CSL and Viterra set grain load record at Port of Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay, ON – Canada Steamship Lines reached a historic milestone at the Viterra terminal in the Port of Thunder Bay Thursday, when it loaded a record-setting 31,362 metric tonnes of grain on CSL Welland, breaking the previous record of 31,143 metric tonnes set earlier this year by the new Captain Henry Jackman. The cargo of wheat will be discharged in Montreal, destined for international markets.
The 36,364 DWT Trillium Class bulk carrier is currently running on second generation biodiesel made from non-food biomass, adding to the significance of this remarkable accomplishment.
“I commend Captain Rowe and his crew, the Viterra team, the Port of Thunder Bay, as well as our CSL teams on the ground who contributed to this achievement,” said Louis Martel, CSL President and CEO.
“Safely maximizing cargo load on a ship depends on many factors such as load sequencing and distribution, draft restrictions, vessel weight, water level and weather. In collaboration with the Viterra team, we were able to plan for and make the most of favorable conditions.”
CSL Welland is part of CSL’s biodiesel testing program – the longest ongoing trials of pure B100 biodiesel on vessels in Canada. Over the course of the tests this year, which were conducted on half of CSL’s Great Lakes fleet, CSL Welland was able to achieve a lifecycle reduction of 6,800 tonnes of CO2 compared to marine gasoil (MGO).
Across the entire Canada Steamship Lines fleet, the CSL biodiesel program has to date resulted in a 22% lifecyle reduction of CO2 compared to MGO.
Introduced in 2018, CSL’s biodiesel program has accumulated the most running hours on B100 with marine engines worldwide. Replacing fossil fuel with biodiesel on vessels requires no modification of existing equipment and provides a viable carbon neutral fuel source over its lifecycle.
CSL
$1.5B Soo Locks project set to be done in 2030, officials say
Toledo, OH – The decades-overdue overhaul of the Soo Locks is moving swiftly as the nearly $1.5 billion infrastructure project is on schedule to be completed by 2030 and will bolster commerce in Michigan and the Midwest, maritime industry leaders said Thursday.
A news conference held at the National Museum of the Great Lakes here showcased the project, which will construct a 1,200-foot-long lock to handle thousand-foot vessels as they pass through the Sault Ste. Marie area in the Upper Peninsula.
Improving the locks is “an efficiency issue, a resiliency issue” and is long overdue, said James Weakley, the president of the Lake Carriers Association based in Ohio. Built in 1855, the locks haven’t received a major upgrade in more than 50 years.
“It’s about ensuring the reliability of our supply chain, and it’s ensuring the capability of American manufacturing which includes steel manufacturing and all the industries it supports,” Weakley said.
The event featured the commander of the Detroit District Army Corps office, two port authority leaders from Toledo and Monroe as well as the head of a steamship company that used the locks.
The Detroit News
Read the full story here: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/11/04/1-5-b-soo-locks-project-set-done-2030-officials-say/6284798001/
Sale of Soo Locks posters will benefit National Museum of the Great Lakes
Toledo, OH – Three posters depicting the future era of enhanced Great Lakes shipping through the Soo Locks were unveiled during an industry roundtable at Toledo Thursday.
They are available for purchase at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in large format for $25 apiece, or $70 for all three. Smaller posters can be purchased for $20 apiece or $55 for all three. They may also be bought online from the museum, nmgl.org, or from the Soo Locks Visitors Center when it reopens in May 2022.
The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership, greatlakesseaway.org/soo-locks, which was formed in 2014 by Great Lakes ports, Great Lakes carriers, and others in the maritime industry, said proceeds will go to the National Museum of the Great Lakes and the Soo Locks Visitors Center.
Purchase the posters here: https://nmglstore.org/products/the-soo-locks-commemorative-posters
Detroit’s Mariners Church Memorial will be Nov. 14
Detroit, MI – The annual Mariners Church Great Lakes Memorial Service will be held Sunday November 14 at 3 p.m. in Detroit. There will be no limit on the number of persons being able to attend. Parking is free in the Ford underground parking structure. For those who are unable to be present, this service will also be live streamed via YouTube channel, which can be accessed with this link: https://bit.ly/3ngpE4h
