Above: DG CanEst Transit Inc., which specializes in exporting containerised grain from the port to international markets.
The government of Canada is supporting Montreal Port Authority (MPA) through financial support of C$12.5 million to be made available via its National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF). This will help fund a project to redevelop and upgrade the grain containerisation sector at the port.
This initiative, which totals C$25 million, will increase and optimise operational space, as well as boosting by 20% the port’s container storage capacity at the terminal operated by DG CanEst Transit Inc., which specializes in exporting containerised grain from the port to international markets.
Containerised grain has grown by 78% over the past ten years at Montreal.
The financing will complement a project by DG CanEst Transit Inc., which received financial support in 2022 to upgrade its existing infrastructure and purchase new equipment for its facilities.
Montreal is therefore looking at potentially opening up new export opportunities to markets in Asia, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.
Among the main elements of the project are the commissioning of an electrical substation; the demolition of an old electrical substation; work on the CanEst courtyard and rainwater outlet; refurbishment of a level crossing; and work in the port’s workshop.
The Port of Montreal is already a major hub for grain handling. In addition to the containerised grain facility operated by DG CanEst Transit Inc., there is also a large bulk grain silo operated by Viterra.