Viterra Inc. has officially opened its expanded Pacific Terminal at the Port of Vancouver.
Viterra, a subsidiary of Glencore International, invested more than $100 million in the west coast terminal and tripled the terminal’s annual handling capacity to more than six million tonnes.
Enhancements at the facility include new bulk weighers, upgrades to shipping conveyors and rotary cleaners, improved electrical and dust control systems and a new ship loading system capable of loading post-Panamax vessels, the largest vessels that can navigate through the recently expanded Panama Canal.
“Our goal through this project was to create a highly efficient port terminal in Canada with unprecedented capability for processing a diverse range of commodities,” Viterra president Kyle Jeworski said in a news release.
The upgrade will optimize investments in other parts of Viterra’s asset network, such as a new pulse cleaning facility in Tempest, Alta., he added.
The terminal’s new equipment includes a enclosed conveyance system that ensures soft handling of products direct to the vessel. That is important for pulses, which require delicate handling.
The improvements will allow Viterra to capture “increasing demand for pulse and specialty grain products from customers worldwide,” Jeworski said.
