By Nigel Maxwell

Winnipeg-based grain handler seeks to speed up grain transport

Feb 15, 2018 | 12:25 PM

A spokesperson for G3 Canada Ltd. said he anticipates construction of a new high-throughput export terminal in North Vancouver, will be a real “game-changer” for grain transportation in Western Canada.

The facility, which will include 180,000 tons of storage, will also feature a unique rail loop track capable of holding three, 134-car trains.  The trains, once loaded up with grain, will move in continuous motion from the terminal to port and back to the terminal.

Peter Chura with G3 said the plan is to make the movement of grain much more efficient.

“Right now that overall cycle time of moving grain by rail from Western Canada to port in Vancouver, that’s about two weeks or more. With our system with the loop track, that’s going to cut that in half,” he said.

Chura said the company plans to have its new facility in North Vancouver taking in grain next year, and open in 2020. In addition to this facility, construction is also well underway on two throughput elevators in Saskatchewan — one west of Saskatoon and the other near Melville. Those facilities should be open in time for harvest in 2018. G3 is also considering building five more terminals in Western Canada with at least one location possibly in Maidstone. Chura said no formal decision has been made.

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“What we can confirm at this point is that we have secured land in those areas and we’re making our way through the regulatory process, engineering and design processes. Just all the groundwork you would lay for potentially moving forward with such a project,” he said.

Chura said he could not offer an exact timeline for when the company would make a final decision.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly indicated G3 had already made an annoucement regarding their future plans, and said they expected their new Vancouver facility to open in 2018.

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell