the regularly scheduled sailings of BC Ferries, Seaspan Ferries carries trailers — primarily from terminals in Delta (Tilbury) and Surrey — and rail cars from the Southern Railway of BC barge ramp on Annacis Island. Phil Davies, Principal of Davies Transportation Consulting, said that, 32 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
While short sea shipping traffic accounts for 26 per cent of Port of Vancouver’s total traffic, it doesn’t always draw the industry attention that one might expect. “these services enable the flexible and rapid door-to-door service for high-value commodities.” Goods include everything from groceries and electronics to lumber and automobiles. More than half the cargo delivered to the Island arrives on one of several Seaspan ferries sailing out of terminals in Delta and Surrey. From a logistics perspective, this drop trailer service is a cost-effective option for many shippers — trucks “drop” their trailers at the terminals which are then collected on the other side by other trucks. To meet the needs of a growing Island economy, Seaspan recently introduced two new 148.9-metre-long LNG-fuelled vessels, capable of carrying up to 59 53-foot trailers. Built in the Sedef Shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey, the Seaspan Swift and Seaspan Reliant are the first additions to the company’s ferry fleet in 15 years. The Swift is delivering to Swartz Bay and the Reliant is running between Tilbury and Duke Point, however they are interchangeable. An additional change to Seaspan Ferry Corp. activities includes closing its Wellcox terminal in downtown Nanaimo to consolidate operations at Duke Point which has been upgraded and expanded. Mike Fournier, Managing Director, Antares Consulting Services Inc., stated that, “up until recently, short sea shipping attempts for container service was driven by only one party, either the shipper or the terminal. A successfully scheduled service needs to align the interests of both sides.” DP World’s container service between Vancouver and Nanaimo is amongst the newest scheduled services to meet this challenge.
In January 2012, DP World Vancouver and the Nanaimo Port Authority signed a three-year agreement awarding DP World Vancouver the right to operate the Port of Nanaimo’s facilities, including the Duke Point general cargo facility and Nanaimo Assembly Wharf. The new agreement provided for a good opportunity to establish load-on, load-off (Lo-Lo) container barge service transfers between DPW’s Centerm Terminal and Duke Point. The introduction of the DP World short sea shipping service in 2012 vaulted the Nanaimo Port Authority into the top 50 container ports in North America. In its first full year of operation, the barge service handled approximately 20,000 TEUs in and out. In 2015, the cargo volume was 35,336 TEUs, up 45 per cent from the 24,405 TEU in 2014. DP World’s short sea shipping service primarily handles export traffic. However, Duke Point has handled some import business, most of it clearing customs at DP World’s Centerm facility in Vancouver. The service has also done some intermodal boxes for clients in the trucking community. The Port Authority is already working with DP World to bring in more import boxes. The service began on a weekly schedule, with the barge working in Vancouver on Mondays and in Nanaimo on Fridays, then increased to two sailings per week in 2013. Jones Marine Group’s deck cargo pontoon barge, measuring 80.3 by 22.04 metres can handle 168 containers on a full load. The 40-foot containers are stored six length wise, seven across and four high. DP World schedules the number of barge movements each week based on
SHORT SEA SHIPPING customer demand and works to have the minimum service plan set about six weeks in advance, with the ability to add sailings for additional traffic volume if required. The service has streamlined the movement of containerized export cargoes off the island, which previously typically required trucking via BC Ferries, or Seaspan Ferries, to a transload centre in the Lower Mainland, followed by a drayage trip to the port terminal. DP World officials have estimated that there are 3,000 to 4,000 fewer truck trips in the Vancouver area each month as a result of the service. In a recent DP World Nanaimo corporate video, Phil Chambers, VicePresident and General Manager, Warmland Logistics, Inc., indicated that the service saves his customers $400 to $500 dollars per transaction. In 2016, Warmland Logistics moved over 2,000 marine containers. John Gillis, Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Centurion Lumber, stated DP World has, “shown a deep commitment to doing something on Vancouver Island good for our business — a green solution, a local solution that provides jobs and employment.” James Frost, President MariNova remarked: “Besides the supply chain benefits, feedering is good business. The 35,336 TEU traffic at Nanaimo is duplicated at Centerm. In fact, when it comes to transshipment, each box is handled on multiple occasions — off the mother ship, onto the feeder vessel, off the feeder vessel and back on to the mother ship. By also managing the Nanaimo terminal, DP World moves each box six times if you include the lift off the feeder vessel and the lift back on. It’s a very smart strategy and a good illustration of the benefits of transshipment and short sea shipping.”
Prospects for new services
The Nanaimo Port Authority is pursuing further short sea shipping investments at their Duke Point Terminal in the coming years to address international cargo needs for Vancouver Island. However, shippers may also be interested in assessing the prospects for any new service provider to enter the B.C. marketplace. When examining the prospect of new services, it is informative to identify some
of the critical elements. Fournier believes a number of elements have contributed to DP World’s Nanaimo-Vancouver short sea shipping success: • It is a subsidized start-up; • DP World facilities, infrastructure and customer education on Vancouver Island where there was not the previous practice of containerized short sea shipping; and • From a shippers’ perspective – consistency is paramount. Regular, timely, consistent cost-effective service. Fournier’s observation regarding a subsidized start-up can, in part, be attributed to the fact that, in June 2013, the Federal Government announced funding under the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative (APGCI) to assist the Nanaimo Port Authority with improvements to the infrastructure for handling containers. The Government of Canada contributed up to $4.65 million to rehabilitate the Nanaimo Assembly Wharf, an aging dock that has had limited use for cargo handling for the past decade. The contribution was contingent on matching funds from the Nanaimo Port Authority. The Port has invested nearly $4 million of port capital in infrastructure over the past two years, creating new dock infrastructure and a mobile crane to meet the increased volume of ocean containers now being handled.
Davies Transportation Consulting research highlights the success factors for the DP World Nanaimo container barge service: • Integrated management of the barge service and terminal facilities by DP World, allowing the company to efficiently schedule the short sea shipping service and proactively manage the container equipment that flows to Vancouver Island from the container lines. • Operations have been scaled to be highly flexible to the unique needs of Vancouver Island shippers. New potential competitors will not have an easy time replicating the factors that drive the success of Seaspan Ferries and DP World. The short sea shipping market in British Columbia includes more possibilities than the existing routes between Vancouver and Vancouver Island — nevertheless, the evidence suggests that the increased capacity of the new Seaspan vessels and DP World’s service innovations are setting the pace for the next phase of sustainable short sea shipping growth in our province. Darryl Anderson is a strategy, trade development, logistics and transportation consultant. His blog Shipper matters focuses exclusively on maritime transportation and policy issues. http://wavepointconsulting.ca/ shipping-matters.
IMS Marine Surveyors & Analytical Laboratories Ltd. Port of Vancouver, Canada Marine & Cargo Surveyors & Inspectors
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Captain Jostein Hoddevik, MNI, President Dr. Tatiana L. Hoddevik, VP & Head of Laboratory
Celebrating 25 years! www.ims-van.com June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 33
INCIDENT RESPONSE It’s terminal
Marine response at the land/sea interface Kiley Sampson and Joe Spears
M
arine terminals and facilities that dot the B.C. coast in urban, rural and remote settings are integral to Canada’s transportation. Not only do they provide for an interface between road, rail and pipelines and deep-sea and short sea shipping as well as ferry traffic, they are also the interface of various regulatory agencies and regimes. This article explores the issues around governance and marine response at terminals and provides a guide for the marine industry to further discuss how to make these facilities more robust and resilient. These terminals are critical infrastructure and an important component of the Canadian and B.C. economy. In many remote communities, they are the only link to the outside world. Ranging in size from small docks to complex multimillion-dollar loading facilities, these facilities provide for a variety of activities, often taking place in close proximity to urban areas and sensitive marine environments. Terminals are a complex web of overlapping and competing jurisdictions as the marine and land-based regulatory and governance regimes come together.
Terminals are a complex web of overlapping and competing jurisdictions as the marine and land-based regulatory and governance regimes come together. We see both public (e.g., navigation) and private (e.g., private property) rights converging at the terminal and its operations. Marine activities are governed by a largely uniform international regime as set out in the conventions put in place by the International Maritime organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). In addition, Flag State laws also interact with domestic and local regulatory requirements, including customs and immigration requirements. A deep-sea vessel at berth remains a sovereign territory of the Flag State. Canada’s powers over a foreign-flagged vessel are subject to the powers granted to a coastal state under the Law of the Sea Convention which deal with marine safety and prevention of pollution. In the case of a deep-sea cargo vessel, Flag State law governs the ship but it is subject to the laws of Canada as the coastal and Port State in conjunction
with provincial law. Through the Tokyo Memorandum on Port State Control, Canada has the delegated authority to inspect foreign-flagged vessels. With Transport Canada Marine Safety acting as an agent of the Flag State, Canada is within its rights to detain vessels if a deficiency is found with respect to marine safety. Arguably, provincial and municipal laws don’t apply to the vessel while it’s alongside a berth — this can create many problems if there’s not a clear understanding of process and regulations, especially in a rapidly moving marine response incident. We see this often in workplace safety issues — which law might apply given the circumstances and activities in question; which inspector has the final say — Transport Canada’s representative or a B.C. workplace safety official? When it comes to marine response, these issues can quickly become murky and confusing. Usually, the local municipality will
The proximity of residential and business areas near marine terminals can complicate a marine response if clear communications are not in place during emergencies. 34 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
Photo: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
INCIDENT RESPONSE provide the first responders who will deal with a ship-borne incident at a terminal’s landward side. This can be buttressed by private contractors and environmental response groups as well as the Port Authority. Complications will arise if there are no clear lines of communication or emergency protocols in place. A seaward response tends to bring a federal response but not always. For example, in the Port of Vancouver, a number of opportunity vessels might provide fire suppression to a ship at a terminal: Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services might use one of its fire boats; or the response could come from a Canadian Coast Guard vessel and/or Royal Canadian Navy vessel; or a commercial tug fitted with fire monitors. The question that often arises is: Who is in charge? To understand the issues at play and learn from experience, a good example to examine would be the 2014 chemical fire at Centerm Terminal. The March 4th chemical fire, which burned for over 24 hours in the heart of the Port of
A seaward response tends to bring a federal response but not always ... The question that often arises is: Who is in charge? Vancouver, illustrated the risk marine operations can pose to a large urban area. The port fire demonstrated that marine response, while often under federal jurisdiction, will have a local response. To be an effective response, land-based local municipalities will require specialized equipment, knowledge and training. The regulation of the marine transport of dangerous goods is regulated by the IMO’s International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code which has been adopted into the Canada Shipping Act, 2001. This regime is based on an honour system that requires shippers to provide detailed information on cargo contained in the shipping container. Because first responders don’t always have access to the information, they must rely on other government or business agencies — cooperation between the parties for timely
and accurate information is critical to allow for an appropriate response. The 20-foot container at Centerm was on an international ocean voyage from China to Eastern Canada by ship, rail, and truck transport. The product was a hazardous organic compound used as an industrial disinfectant called trichloroisocyanuric acid. The resulting chemical fire created a toxic plume of smoke over a large section of East Vancouver. It could easily have been a more toxic chemical and, depending on prevailing winds, could easily have spread to a wider area. The resulting impact on the local economy cannot be overlooked. Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, working in conjunction with other responders from the private sector and the Port of Vancouver, did a tremendous job in extinguishing the fire. Clearly, ongoing
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Terminal Support/Escort Tugs Seaspan Osprey & Seaspan Raven
June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 35
INCIDENT RESPONSE Continual training and review of risks and governance regimes is key to ensuring all parties understand processes and operations ... so that the communications are seamless... training within the Port of Vancouver paid off in this case however this cannot be left to chance or undertaken on an ad hoc basis. Continual training and review of risks and governance regimes is key to ensuring all parties understand processes and operations — especially in real-time situations — so that the communications are seamless, from first responders to stakeholders (including nearby residents and businesses) and all levels of government required. Fundamental to training, responders must be comfortable with both the uncertainty and unpredictability of an emergency situation and must be able to work through any problem in that context. Further, there must be an understanding of, and familiarity with, marine terminal operations. Building strong relationships between responders and stakeholders will allow each to be able to impart their unique knowledge based on
36 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
their background and experience. Each situation will present its own challenges but having unfettered access to all of the required information — and taking a safety management approach that incorporates operational best practices — will lead to better decision-making. The process for this must be incorporated at all levels of government to identify issues well before an incident occurs. Often, responses will work fine during exercises but in an emergency, gaps and conflicts will often emerge in real time. That is why it is so important to learn from real-life examples and address issues identified well before another incident occurs. Establishing relationships amongst all stakeholders, terminal facility operators and all four levels of government is the first step in understanding complex contractual agreements as well as potential marine risks and hazards. It is also important to remember that marine
terminal operators are required to follow international conventions and commercial codes of practice as well as national, provincial, regional and municipal regulations. As a key part of the discussion on marine policy issues and response strategy, marine terminal operators must not be left out of any discussion involving response planning. It is in this way that all issues facing the land/sea interface can be identified. As the old saying goes, sailors love to solve problems, but you need to know what the problem is first. Kiley Sampson, Managing Partner, Halhorn Marine and Principal of Maritime Strategy Partners, is a long-standing maritime problem solver with 40 years’ experience. He is a graduate of the Canadian Coast Guard College. He can be reached at ksampson@halthornmarine.com. Joe Spears, Managing Director, Horseshoe Bay Marine Group, is a Principal of Maritime Strategy Partners. He has developed curriculum for marine terminal operations taught at BCIT’s Marine Campus and led a marine incident workshop at Deltaport as part of PortSecure 2013. He can be reached at joe.hbmg2@gmail.com.
RESPONSE PLANNING
Spill response in ports under the Oceans Protection Plan By Trevor D. Heaver Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia
T
he announcement of the Oceans Protection Plan, reported in the March issue of BC Shipping News, was the culmination of events that pointed to the need for radical revision in Canadian practices to protect the marine environment. Better spill response is a part of the Plan and some new practices are being followed already. If, how and when they will be a part of a formal policy or regulatory structure remains to be seen. Recognition of the need for change is not new. In 2013, the Tanker Safety Panel chaired by Captain Gordon Houston made 45 recommendations for change. But, wheels (screws!) turn slowly. Some of the shortcomings identified by the Panel were evident in the handling of the oil spill from the M/V Marathassa in Burrard Inlet in 2015. The analysis and assessment by John Butler of the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) response to that spill includes 25 recommendations for change, focused heavily on processes and relationships required for effective response. Currently, new response initiatives are underway although not under any formal response planning framework. These include: working with First Nations and local communities to advance spill response capabilities; applying risk-based Area Response Planning practices in four areas across the country (one is the southern portion of B.C.); and developing a Greater Vancouver Integrated Response Plan. Vancouver-based Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping recently published the report, Leading Systems for Oil Spill Response in Ports: Implications for Canada. (The report, based on research conducted by myself with colleagues at the Centre for Transportation Studies, UBC, and at the University of Antwerp, is available at www.clearseas.org.) The report finds 15 implications for Canada
The paramount lesson from examining the spill response systems in the ports of other countries is the vital importance of an overarching national policy. from an examination of conditions in seven ports in five countries (Seattle, Los Angeles and Houston, U.S.; Southampton, U.K.; Antwerp, Belgium; Rotterdam, Netherlands; and Hamburg, Germany). In effect, these are suggestions for changes in Canadian response policy and practices. While some are consistent with recommendations in the Houston and Butler reports, others go further or are new. The Nuka Group has outlined desired features of response in reports for the Province. The paramount lesson from examining the spill response systems in the ports of other countries is the vital importance of an overarching national policy. Initially, this may seem counterintuitive for a system that must rely on the involvement of local stakeholders. However, national governments need to ensure that lessons learned in emergency response globally are applied locally. Most instructive for Canada are the practices of the U.K. and the U.S. In the U.K., port authorities, which may be private but have jurisdiction for the water body, are required to submit spill response plans to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) having developed them in consultation with local stakeholders. The MCA states that it is “good practice to involve them from the outset in the port plan: it is not good practice to make a first approach with a completed draft.” In the U.S., under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), emergency response is planned in the framework of Area Contingency Plans (and smaller area Geographic Response Plans), developed in a collaborative process involving stakeholders within the defined area, organized
as an Area Committee (AC). Although led by a federal agency (the USCCG for marine spills), the AC is made up from qualified personnel of Federal, State, and local agencies. It is reasonable to wonder why Canada has had practices with so little local involvement for so long! Canada has relied for too long on a regime with response standards set nationally and with insufficient local stakeholder involvement. While Transport Canada is the lead federal agency responsible for oil spill preparedness and response (implemented by CCG), the policy should delegate responsibilities more effectively. Canada needs a national policy that ensures that response plans are developed locally with the involvement of local stakeholders. Specific suggestions in the Clear Seas report include: a shift of more responsibilities from Transport Canada to the CCG, for example, the certification of response organizations; prescription of a regime under which response plans are developed, equivalent, for example, to the Area Committees in the U.S. However, for ports, an alternate model from European experience where ports often have jurisdiction over the port’s water area as in Vancouver (not the case in U.S. ports), is for the port to be the lead authority in developing and overseeing a response plan. This would be a significant shift from the current model but is worthy of consideration. A port authority usually has existing close relationships with the adjacent communities and has vessels monitoring port conditions. Experience elsewhere suggests that transparency for oil spill data, the June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 37
Photo: BC Shipping News
RESPONSE PLANNING
Western Canada Marine Response Corporation has a key role to play in Canada’s spill response regime.
processes by which contingency plans are made and the contingency plans themselves, is beneficial. It is appropriate for the plans of private as well as
38 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
public bodies to be made public, with the exception of whatever personal contact information they may contain. (Since September 30, 2016, pipelines and oil
handling facilities have been required to make their contingency plans public.) All parties will never agree that the plans have the right level of capability and priorities, but transparency facilitates the processes by which broad community buy-in is achieved. Transparency does not mean that spills do not get bad press. After all, any spill is bad news. Oil is where it should not be. However, open public knowledge provides the appropriate base by which public perceptions are shaped. In an improved spill response regime, this may reduce community fears and it might also lessen the chance of damaging, unmeasured and inaccurate political outbursts from elected officials. The first hours after an oil spill are vital to effective response so it is necessary that plans remove any doubt over who is responsible for what. While the CCG appears to have adopted the Unified Command (UC) structure to ensure the participation of provincial and local expertise, uncertainty remains about the formal regime expected. Also, the ramifications for the availability of technical expertise remain uncertain. The availability of scientific/engineering knowledge is essential to the assessment of risks associated with actual or potential pollution. Readiness to respond in emergencies depends on many ongoing activities: training, frequent exercises of various types, ensuring that communications and processes are effective; tried mechanisms by which response can be scaled up as necessary, including pre-clearance measures for specialized or international resources; and programs to ensure continuous improvement. Response organizations, such as B.C.’s Western Canada Marine Response Corp., play a significant role in these activities. However, it is important to recognize that they execute response plans developed locally with their participation but applied under a unified command structure. They are not responsible for the development of the plans. The Clear Seas report adds to the directions for changes already outlined in the Houston, Butler and Nuka reports. These reports provide clear indications of the requirements for leading practices in spill response that must be acknowledged by all parties, national and local. They provide bases by which future response policies should be judged.
ENVIRONMENT Green Marine
Celebrating 10 years of environmental certification By Amanda Schuldt
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his year marks a 10-year milestone for the Green Marine environmental certification program. The program was developed for the North American shipping industry, and initially arose out of concern for the spread of aquatic invasive species through ballast water in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region. It was the result of key industry stakeholders joining forces to address pertinent environmental issues at that time. With headquarters based in Quebec City, Green Marine’s diverse membership base includes port authorities, marine terminals, ship owners, shipyards, seaways, stevedoring companies, tugs and ferries. Each one of the three Program Managers (covering the different geographical areas) is able to provide guidance and support to participant companies with the interpretation of Green Marine program criteria. Thomas Grégoire, is Program Manager for the East Coast of North America and Great Lakes, and is responsible for the Green Marine verification program. Thomas is a Biology degree graduate from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, with experience as a policy analyst for the Chamber of Shipping in British Columbia. “Having been directly involved in each of the Chamber’s committee meetings and having the privilege of working under Captain Stephen Brown and Bonnie Gee, I could not have hoped for a more comprehensive and inclusive introduction into the international maritime industry.”
The environmental program
Grégoire describes the Green Marine program as “voluntary, inclusive and entirely transparent.” It is inclusive in the sense that stakeholders (including different levels of government, environmental NGOs and research institutions) assist in the “development, refinement and future direction of the program through our three Advisory Committees.” Two key principles are funda- Thomas Grégoire mental to the program: continuous environmental improvement and exceeding regulatory compliance. Grégoire stressed the importance of these two conditions in the Green Marine certification policy, as they define what participating in Green Marine is all about. “Participants are obligated to meet minimum performance and continuous improvement requirements to obtain or maintain certification,” he said. “All criteria in the program above a Level 1 exceed environmental regulatory compliance.”
All information regarding the program is available on the Green Marine website to ensure full transparency. Participant companies agree to publish performance results annually and CEO sign-off is a requirement before participation in the program begins.
Self-evaluation
Once a participant company decides to follow the Green Marine certification policy, Grégoire explained how they selfevaluate their environmental performance based on a comprehensive self-evaluation guide that Green Marine updates and publishes annually. “There are 12 key performance indicators, including air pollutants (GHGs, NOx, Sox, PM), community impacts, waste management and underwater noise, to name a few. For each applicable issue, participants score themselves on a scale of 1 to 5 using the self-evaluation guide with criteria
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June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 39
ENVIRONMENT becoming increasingly difficult to achieve from one level to the next.” As a condition of entry to the program, a minimum performance requirement is set, which enables participants to reach the goal of exceeding regulatory compliance. “Level 1, monitoring of regulations, is the same for all indicators and simply requires the participant to have a formal process in place to ensure they meet and keep up-to-date with current environmental regulations.” Participant companies must achieve and maintain at least one Level 2 in their first year. The continuous improvement requirement then stipulates that as long as a participant has a Level 1 remaining in their overall score, they are obligated to increase a level year over year in the performance report until no Level 1s remain. In order to be certified by Green Marine, an accredited verifier must visit and conduct a verification every other year. All participant companies successfully verified by an accredited Green Marine verifier are entitled to use the Green Marine logo to signify their certification. Verifiers, of which there are currently 25 (a list can be found on the Green Marine website), are selected using a process that ensures objectivity. They are trained in evaluation, certification and verification processes to ensure Green Marine standards are met. Annual briefing sessions allow for a review of program updates, best practices and lessons learnt. Green Marine maintains an open-market approach for their verifiers. Most verifiers have other employment and it is the verifiers’ responsibility to set rates, provide quotations, confirm contracts and travel to Green Marine participant locations to perform verifications. Prior to the arrival of the verifier onsite, a participant company will prepare a self-evaluation guide (previously described), supplied by Green Marine. The guide covers all applicable indicators that will be reviewed during the verification. Verifiers review the completed guide in advance, and assess how best to perform the verification. Nigel Hastings is one of Green Marine’s verifiers for the West Coast of North America. He not only has extensive marine industry experience with the British Merchant Navy, Transport Canada and Lloyds Register, but also has an ISM and ISPS background in performing environmental audits on passenger ships. When conducting Green Marine verifications, Hastings represents the Canadian International Bureau of Shipping (CIBS) on the West Coast of North America. Hastings describes the Green Marine program as “a measured process…a process of continuous improvement…in which a company can continuously do better on what they’ve done previously.” In conducting the work, he explained that “When you’re doing a verification you have to see how their system works: do they have an environmental policy? Yes. Do they have procedures that cover the environment? Yes. Are they proving it? Yes, and they will show me a record to prove it.” The evidence provided is used to confirm the legitimacy of the self-evaluation results. Most verifications take a half to one full day for a verifier to review processes, make notes, run through questions, look around a port, terminal, ship, etc., take photos and make recommendations. Up to two days may be needed for higher scoring participants. 40 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
Hastings emphasized that “It’s not just documentation … you go out and have a look around the site … have a look at the waste management processes they have, examine how they deal with the different municipalities to get rid of product … how they pump waste ashore.” When making recommendations, he suggested, “It’s a give and take process … that’s the Nigel Hastings beauty of Green Marine. If a company is talking about a spill and they have engines that are opening out onto a floor, I would ask, ‘Why aren’t you using drip trays?’ The company can choose to follow this recommendation, and then prove it by sending me a photo while I’m writing up the verification report.” The verification report “demonstrates that self evaluations are supported by sufficient, relevant and reliable information.” All verification scores are submitted to the Green Marine Secretariat, prior to the re-issue of certificates in midMay. Verification reports are spot-checked to ensure quality, and each Program Manager shadows a verifier once a year. (Recently, an independent consultant was hired by Green Marine to review a sample of verification reports “to validate the accuracy of the process and identify existing gaps and areas for improvement.”
Showcase environmental work
There is enormous value to be gained by participant companies who join the Green Marine program. Firstly, it was designed to provide participants with an action plan and road map for the development of a sustainability strategy. Secondly, companies with “limited HR resources for environmental matters” can harness the “user-friendly checklist of concrete actions.” Grégoire suggested that “it’s also a cost-effective way to implement a credible sustainability initiative and can certainly help communicate environmental actions that are already being taken. A lot of companies do a lot of good things for the environment but nobody necessarily knows about it … they are not showcasing it … this is one way to showcase that work.” Given the Green Marine brand, logo and program recognition in the shipping industry, Grégoire recognizes that “joining a voluntary program like Green Marine is to invest in the social licence to operate,” and speculates that “maybe companies don’t have an urgent problem right away with their social licence but it’s important not to forget that credibility and trust has to be developed in times of peace and stability … it’s very tough to do so in a crisis. With the high credibility and recognition of Green Marine, the program can help build a company’s reputational capital.” Green Marine’s bi-annual magazine will be released shortly, and in celebration of the 10th anniversary, Grégoire invites “everyone to pick up a copy when it’s released … as we are featuring a really fantastic piece telling the complete story of Green Marine’s origins.” For further information on Green Marine and the environmental certification program, visit www.green-marine.org.
CRUISE INDUSTRY
The significance of cruise
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ruise ships, together with their passengers and crew, make a significant annual contribution to the Canadian economy — and cruise industry spending is increasing at a healthy rate in all three of Canada’s major coastal cruise regions — B.C., Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Those are among the findings of a new study detailing the economic impact of the cruise industry in Canada — including everything from spending by cruise lines; to onshore spending by passengers and crew members; to commissions paid to travel agents across the country. The study, entitled The Economic Contribution of the International Cruise Industry in Canada 2016, was prepared by Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) for the Cruise Lines International Association-North West & Canada (CLIANWC), the St. Lawrence Cruise Association, the Atlantic Canada Cruise Association and Cruise BC. The study is based on data from 2016 with comparisons to 2012, the last time a comparable study was commissioned. The total economic impact (including both direct and indirect spending) of cruise on Canada’s 2016 economy was $3.2 billion. This is an increase of 34 per cent over 2012 numbers. The increase is attributed to gains in cruise line, passenger and crew spending, along with increases in business taxes such as those on food, fuel and retail items, and a favourable Canadian exchange rate. The nine per cent increase in passenger visits between 2012 and 2016 is about to be eclipsed by a 14 per cent single-year growth forecast for 2017, ensuring further gains in cruise industry spending in the coming year. Looking at Canada overall:
The total economic impact ... of cruise on Canada’s 2016 economy was $3.2 billion, an increase of 34 per cent over 2012 numbers. • Direct spending by cruise lines in Canada totalled $1.477 billion, including items such as goods and services necessary for cruise operations (food & beverages, fuel, vessel maintenance/repair, equipment and supplies), shore-side staffing, port fees and services, equipment, and advertising and promotion. • Direct spending by cruise passengers — including lodging, tours and transportation, food and beverage, and retail — totalled just over a half million dollars in 2016, a 12 per cent increase since 2012. • Passenger visits to all Canadian ports totalled 2.23 million in 2016, an increase of nine per cent over the 2.05 million visits recorded in 2012. • The number of jobs generated by the industry in Canada — direct and indirect — is estimated at just over 23,000, paying just over $1 billion in salaries and wages. Total employment generated by the cruise industry has increased 31 per cent since 2012. • In Canada, B.C. accounts for 66 per cent of direct cruise industry spending; Quebec accounts for 15 per cent; and
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CRUISE INDUSTRY Atlantic Canada accounts for seven per cent. Other provinces and territories also benefit from spending on ship provisions, equipment, tourism, advertising and agent commissions. “The study confirms that the international cruise industry is a major contributor to the Canadian economy, with ships generating millions of guest visits and billions in spending every year,” said Greg Wirtz, President and CEO, CLIA North West & Canada. “As cruising expands globally and passengers show more and more interest in Canada as a destination, Canada’s ports and tourism operators will need to keep pace to ensure Canada can realize the growth opportunity this industry presents.”
Supporting a sustainable cruise ship industry in the Pacific Northwest, Canada, Alaska and Hawaii.
Members: Carnival Cruise Line l Celebrity Cruises Compagnie du Ponant l Crystal Cruises l Disney Cruise Line Holland America Line l Norwegian Cruise Line Oceania Cruises l Princess Cruises l Regent Seven Seas Royal Caribbean International l Seabourn Cruise Line Silversea Cruises l Windstar Cruises To learn more, visit: www.clia-nwc.com.
www.clia-nwc.com
Email: clia-nwc@clia-nwc.com * Twitter: @CLIA_NWC 42 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
Strong growth for B.C.
During 2016, 471 cruise ship calls were made at B.C.’s four principal cruise ports — Vancouver, Victoria, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo. Together, the four ports processed a combined 1.4 million passengers, with Vancouver handling the majority (59 per cent). While passenger volumes were trending upward for all ports since 2012, a closer look at past studies highlights Victoria’s meteoric rise. Since 2003, passenger arrivals have tripled at Ogden Point, the main beneficiary of U.S. laws that require foreign-flagged cruise ships sailing between U.S. ports to call at a foreign port. The 556,674 transit passenger arrivals at Victoria during 2016 set a new record for the port. To be able to fully appreciate the significance of the cruise industry on B.C.’s economy, a comparison of findings between the 2016 report and 2012, provides a compelling success story of B.C.’s cruise industry: Direct expenditures (from cruise lines, cruise passengers and crew) rose from almost $790 million to $982 million — a 24.3 per cent increase. While spending from all three sources showed an increase in expenditures, cruise line spending increased significantly — over 38 per cent; while passenger spending rose 6.4 per cent. For cruise line expenditures, the BREA report covered a broad range of expense categories. The five largest of these categories accounted for 55% of the total. Fuel was the largest category reported at $142 million with Canadian fuel suppliers during 2016. The second largest category, accounting for 13% of total expenditures with Canadian businesses, was Professional & Business Services with $121 million in expenses. Vessel maintenance and repair was consistent in both studies, showing that lines spend, on average, $54.5 million each year. It’s interesting to note that while fewer crew arrived onshore at the four B.C. ports (almost 250,000 in 2016 compared to just over 278,000 in 2012), they spent almost 27 per cent more. Individually, the average spend per crew member rose from $86.05 to $121.35). By far, direct cruise industry expenditures in B.C. were spent on the service producing sector which includes wholesale and retail trade, transportation and warehousing, accommodation and food services, and professional and technical services. However, while the total share of this sector was 75 per cent in 2012 (roughly $595 million), that share dropped to 63 per cent, while the goods producing sector (agriculture, utilities and construction, and manufacturing) rose from 21 to 33 per cent. The significance of the cruise sector as a major generator of jobs for B.C. is apparent when comparing the growth between the two benchmark years. In 2012, direct employment of 6,869 annualized full and part-time workers were paid $259 million. In 2016, over 1,100 direct jobs had been added, increasing the wage total to $326 million. Overall, the BREA report’s input-output analysis of 2016’s cruise performance indicated that the $982 million in direct cruise industry expenditures generated $2.2 billion in total (direct plus indirect) output with 14,925 annualized full and parttime direct and indirect workers earning $712 million in income. In addition, the industry generated an estimated $64 million in indirect business taxes and $150 million in income taxes. Noting that numbers for Vancouver as a home port will be higher, and ports of call lower, on average, each ship visit to Canada’s West Coast brings $3 million in direct economic activity. Certainly, at the very least, this number provides a key insight into the importance of B.C.’s cruise industry.
LEGAL AFFAIRS
The tide is against underwater noise By Karissa Kelln Bernard LLP, Vancouver
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he coastal waters of British Columbia are home to the iconic Killer Whale — a group considered at risk because of their small population size, low reproductive rate, and a variety of anthropogenic threats that have the potential to cause further declines or prevent recovery. B.C.’s coastal waters are also frequented by numerous deep-sea vessels, ferries, commercial tug and tow boats, and pleasure craft. Recently, the issue of underwater noise and its adverse impact on marine life, in particular Killer Whales, has been in the news. Low frequency underwater noise has been doubling in intensity every decade for the past 60 years in some parts of the North Pacific Ocean. An increase in commercial vessel traffic is believed to be the main reason for increased underwater noise. At present, several voluntary initiatives are underway to address this issue; however, there are indications that regulatory requirements addressing vessel-generated underwater noise may be on the horizon. Three distinct groups of Killer Whales — Transient (Bigg’s), Offshore, and Resident — inhabit Canadian Pacific waters. All groups are considered either threatened or endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA). These groups exhibit different dialects, prey preferences and social organization and, despite sharing the same waters, are believed to be socially and genetically isolated. The Resident Killer Whale Group is comprised of two distinct populations: the Northern Residents and Southern Residents. Although members of these two populations may overlap in range, they have not been observed interacting. In addition, these two populations rarely, if ever, interbreed. In 2003, the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whale were listed as threatened and endangered respectively
Low frequency underwater noise has been doubling in intensity every decade for the past 60 years in some parts of the North Pacific Ocean. under SARA. Under subsection 2(1) of the Act, ‘threatened species’ means a wildlife species that is likely to become an endangered species if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extirpation or extinction, whereas ‘endangered species’ means a wildlife species that is facing imminent extirpation or extinction. The Northern Resident population has experienced an average annual growth rate of 2.2 per cent over the past 40 years. In 2014, the population numbered 290 individuals. The Southern Resident population, however, has exhibited a general downward trajectory in past years. As of 2016, the population consisted of only 80 individuals. Under SARA, the federal competent ministers are responsible for the preparation of action plans for species listed as extirpated, endangered, or threatened for which recovery has been deemed feasible. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Minister responsible for Parks Canada Agency are the competent ministers under SARA for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whale. In March 2017, the new Action Plan for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) in Canada was released by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The Action Plan outlines measures to address threats against, and monitor the recovery of, the Resident Killer Whale. The Action Plan lists acoustic disturbances as one of the principal anthropogenic threats to Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whale population recovery. Underwater noise has been shown to adversely affect Killer Whales in several ways. It interferes
with the ability of Killer Whales to communicate, find prey, mate and reproduce, navigate, avoid danger and rest. Of the 98 recovery measures listed in the Action Plan, 42 address the threat of noise pollution. Examples of recovery measures that address the threat of noise pollution and relate to ships include: encouraging the development and use of methodologies that mitigate acoustic impacts (for example, ship quieting technologies); and developing a means to assess individual ship noise and determine response strategies as necessary. Another recent initiative to address underwater noise generated by vessels is the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s underwater noise reduction incentive. As of January 1, 2017, the Port added new criteria to its existing EcoAction Program that allows for rate discounts for quieter ships. Ships may meet gold, silver, or bronze level voluntary standards and are able to obtain up to 47 per cent off the basic harbour due rate. This translates into savings of anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000 per visit for a medium-sized vessel. The Port’s incentive program is the first of its kind in the world and came about as a result of the Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation Program (ECHO) – a program led by the Port aimed at better understanding and managing the impact of shipping activities on at-risk whales, including the Southern Resident Killer Whale, through the southern coast of British Columbia. Green Marine, a voluntary environmental certification program for the North American marine industry, has also moved to address underwater noise June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 43
LEGAL AFFAIRS emanating from ships and ports and its impact on marine mammals. The organization has added two underwater noise performance indicators to its environmental certification program with the goal of reducing negative impacts on marine mammals. The noise performance indicators are optional during 2017 and will become mandatory to obtain Green Marine certification in the years that follow. Similar to the Port’s noise reduction incentive outlined above, this initiative, where companies will be formally evaluated on their efforts to reduce underwater noise from their operations, is the first of its kind in the world. In addition to the foregoing, the International Maritime Organization adopted non-mandatory guidelines to reduce noise from commercial ships in 2014. The purpose of the guidelines is to provide general advice about the reduction of noise to ship designers, shipbuilders and ship operators. Among other things, the guidelines recognize that shipping noise can have short-term and long-term impacts on marine life, call for measurement of shipping noise according to objective ISO standards, identify computational models for determining effective quieting measures, provide guidance for designing quieter ships and for reducing noise from existing ships, and advise owners and operators on how to minimize noise through operations and maintenance (for example, polishing ship propellers to remove fouling and surface roughness). Moving from the voluntary to the mandatory realm, there are currently no comprehensive federal laws or standards regulating ocean noise in Canada. However, this may soon change. Recently, the Government of Canada alluded to the fact that regulatory changes addressing underwater noise generated by vessels are forthcoming under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (CSA). The CSA is the main law that governs marine transportation in Canada and applies, with some exceptions, to Canadian vessels operating in all waters and foreign vessels operating in Canadian waters. Notably, subsection 207(2)(b) of the CSA allows the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister, to make regulations governing noise emissions from pleasure craft engines. A similar provision does 44 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
not exist in relation to commercial vessels. However, subsections 190(1)(h) and (k) of the Act allow the Governor in Council to potentially make regulations respecting: (h) the design, construction, manufacture and maintenance of vessels or classes of vessels; and (k) the requirements that vessels, or classes of vessels, and their machinery must meet. In addition, one of the objectives of the CSA is to “protect the marine environment from damage due to navigation and shipping activities.” Therefore, there appears to be room under the CSA in its present form to require commercial vessels to abide by certain standards in an effort to curtail underwater noise, such as adopting low noise-producing propellers and engines. While it remains to be seen whether new ocean noise regulations will be enacted, what is certain is that the tide is flowing in the direction of reducing underwater noise in order to protect marine life. The survival of at risk species, like the Resident Killer Whale, may in large part depend on it. It is a good idea for commercial vessel operators to get ahead of the regulatory curve and to consider options to reduce their underwater noise impacts, such as operating at lower speeds, applying vibration-absorbing mounts for ship engines, modifying shipping routes to avoid marine habitats, and maintaining clean hulls and propellers. By taking a proactive approach, complying with impending regulation will likely prove less onerous and potentially less costly. Karissa Kelln is a Vancouver Lawyer with Bernard LLP. She can be reached at kelln@bernardllp.ca.
SEAFARERS
Mission plays an important role for visiting seafarers By Captain Stephen Brown Chair, Mission to Seafarers Vancouver
Photo: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
T
he IMO International Day of the Seafarer this year is on June 25. As we saw with the sudden loss of the Very Large Ore Carrier Stellar Daisy in the South Atlantic on March 31, despite the significant regulatory and technical advances of recent years, seafarers remain vulnerable to the unexpected. In the case of Stellar Daisy, only two of 24 crew members survived to tell the story of their ship’s sudden hull failure. Thankfully, such incidents are rare but when they do occur, they remind us that the sea can be unforgiving. At the Mission to Seafarers here in Vancouver, we never lose sight of this reality. In an age when the vast majority of people no longer have a personal connection to shipping or seafarers, the headlines are quickly forgotten when tragedy occurs, but of course, someone needs to pick up the pieces. This may involve loss of life, ship owner bankruptcy (as in the recent case of Hanjin), crew abandonment or piracy. Many former seafarers know of a former shipmate who has been killed or held captive by pirates and, sadly, I am no exception. Most members of the Vancouver marine community are familiar with our bright blue primary building on East Waterfront Road but few are likely to be familiar with its significant history. Constructed in 1905-06, the building has been a landmark of Vancouver’s economic and port development for 110 years, having started life as the headquarters of the BC Mills and Timber Company, previously known as the Hastings Mill whose history dates back to 1865. The mill, originally called Stamps Mill after its builder, Captain Edward Stamp, first cut lumber in June 1867. Its operation included a mill and a store which morphed into a centre of cultural activity and a learning centre for the future City of Vancouver when, in 1869, it established one of Vancouver’s first schools and a library for mill employees. Being at the heart of port development, and the mill having closed, the building went on to serve as the headquarters of the Vancouver Harbour Commissioners from 1930 to 1936, and then for the National Harbours Board from 1936 to 1973, before being occupied by the Mission to Seafarers that same year. The Mission to Seafarers itself was established by the Anglican Church in the United Kingdom in 1855. A branch was first established in Vancouver in 1903 as a Chapter of the Diocese of New Westminster. However, from the get-go, the Mission to Seafarers was designed to be an ecumenical organization which is why here in Vancouver, even today, we have the Reverend Peter Smyth, a native of Northern Ireland, serving as our Senior Port Chaplain. Reverend Smyth is supported by representatives of the Christian Reform and Catholic Churches. But of course, time does not stand still and who could have imagined back in 1906 that we would one day be donating part
The three-piece sculpture recognizing the creation of Hastings Mill has been moved to the front of the Mission to make way for shore power.
Survey after survey has concluded that the number one demand is the ability to communicate with friends and families... of our rear garden area to the cause of shore power installation for our close neighbours, DP World. In 1965, the Vancouver Historical Society commissioned a three-piece sculpture almost three metres high to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Hastings Mill, also recognizing that the settlement continues to represent the nucleus of today’s Vancouver. The monument was unveiled in June 1966 and stayed largely out of sight and out of mind until the shore power project came along. Given the historical and cultural sensitivities involved, the repositioning of the monument to the front of our building was no small undertaking but suffice to say, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority initiated extensive consultation to ensure all concerns were heard and addressed prior to the monument being relocated. From a personal perspective, I would have to say that now being far more visible, the monument is better placed than where it sat, largely unnoticed, for the previous half century. So, what are the needs of today’s seafarers? Survey after survey has concluded that the number one demand is the ability to communicate with friends and families back home, wherever that may be. The reality is that today, the vast majority of seafarers originate from the world’s developing countries with the Philippines, India and China being the leading suppliers. All June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 45
SEAFARERS Photo: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
Westshore Terminals generously sponsored the donation of a mini-van to serve seafarers visiting Roberts Bank.
current and former seafarers are familiar with the physical challenges of seafaring but their mental well-being is also crucial. Nothing helps to provide for this more than a conversation with loved ones back home — the feeling of reassurance can be overwhelming. It is therefore disappointing that, in so many ports around the world, the scramble to get ashore to find a Starbucks or similar which provides free wi-fi remains the only option for seafarers. We want to do better in Vancouver — and we do, largely thanks to broadband internet at both locations (thanks to TELUS) and the support of you, our marine community who keep us alive. The cost of maintaining our building on East Waterfront Road and our satellite Portacabin location hosted by Westshore Terminals at Roberts Bank is not small change. We therefore need to work at fundraising and cost control each and every day. Fortunately, we have the
46 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
support of a voluntary ship levy of $75 per port call to which approximately 70 per cent of owners and agents contribute. We also benefit from a number of one-off donations throughout the year and from the internal fundraising efforts of some very dedicated supporters. In this context, I would be derelict not to give special mention to the International Sailors’ Society of Canada, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the Pacific Pilotage Authority, BC Coast Pilots Ltd., Westshore Terminals, DP World, Teekay Shipping, Methanex/Waterfront Shipping, Seaspan, Saam Smit, Samson Tug Boats and many others, without whom we would certainly not be in a position to offer our current levels of service to seafarers visiting Canada’s largest port. We also benefit from the generosity of Tymac Launch Service who, year after year, provide (at no charge to us), a launch with which to make our annual
Senior Port Chaplain Peter Smyth
Christmas deliveries to vessels at anchor. Thank you. Of course, none of this alone is enough. Our signature Cycling for Seafarers event, which this year is scheduled for August 26, is crucial in raising funds to balance the books. From humble beginnings, the event has grown to be an industry landmark and I would therefore encourage every company and every association to be represented. Whether you are an industry veteran or just starting out, come and join us or simply throw in a little sponsorship to someone who is riding — it’s a lot of fun. Chair of the organizing committee this year is Doug Towill, President of Tymac Launch. Speaking of people, we are fortunate to have a very active board consisting of the author, serving as Chair; Oscar Pinto, Valles Steamship, Vice Chair; Don MacInnes, formerly with COSBC, Treasurer; Peter Bernard QC; Capt. Ray Goode, retired BC Coast Pilot; Lori King, formerly with GCT; Jim Lawson, previously Regional Director with Transport Canada; Yvette Myers, current Regional Director, Transport Canada; and Larry Sawrenko, Director, Finance and Treasurer with VFPA. Larry led our recently completed Strategic Planning exercise, several meetings of which were hosted by Lanna Hodgson at the International Ship-Owners Alliance of Canada. We are also fortunate to have a dedicated and hardworking complement of staff and volunteers led by our long-serving Administrative Manager, Kathryn Murray. The shops at our two branches
Photo: Dave Roels (www.daveroels.com)
are invariably well stocked with items to meet the day-to-day needs of seafarers, not to mention a few special treats that every honest seafarer dreams of from time to time. As with an aging ship, our downtown building is never short of a few surprises. Following serious flooding of the basement area in 2015, last year was one of rallying the troops to make good again. The external drainage system is now completely renewed and the basement area renovated which allows us and a number of other organizations who have traditionally used the area for meetings and social events to resume business as usual. This is important because our two locations are only effective when they are actively used. For this reason, our ecumenical team, led by Senior Port Chaplain Peter Smyth, actively dedicates time to approximately 80 ship visits per month which are usually then reciprocated. The Roberts Bank station in particular attracts 40-50 seafarers most nights given that it serves Westshore Coal Terminal and Deltaport Container Terminal, both of which are constantly busy. We also are indebted to Westshore Terminals for the recent decision of the company to generously sponsor a fine looking mini-van — our first at this location. Inevitably this will provide a further boost to what we can offer seafarers at the Roberts Bank terminals. Given the challenges of access, our downtown building is less busy but we are actively pursuing solutions, including seeking sponsorship of a mini-van which will also allow us to step up service at this location. The recruitment of volunteers in support of full-time staff has become a necessity for Missions to
Kathryn Murray, Administrative Manager, has served the Mission well.
Seafarers globally and we are no exception. “Connecting Ships, Ports and People” is the World Maritime Day theme for 2017. This year the occasion falls on Friday, September 29, 2017, so let’s make it special. We know for certain that the Vancouver marine community understands the debt that we owe to our seafarers. We cannot guarantee that there will be no more episodes such as Stellar Daisy but when seafarers are in our neck of the woods, we aim to ensure that they know we are here and that we can be relied upon. Thanks again for your invaluable support and get those legs going for August 26.
9TH ANNUAL
C YCLING F OR SEA FARERS
NEW DATE:
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2017
HELP US REACH OUR $50,000 GOAL! Every $100 raised, gives you one entry for the grand prize draw! 4 ROUTES TO CHOOSE FROM:
• 40km – Cycle Vancouver’s residential areas, past UBC and along the beaches. You do not have to be an avid cyclist , just a person with a big heart and a willingness to make a difference. • 60km – More of a challenge. Ride through Vancouver and out to Steveston. • 100km – Cruise at 25 km/hr. or more. Ride through Vancouver, Steveston, Queensborough and around UBC. All 3 routes above start and end at the Mission: 401 East Waterfront Rd., Vancouver • 10km Stanley Park Family ride. Start & ends at the Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Tours parking lot
Sign up at www.flyingangel.ca and help raise funds for the Mission. Participants are encouraged to get out and do additional fundraising to support the good work the Mission does in providing the Seafarers that visit our port a safe and comfortable Home away from Home.
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*** Prizes awarded for top fundraisers *** June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 47
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
How to trade with a dragon By Darryl Anderson Managing Director, Wave Point Consulting
M
omentum to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) froze thanks to the tone and tenor of President Trump. An “America first” approach driving a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the recent ratification of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement are at the forefront. Prime Minister Trudeau’s January 2017 mandate letter to the newly minted Minister of International Trade, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, made brief mention of promoting trade and investment with emerging markets such as China and India. Shippers may be tempted to think that Canada’s international trade and investment agenda with China and other ASEAN countries will lag other priorities. The appointment of a new Canadian ambassador to China (the Honourable John McCallum) and the news that Canada was amongst the group of 12 TPP countries (along with China and South Korea) to attend a March 2017 Chile Pacific trade meeting have observers speculating that our Asian international relationship may receive heightened attention. The possibilities include a bilateral trade agreement with China. Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, confirmed, “China is a really important market, and Canada will take a step-bystep approach to exploratory talks and engaging in consultations with Canadians.” Goldsmith-Jones also remarked that our ties with the ASEAN countries are long-standing and are part of Canada’s current trade and investment attraction efforts. The Parliamentary Secretary recently spoke at the Singapore Maritime Week to promote international investment in Canada and the work of the Vancouver International
48 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
...that international trade with China is our second largest commercial relationship ... it is fair to ask what Canada’s priorities with China should be... Maritime Centre. She remarked, “the Government of Canada congratulates Vancouver for being recognized among the leading maritime capitals of the world in the Menon Report. As Canada’s Gateway to Asia Pacific, Vancouver is a thriving city for foreign investors looking to establish a North American base of operations. The Government of Canada truly appreciates the valuable contributions to Canada’s marine sector that come from a vibrant international shipping industry. We recognize the importance of the Vancouver International Maritime Centre in attracting foreign shipping companies to establish, expand or retain shipping operations on Canada’s West Coast — and building a strong maritime sector in British Columbia.” Given the fact that international trade with China is our second largest commercial relationship after the United States, it is fair to ask what Canada’s priorities with China should be and how they relate to China’s ambitions as well as what practical measures shippers can take now as the larger international trade agenda unfolds.
Canada’s trade priorities with China
Cyndee Todgham Cherniak, an international trade lawyer with LexSage, suggests that significant issues in any CanadaChina trade negotiation would likely include market access for Canadian goods in China. Sectors of interest include natural resources, softwood lumber, oil and gas, and inputs used to make steel. Market access for services such insurance, banking, engineering, law firms, telecommunications, and government procurement would also be necessary. China-specific issues that may be a priority in trade negotiations for Canada, according to Philip Sutter, Director, Strategic Analysis, Global Trade Management, Livingston International, include currency manipulation, protection of intellectual property, importing non-tariff barriers into China, and China’s compulsory certification policy. Wendy Dobson, in Canada, China and Rising Asia: A Strategic Proposal argues that our priorities should focus on penetrating sectors in China that are expected to grow in the years ahead. The Chinese market segments that hold the most promise for Canadian businesses, according to Export Development Canada’s Doing Business in China: A Guide for Canadian Exporters, aren’t necessarily the ones from which Canada currently gleans its highest Chinese export revenues, but rather those in which smaller Canadian companies are most likely to find business opportunities. The agri-food, automotive after-parts, construction materials and technology, environmental product, large infrastructure projects and logistics
INTERNATIONAL TRADE and distribution sectors were amongst the most promising industries.
China’s international trade and investment priorities
Sutter stated, “Canada and China share a mutual interest in multi-lateral or bi-lateral trade agreements. China is also concerned with being a full card-carrying member of the world trading community.” Possible priorities for China, in Todgham Cherniak’s opinion, would include Canadian recognition that China was a market economy rather than a State-Owned Enterprise. As a result, anti-dumping and countervail measures, along with certification and testing would be on the agenda. Non-tariff, technical barriers to trade and phytosanitary measures would be other relevant topics of interest to shippers, transport and logistics service providers. Trading successfully with a dragon also requires insight into China’s other international priorities. Sutter observed that China was leading the pan-Asian Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that was conceived as a counterweight to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He noted that international trade experts will be watching closely to see if this initiative would be opened for others to join now that President Trump has expressed a lack of support for the TPP. In a March 2017 address, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang indicated that China would continue to open its markets to the world through the continuation of the Belt and Road Initiative. Li also said China will speed up the development of overland corridors and maritime hubs and will simplify customs clearance procedures. For Canadian exporters, a bi-lateral trade agreement with China could help offset both NAFTA-related trade challenges and address China’s One Belt, One Road policy of building stronger economic ties with Euro-Asian and African countries since these developments have the potential to influence Canada’s maritime trade. If China focuses more on Asia and the Indo-Pacific basin for its commodity needs, this could reduce demand for Canadian exports.
Practical insights on trading with Asian countries
Regardless of the shifting global economy, shippers are also concerned with practical matters on how to trade with a dragon. The Canada China Business Council advises that Canadian exporters should be aware of technical barriers to trade that may exist. Since the implementation of China’s Food Safety Law in 2009, agricultural products could subject to additional costs for Canadian exporters. Also, China’s sanitary and phytosanitary standards do not always conform to Canadian standards and are not always in line with international standards. Chinese ports have been known to apply phytosanitary standards differently, thus container industry consolidation, new shipping alliances and their port choices in China have the potential to disrupt supply chains in Canada. When Todgham Cherniak was asked what practical insights she would give to an exporter or importer engaged in merchandise trade with Asia, she quickly responded, “small and medium-sized Canadian businesses importing goods from
China often appear to ‘buy first and ask questions later.’ For supply chain fluidity and to prevent costly delays, “importers need to ask themselves if they have done everything they need to do to be ready to receive the shipment. Examples of issues that can arise include missing Health Canada approvals, or receiving shipments on pallets that need fumigation.” Export Development Canada suggests that, for most Canadian exporters, shipping goods to China and dealing with Chinese Customs is a process better handled by customs brokers and freight forwarders. For example, a licensed customs broker or trade advisor based in Canada can work with an agent located in China. Freight forwarders are primarily responsible for moving goods, although many offer customs brokerage services as well. Consequently, shippers can select from various service providers, or have the company manage the whole process, starting at their loading dock and ending on your customer’s doorstep. Livingston International’s Sutter identified critical success factors for clients engaging the services of outside experts. Besides bringing subject matter expertise, a relationship will be more beneficial when the following processes are proactively managed: transaction details, specific regulations and data needed to support the international movement of the goods. Choosing a freight forwarder requires its own brand of due diligence. The most important thing to find out is whether the forwarder is experienced in clearing goods into China. Even if it passes this test, shippers should also:
Dave aboard the CSL Tecumseh “Action Photography - everywhere!”
“Dave’s not just a photographer, he’s an artist.” Jane McIvor, Publisher BC Shipping News June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 49
INTERNATIONAL TRADE Moving beyond the present tense to a future that is friendly to increasing international commerce and investment requires both a strategic and practical perspective. • Ask the forwarder for a list of customers and ask those customers about the forwarder’s quality of service; • Check the forwarder’s credit references; • Find out if the forwarder is experienced in handling your type of product; and • Make sure the forwarder can handle the volume of shipping you expect. For shippers, a positive development is that the new Ocean Alliance which commenced operations on April 1, 2017, includes the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert on their Pacific Northwest service strings and Halifax on their AsiaEast Coast North America and U.S. Gulf services. Before shippers take advantage of container shipping services, it is important for them to get all their paperwork in place according to a leading international trade lawyer. Cherniak noted that transport companies are witnesses to many of the issues or problems that arise when importing goods from China and other countries. They are often well placed to offer guidance to a client. Lessons learned from past bad experiences provide valuable insights into how much money and time can be lost in the import process when problems arise because of a lack of planning.
Trade and investment with Asia: present tense, future friendly?
Our trade and investment outlook with ASEAN countries and China, along with container line consolidation and alliances, influence Canada’s port and gateway trade flows and infrastructure requirements. Canada’s relationship with Asian countries benefits from political leadership at the highest levels as the recent efforts of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade demonstrate. Moving beyond the present tense to a future that is friendly to increasing international commerce and investment requires both a strategic and practical perspective. To overcome the challenges of moving goods to markets requires focusing our efforts on identifying areas that would allow each party in our international supply chains to thrive. The lesson from Brexit and the American election is that a failure to tangibly demonstrate the benefits of international commerce has the possibility to lead to an outcome that is detrimental to a small open economy like Canada. Recognizing that Canada is at the early stages of a possible new trade and investment relationship with China, shippers, and transport service providers have an important voice to contribute to the discussions. Thus, it is incumbent on everyone to learn how to trade with an ASEAN, or China dragon. Darryl Anderson is a strategy, trade development, logistics and transportation consultant. His blog Shipper matters focuses on maritime transportation and policy issues. http://wavepointconsulting. ca/shipping-matters.
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50 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
Navigating a Sustainable Navigating aFuture Sustainable Future
ACPA 2017 Vancouver · Sept 18–20 ACPA 2017 Vancouver · Sept 18–20
SET YOUR COORDINATES TO 49.2827° N, 123.1207° W SET YOUR COORDINATES TO 49.2827° N, 123.1207° W
IT’S ACPA IN VANCOUVER IT’S ACPA IN VANCOUVER Join us for the 2017 Association of Canadian Join Authorities us for the 2017 Association of Canadian Port Conference to explore: Port Authorities Conference to explore: The global economy and its impact on Canadian ports The global economy and its impact on Canadian ports Financing port infrastructure projects Financing port infrastructure projects Effective supply chain management to ease impact on local communities Effective supply chain management to ease impact on local communities Globally-inspired best practices in port and community collaboration Globally-inspired best practices in port and community collaboration Innovation and collaboration for environmental protection Innovation and collaboration for environmental protection Cybersecurity and automation Cybersecurity and automation Learn more and register at Learn more and register at www.acpa2017.ca www.acpa2017.ca
TECHNOLOGY
Hybrid RTGs growing in popularity
C
orvus Energy recently announced that it will be providing Orca Energy lithium-ion energy storage systems (ESS) for four hybrid rubbertired gantry cranes (RTGs) for CCCC Shanghai Equipment Engineering (CCCCSEE). The RTGs are the first of many cranes at the Chinese Port of Changshu to undergo a diesel to battery hybrid conversion using a Corvus Orca ESS which follow over 20 RTG hybrid conversions with Corvus’ first generation batteries at other Shanghai area ports. The hybrid RTG’s are supplied to the ports through China’s ZPMC, a global market leader in the manufacture and sale of port cranes. Given the maritime industry’s penchant for moving toward technologies that save fuel, lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower noise levels, it’s no wonder that the application of Corvus’ technology for terminal equipment is growing in popularity.
Background
Container terminals use RTGs to manage container aisles, stacking and moving cargo-containers, and acting as the intermediary equipment between the shore-side cranes and the truck and rail connections. The vast majority of these RTGs utilize a constant-speed diesel generator to supply power to the crane for hoist operation, propulsion and house loads (for example, instruments, lights, air conditioning). The disadvantage of constant-speed generator technology is that the generator runs at a constant speed regardless of the work being performed. Therefore,
during periods when the crane is idle or performing an activity that requires little power, a significant amount of diesel fuel is wasted, and a significant quantity of greenhouse gas (GHG) and particulate matter (PM) emissions are produced. Most RTG crane drives are powered by electric motors using the electricity generated onboard. RTGs function by making three basic movements: 1. Hoisting (and lowering) — to raise or lower the spreader. 2. Trolley movement — to move the spreader transversely across the stack. 3. Gantry movement — to move the entire crane along the length of the stack. RTGs have also been found to be inefficient in their operation and energy management due to different operational factors including: • Operators not allowing the RTG to power down to standby when idle for more than one hour. • The generators running when the machine is not performing lifting operations (even when in standby). • The regenerated power from lifting operations being dissipated as heat through resistor banks.
RTG with ESS
When a container is lowered, the hoisting motor is not performing any work. In fact, the lowering motion is being driven by the weight of the container; therefore, the movement has the potential to produce electricity (analogous to a generator). In a conventional
Image 1 — representation of the power generated when lowering a container. 52 — BC Shipping News — June 2017
RTG, no way exists to gainfully use this generated electricity. Therefore, the electricity is fed to large resistor banks, converted to heat, and eventually dissipated via direct contact with air. Image 1 gives a visual representation of the power generated when lowering a container. They also clearly show the momentary peak in power demand just as the hoisting motion commences. Studies on ship-to-shore (STS) cranes showed that on average, the cranes generate electricity for 18 minutes during every hour of operation. The potential for regeneration is expected to be similar for RTG cranes. Additionally, the need for maximum power on an RTG’s diesel engine exists for only four per cent of operating time, which implies that if the peak power demand can be reduced, the diesel engine can be downsized. One way to capture the energy generated in an RTG crane’s lowering motion is by storing the energy in onboard battery banks. This stored power can then be used to: 1. Reduce the peak load demand on the engine during the next hoisting operation. 2. Supplement the electric power supplied by the diesel generator. 3. Run auxiliaries like computers, lights
The battery room with Corvus AT6700 battery modules.
and air conditioning, allowing the engine to be shut down during idle periods.
Environmental Considerations
Besides cost considerations, ports must consider how air quality, both locally around the port and globally, is impacted by their operations. The communities near ports are often sensitive neighbours with whom the ports need to maintain healthy relations. Aside from the ship at berth, RTGs are the leading contributors to diesel emissions at the terminals. The following section summarizes the relative impact of a hybrid electric RTG retrofit on CO2 emissions, as well as emissions of NOx, SOx, and PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter). Percentage reductions of the various emissions are benchmarked from the standard of an engine meeting Tier 1 emissions standards. • CO2 Emissions — 60% reduction • NOx Emissions — 90% reduction • SOx Emissions — SOx emissions are a function of sulfur content in the fuel used and quantity of fuel consumed. • PM10 Emissions — 90% reduction
Orca Energy ESS in operation
Corvus Energy will supply its latest generation ESS, Orca Energy, for the retrofit of four RTGs that will be converted to battery hybrid-electric cranes by integrator CCCCSEE. Unlike conventional diesel electric port cranes, the hybrid version is powered primarily from the Orca Energy ESS, resulting in fuel savings of up to 65 per cent with the added benefits of reduced operating costs, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower noise levels at the terminal. This order represents the first port equipment order to leverage the industry leading performance, safety, reliability and cost effectiveness of the Orca Energy ESS. “This latest order from CCCCSEE for the Port of Changshu, once again proves the viability of energy storage for the hybridization of industrial equipment such as port cranes. The design and performance of Orca Energy enables the ESS to support aggressive load profiles with a significant reduction in cost.” says Sean Puchalski, Vice President Strategic Marketing of Corvus Energy. “With dozens of RTGs now using a Corvus Energy ESS, Corvus technology continues to be the answer for progressive
A hybrid electric ZPMC rubberttire gantry cranes.
port operators worldwide who seek to increase efficiencies while reducing emissions and the environmental impact of their operations.” “Corvus has positively shifted the economics and viability of converting diesel port equipment to battery hybridelectric with Orca Energy. Exceeding all requirements and expectations with Orca Energy ESS, Corvus technology is a solid cornerstone of our advanced technology solutions strategy and the proven performance, durability and reliability of its battery systems is ideally suited to the demands of our industrial applications,” said Gao Jianzhong, Chief Engineer, CCCCSEE.
Summary
Installations like the one at the Port of Changshu are catching the interest of other regions around the world as well — SE Asia, Europe and, to some degree,
the U.S. The hybrid system Corvus’ Chinese partner deploys can save up to 65 per cent of the fuel, with commensurate emission reductions. The punishing part of the load profile on the battery is the large inbound power spike when the container is lowered. This results in a rapid charge event on the battery. Normally this energy is wasted through large resistor banks (to heat), but in the Corvus case it is recycled for useful work on the next lift. This operation requires a high quality battery as typical batteries will degrade rapidly under these conditions. Also, this superior battery technology allows the significant genset size reduction (400kW to 40kW) that enables the great fuel savings. This overview of Hybrid Electric RTG operation is based on: Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Logistics Project: The Greening of Rubber-Tired Gantry Cranes in Ports, 15.915 Laboratory for Sustainable Business
June 2017 — BC Shipping News — 53
ADVERTISERS
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