Another record year for the Port of Prince Rupert

2019 was another strong year for the Port of Prince Rupert and the
projects underway along the waterfront bode well for the future

2019 was another banner year for the Prince Rupert Port Authority with the Port releasing some final figures from the last year that highlight 12% growth from the year before.

In an information release today, the Port notes a grand total of 29.9 million tonnes of cargo moved through their terminals in 2019, making for the highest total volume to date for the port of Prince Rupert.

“The Port of Prince Rupert’s consistent record-breaking annual volumes confirms the Port’s growing role in Canadian trade. The Port of Prince Rupert has a reputation for offering strategic advantages to shippers. The 2019 volumes illustrate the growing market demand for the Prince Rupert gateway and further validates our plans for growth and expansion over the next several years.” --  Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. 

The success from 2019 highlights the hopes of the future, in 2019 the Port released the background to an Economic impact study that put the spotlight on the 50 billion dollars in trade generated by the Port annually and the estimated 3600 direct supply chain jobs that it provides for across Northern BC.

The strength of the success from last year came through the performance at the DP World Fairview Container facility and increased shipment levels at the newly opened Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal.

Supporting the overall positive trend was strong performance at DP World’s Fairview Container Terminal with over 1.2 million TEUs at an increase of 17% over 2018, the addition of propane volume through AltaGas’ Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal, and growth in coal handled at Ridley Terminal where cargo levels were up 18% over the previous year. 

Northland Cruise Terminal also saw a year-over-year increase in passenger volumes of 35%, totalling over 12,400 visitors to Prince Rupert through cruise travel.

Looking ahead to 2020 and beyond the Port provided a glimpse into the forecast for volumes as well as some of the future plans under development for port facilities in Prince Rupert.

Forecasted volumes for 2020 are expected to exceed those of 2019 and PRPA foresees a trend of record-breaking years to continue into this decade. 

An anticipated $2 billion in capital expansion projects starting in 2020 will support further cargo growth, including DP World’s Fairview Terminal expansion project that will bring the terminal’s capacity up to 1.8 million TEUs by 2022; the Vopak Pacific Terminal project, which is currently undergoing its environmental assessment and expects to make a final investment decision in 2020; as well as Pembina’s Prince Rupert Export Terminal, which is currently under construction and anticipates being operational in late 2020.

You can review more of the Port's Year end notes here.

For a look at the monthly cargo volumes going back to 2013 see the Port of Prince Rupert listings here.

For further background on Port related news see our archive page here.

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