Terminal Investments: JAXPORT, Montreal

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The Jacksonville Port Authority late last month finalized a $37.6 million contract to purchase three new 100-foot gauge cranes from a Chinese manufacturer for Blount Island Marine Terminal. CanEst Transit ‘s new agri-product cleaning and containerization terminal is up and operating at the Port of Montreal.

JAXPORT Orders Three 100-Gauge Container Gantry Cranes

The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) on October 23 finalized a $37.6 million contract to purchase three new 100-foot gauge cranes from a Chinese manufacturer for Blount Island Marine Terminal. The Florida Department of Transportation awarded JAXPORT a $15 million grant toward the purchase.

The new cranes will have a reach of 22 containers across a ship’s deck, up from the 16- container reach of Blount Island’s current 50-foot gauge cranes. The new cranes will be electric instead of diesel, reducing air emissions. They are due to become operational in 2016.

Berth 35 at Blount Island is being upgraded to handle the new cranes. The final design for the berth enhancements will be completed this fall, with a 16-month construction period expected to start in January 2015.

JAXPORT’s long-term strategic plan calls for the purchase of a total of ten 100-gauge cranes for Blount Island during the next 10 years.

JAXPORT’s TraPac Container Terminal at Dames Point currently operates six 100-gauge cranes, shown here arriving at JAXPORT in 2008. The new Blount Island cranes will resemble these cranes.
Photo/JAXPORT

Montreal: CanEst Transit Inaugurates Agri-product Cleaning and Containerization Terminal

CanEst Transit on October 20 officially opened a new cleaning and containerization terminal for agricultural products in the Port of Montreal’s former Grain Elevator No. 3.

CanEst Transit invested C$20 million, primarily in the purchase of modern equipment to handle and load agricultural products. The Montreal Port Authority spent C$4 million for building improvements and road and rail access.

With a total capacity of 68,000 metric tons, the 91 completely renovated silos will be used to store and transship agricultural products before they are cleaned and packed in ocean containers for export.

"The fact that CanEst Transit is located next to container terminals lets us offer our customers fast, competitive service and great operating flexibility," said company president Pierre Dagenais.

CanEst Transit can fill eight containers per hour. It expects to containerize 100,000 tons (or 4,000 TEUs) of grain during the first year of operation and considerably more in subsequent years.

"This project is well in line with the port authority’s commitment to develop value-added operations allowing for a diversification of activities on the port while providing the shipping lines that serve the port with additional freight volume," said Port Authority President Sylvie Vachon. "This is excellent news for grain producers across the country, for the Port of Montreal, for the marine industry and for the City of Montreal."

CanEst Transit Inc. is a joint venture between La Coop fédérée, Transit BD Inc. and MGT Holdings S.a.r.l. La Coop fédérée is an agri-food company, with more than 100,000 members grouped in 102 cooperatives in several Canadian provinces. Transit BD Inc. is a holding company. MGT Holdings S.a.r.l. holds 100 percent of the shares of Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership, which operates Montreal’s Cast and Racine marine terminals.

  
Exterior and interior views of CanEst Transit’s grain containerization facility.
Photos/Montreal Port Authority