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Facilities: Québec, Stockton, Tampa

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A dome erected earlier this month marked the start of construction of the wood pellet terminal project in the Anse au Foulon sector in the Port of Québec. The Port of Stockton dedicated M-580 – the Northern California Marine Highway – in a ceremony on November 1. The Port of Tampa recently completed an impressive project cargo move – the unloading of large process units for the NexLube re-refining plant that is currently under construction at the port.

Québec Begins Construction of Wood Chip Export Terminal

A dome erected earlier this month marked the start of construction of the wood pellet terminal project in the Anse au Foulon sector in the Port of Québec

Using a construction technique that involves filling a soft casing with air, the casing assumed the shape of the dome. In the ensuing weeks, the inflatable structure will be reinforced with concrete applied to the casing’s inner surface. A construction date has not been set for the second dome. Construction will continue throughout the next months to prepare for the tonnage that will begin arriving by train in August 2014. 

The port authority has established a committee composed of experts from the fields of visual arts or architecture to advise it on the best way to visually integrate the domes with the urban environment.

Stockton Dedicates M-580 Northern California Marine Highway

A ceremony dedicating the Northern California Marine Highway, called the M-580, was hosted November 1 by the Port of Stockton. The service offers container barge service between Stockton and Bay Area Port of Oakland as an alternative to over-the-road haulage. 

Port Director Richard Aschieris told the group that since the sailing of the first barge in early June, the ports had gained operational experience and developed the partners who are using this service to deliver containerized cargo to the Bay Area without using trucks.

"I am pleased to report that more than 5,000 truck trips have been eliminated already from our highways, which has eliminated 453 tons of pollution from the air we breathe," he added.

Stockton Port Director Richard Aschieris speaking at the M-580 dedication ceremony.
Photo/Port of Stockton

The M-580 Marine Highway is part of a $130 million, 10-year effort to improve port infrastructure and has resulted in the private sector investing more than $2 billion in projects at the port in just the last five years. The port purchased two 140-ton mobile harbor cranes and two container-modified dedicated barges for this service. 

Booking cargo is the same process as booking trucked cargo. Containers can be loaded to maximum capacity that can be heavier than the 80,000-pound weight limit for trucks traveling between the ports.

Stockton Port Commission Vice Chair Victor Mow said the service has created new work opportunity for members of the local ILWU workforce by providing 475 shifts of work with an estimated value of $438,000 in wages and benefits. This jobs creation is exclusive of the work provided to the ILWU Oakland workforce and ancillary support jobs within the trucking industry and tenant based businesses, to name a few.

"This service is a combined effort with the support of local leadership, two ports, two air quality districts, operations and marketing efforts of the ports’ staff, stevedore companies, terminal operators, shipping partners and on-dock longshore unions," Mr. Mow said. "I am pleased to report that the Northern California Marine Highway will generate more than $5 million in new wages on our docks in the first year of operations alone."

From its June startup through October, the barge service moved a total of 2009 containers on 29 roundtrips between Stockton and Oakland carrying export wine, waste paper, grain and tomato paste and imports that included wine, retail, feed grain and fertilizer, according to data cited by the port. The port further notes that 60 percent of the containers were forty-footers and 40 percent were twenty-footers.

"This ‘California Green Trade Corridor’ is working on twice-weekly service to Oakland terminals, eventually to increase to four calls a week," declared Stockton Port Deputy Director Mark Tollini. "More than two dozen international container lines can make use of this service that takes approximately 8.5 hours to reach Oakland as the barge is pushed by Brusco Tug and Barge’s tug boats."

Following the speakers’ presentations was a formal champagne christening of the Northern California Marine Highway alongside the barge, M-580 B.

Port of Stockton’s barge M-580B is pushed by Brusco Tug and Barge’s tug boat.
Photo/Port of Stockton

Tampa Port Moves Large Project Cargo for NexLube Tampa Construction

The Port of Tampa recently completed an impressive project cargo move – the unloading of large process units for the NexLube re-refining plant that is currently under construction at the port.

The longest unit was a 150-foot Thermal De-Asphalting (TDA) Column weighing 142 tons. Also unloaded were two hydrofinishing units – one 83-feet tall, weighing 75 tons and the other 113-feet tall, weighing 140 tons. The three together constitute the heart of the NexLube waste oil processing operation.

The units were offloaded from the m/v BBC Indiana, at the port’s berth 208, with stevedoring and terminal operating services provided by Ports America, all to the great satisfaction of customer NexLube. 

"I must compliment all the crews that were involved in the off-loading and storage of the units," said David Tedford, NexLube’s EHS manager. "The BBC Indiana crew operating the ship’s cranes and rigging, Crane Rental Company on the ground, the Port America crew and Tampa Port Authority security all performed flawlessly, efficiently and safely together.

Early morning lift-off of large infrastructure enhancements from the M/V BBC Indiana at Tampa’s Berth 208. The pieces are part of the construction underway at the NexLube site at Pendola Point, just southeast of the marine terminal.
Photo/Andy Fobes, Tampa Port Authority
 

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