The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) reported that 23.1 million tonnes of cargo moved through Prince Rupert's port in 2024, marking a one per cent decline compared to last year.
Despite this decrease, several key sectors saw growth, and significant projects are underway to strengthen the port’s future.
The combined transport volumes at DP World’s Fairview Container Terminal grew by five per cent. Operations were impacted by shifts in transpacific trade routes, two labour disruptions, and a brief suspension of rail service due to wildfires.
AltaGas' Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal saw a 15 per cent increase in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exports, shipping 2.3 million tonnes. Pembina’s Watson Island LPG Bulk Terminal handled 502,800 tonnes.
Drax’s Westview Wood Pellet Terminal shipped 1.2 million tonnes of biofuel to markets in Europe and Asia.
Agricultural exports from Prince Rupert Grain Terminal grew by 26 per cent, reaching over 4.5 million tonnes.
On the other hand, coal exports at the Trigon Pacific Terminals dropped by 23 per cent, with volumes of both metallurgical and thermal coal falling.
Cruise passenger traffic also slowed down by 27 per cent, with 59,400 passengers transiting through Rupert in 2024.
“Despite this slight decrease in annual volumes, the Prince Rupert Gateway is improving competitiveness and actively diversifying through the development of new terminal and logistics capacity, building greater resiliency against market fluctuations,” said PRPA in a Jan. 20 release.
They are doing so with an investment of over $2.5 billion in various development projects.
Construction has began on the $1.35 billion Ridley Island Energy Export Facility (REEF), a large-scale LPG and bulk liquids export terminal. This facility is a joint venture between AltaGas and Vopak, aiming to enhance Canada’s ability to export energy to the Asia Pacific region. The initial development phase will focus on exporting approximately 55,000 barrels of LPG per day and includes plans for 600,000 barrels of LPG storage capacity. The final investment decision for this project was made in the second quarter of 2024.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank approved a $150 million loan to PRPA for the first phase of CANXPORT, and construction began in the second quarter of 2024. Ray-Mont Logistics is building and managing the new export logistics and transloading facility, with completion expected by 2026. Each year, it will handle 400,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) for forestry, agricultural, and resin products.
Trigon Pacific Terminals made substantial progress in constructing its second marine berth. The Berth Two Beyond Carbon project will enhance the vessel berth capacity at the terminal. This marine infrastructure is expected to be completed by 2025.
“An historic period of expansion is taking place at the Port of Prince Rupert, and 2024 was a pivotal year of development as we made strides towards enhancing services, capacity, and capabilities and diversifying markets to maintain our competitive edge and support our trade partners,” said Shaun Stevenson, president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority.
