The operator of the Deltaport container facility continues its campaign against the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s proposed expansion project at Roberts Bank, pitching a less expensive alternative.
For over a year Global Container Terminals been lobbying to halt the port’s proposed Terminal 2 expansion which would see a new three-berth terminal, operated by a different company, built on a man-made island adjacent to the current port.
GCT is instead pitching a fourth berth to be added to the existing facility.
The company on social media has been blasting the port authority, as well as posting articles from port expansion opponents, while also urging federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to support a regulatory process to review GCT’s proposal instead of only considering the one by the port.
“Now, more than ever, Canada needs to adjust to the disruption of global supply chains. The consideration of the $3 billion publicly-funded (!?) Roberts Bank Terminal 2 by @PortVancouver does not make economic sense now, or ever,” GCT recently Tweeted.
In its statement on the federal independent review panel’s final report to the federal environment minister, GCT noted, “Although there will, in the future, be a need for more container handling capacity in Canada, there is no urgent crisis for capacity in British Columbia. Current and planned capacity expansions underway will provide sufficient capacity well into the 2030’s based on projections before the COVID-19 outbreak. There is time to consider better alternatives.”
GCT also noted it engaged the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office.
“The DP4 project will expand the existing container terminal footprint incrementally creating additional capacity as it is needed, with potentially less impact on Indigenous fishing grounds, on the workforce and on the environment.” GCT stated.
The statement also goes on to read, “Historically, GCT worked collaboratively with the VFPA to develop the Vancouver gateway into the success story it is today; now, VFPA is penalizing that success. VPFA has chosen not to work with GCT to advance another successful project. Instead, in addition to being GCT’s landlord and regulator, the VFPA has now decided to become its competitor.”
According to the port, expanding the exiting Deltaport terminal is not an option for a couple of reasons, one being Fisheries and Oceans Canada having previously prohibited further land reclamation inland from Deltaport, and that the risk to fish habitat in the intertidal area had not changed.
Secondly, expanding Deltaport would mean one terminal operator, GCT, would control a significant majority of the market for container terminal services.
“Healthy competition is necessary to ensure users continue to pay reasonable rates to pay for reliable service,” the port stated.
This article about the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority penalizing success of Deltaport operator by Sandor Gyarmati originally appeared in the Delta Optimist on April 21, 2020
