Westshore Terminals
With a 40 year history of continuous operations, and commitment to service quality, Westshore Terminals continues to meet the growing demands of its customers.
Introduction
Located at Roberts Bank in Delta BC, Westshore is Canada’s premier and most technologically-advanced coal export terminal and the largest dry bulk-loading terminal on the west coast of North and South America.
Westshore Terminals features two deep sea berths capable of efficiently loading ocean-going vessels of up to 260,000 deadweight tonnes. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Westshore ships both steelmaking (metallurgical) and energy (thermal) coal to over 20 countries worldwide.
With the completion of an extensive, three-year, $49 million dollar equipment upgrade in early 2010, Westshore was able to celebrate its 40th anniversary in style by setting a new company record in coal throughput of 24.7 million tonnes in 2010, surpassing a previous benchmark of 23.5 million tonnes set in 1997. This capital project demonstrates the long-range management planning with which Westshore manages its brokers. The capital project which included an extensive addition to the conveyor system, the replacement and up- grade of the multiple railcar rotary dumper, the on-site assembly of a fourth stacker-reclaimer and the complete automation of all four stacker-reclaimers, will continue to pay dividends as Westshore has not only increased its ability to maximize on-site storage but significantly improved its ability to directly load waiting ships rather than stockpiling incoming coal. Through increased handling efficiencies and close coordination with its valued coal supply customers, Westshore has increased the volume of directly loaded coal from 27% to 37% in 2010.
Recent Projects
In 2009, Westshore commissioned a flow study which identified several key areas that could be improved and that will enhance the free movement of coal throughout the 133-acre (54-hectare) site. A maintenance program to redesign and upgrade four of the seven strategic transfer shuts is underway and will be completed later this year. As coal volumes from a number of domestic supply customers such as Teck Coal, Coal Valley Resources and Grande Cache, as well as several US mines in the Powder River Basin, continue to increase, Westshore is focused on exploring new ways of maximizing all of its handling and transfer capabilities.
Looking Ahead
The demand for metallurgical coal continues to grow worldwide as the global recession starts to ease, and with the recent challenges faced by coal exporters in Australia (the world’s number one supplier of metallurgical coal), Westshore is poised to meet those demands. The volume of coal shipped to China nearly doubled to four million tonnes in 2010, and continues to look positive as Chinese steel mills run at their capacities. While metallurgical coal makes up the major share of Westshore’s exported product, the global reliance on thermal coal as a low-cost energy source is also being recognized and, this past year, Westshore tripled its thermal coal throughput, ending the year shipping a record 5.6 million tonnes.
Combined with strong long-term relationships with major coal mines in western Canada and the northwest US, and dedicated rail service in place with the Canadian Pacific, Canadian National and Burlington Northern railways, Westshore is well-placed to meet the increasing market demand for both metallurgical and thermal coal as the global economic recovery gains traction.