Canpotex Limited (Canpotex) today announced the completion of its terminal expansion at Portland Bulk Terminals in Portland, Oregon.
“The expansion of our Portland terminal is the culmination of five years of hard work, dedication and partnership between Canpotex, the Port of Portland, the local community and dozens of vendors and suppliers,” said Ken Seitz, President and CEO of Canpotex. “The improvements we have made at Portland Bulk Terminals will enhance our ability to reliably ship our potash overseas and meet customers’ needs.”
The terminal expansion includes a new shiploader, a newly constructed warehouse facility with a capacity of 110,000 metric tonnes (MT), and an upgraded vessel loading system that can transfer potash directly from trains and through the warehouse system onto vessels more efficiently. The improvements increase the overall terminal system capacity by an estimated 3.5 million MT per year to a total of 7.5 million MT per year.
The project took approximately five years to complete, with more than 50 vendors and subcontractors involved in engineering, procurement, and construction management. All contributed to a strong environmental and safety record.
Portland Bulk Terminals has been wholly owned by Canpotex since 1997 and is a valuable component of its world-class supply chain. Canpotex has invested nearly $150 million through this project to develop this facility with new technologies to realize efficiencies in ship loading, rail operations and potash storage, while enhancing health and safety and reducing its environmental impact.
“The completion of this expansion project enables Canpotex to be agile and responsive to our international customers’ demands for high quality, Canadian potash,” said Seitz.