New benchmark reached for proposed Ridley Island Export Logistics Project

The proposed Ridley Island Export Logistics Facility is one step closer
to development following a Federal announcement in late February

The Prince Rupert Port Authority has taken one more step forward towards plans for development of the Ridley Island Export Logistics Facility.

That comes with word today that Federal Authorities have determined, in accordance with the requirements of Section 82 of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA), that the Ridley Island Export Logistics Project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. 

The announcement notes that the Federal determination concludes the Federal environmental review process, which is a prerequisite for the Federal Authorities to consider the required authorizations for the project to proceed.

Once they have all the required permits in place early work is planned to begin in early March, with tree clearing and site preparation activities. 

PRPA continues to work toward making a Final Investment Decision on the project with its commercial partners, expected later this year. 

You can review the Federal Determination advisory here.

As part of their announcement today, the Prince Rupert Port Authority outlined the scope of the project and how it will improve on efficiencies through partner terminals.

Planned for the southern end of Ridley Island, the export logistics complex will be an integrated ecosystem of large-scale bulk and breakbulk transload facilities, intermodal rail yard, and a container storage yard. 

The development will create an innovative and competitive transloading facility for commodities such as plastic pellets, cereal grains, speciality agriculture crops, lumber, and pulp to be loaded directly from rail into containers for export, creating 400,000 TEUs of export capacity in the first phase. 

The new export logistics facility will increase efficiencies in export supply chains, maximizing value to Canadian exporters while supporting the substantial growth of the intermodal business at the Port of Prince Rupert.

Where the proposed Export Logistics Terminal would be
constructed if final approval comes
(images from PRPA)

Part of their focus on diversification, the Logistics Project would become a key element to the local supply chain that starts with the DP World Fairview Container Terminal, it would use the recently opened Connector road for seamless transit between the two sites.

The Ridley Island Export Logistics Project is a vital component of the Port of Prince Rupert’s development plan for fully integrating intermodal activities between terminal, logistics and rail. 

The environmental benefits of the export logistics project include the densification of transload activities into a single location on Ridley Island to minimize land impacts, and proximity to Fairview Container Terminal via the dedicated Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor to minimize container truck movements and emissions, while maximizing rail usage on common infrastructure.

If it gains final approval, the last estimated date for completion was to be in 2025.

You can learn more about the project here.

The full announcement from the PRPA is available for review here.

Our past notes on the project can be explored here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.