Trois-Rivières – The Federal Kushiro is the first vessel to call the Port of Trois-Rivières in 2021. It docked on January 1 at 3:48 a.m., after a 13-day crossing of the Atlantic. The vessel, with its 23 crew members of Indian nationality, left the port of Alcoa’s calcined petroleum coke plant located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States, on December 19, 2020. Its cargo of calcined petroleum coke is destined for Alcoa’s Deschambault Smelter and will be discharged by G3 Canada.
To receive the title of first vessel, the vessel must arrive in Trois-Rivières from an overseas port without making a stopover at another Canadian port and perform a loading or unloading operation at the Port of Trois-Rivières.
“Despite the continuing pandemic, we celebrated the arrival of the 56th vessel of the year by presenting the traditional souvenir gifts to the Captain of the Federal Kushiro, Mr. Junes Cherian and the Chief Engineer, Mr. Kumar Sanjay. This presentation was made in compliance with the distancing and prevention measures in order to ensure the safety of all, which is a priority for us,” said Mr. Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the Port of Trois-Rivières. Mr. Cherian and Mr. Sanjay received a giclée reproduction of the painting Un port, une équipe, produced by Mauricie artist Ms. Caroline St Pierre, as well as baskets of regional products. Mr. Boivin also wishes to highlight the essential contribution of the Port’s workers who handle the unloading activities of the Federal Kushiro and who have been operating in unusual conditions for more than nine months now.
About the Federal Kushiro
The Federal Kushiro, part of the fleet of Montreal Based Fednav, is a bulk carrier built in 2004 sailing under the Marshall Islands flag. Its length overall (LOA) is 190.4 m with a beam (width) of 23.6 m. It is docked at section 17 of the Port of Trois-Rivières for a period of two days. During its stay in Trois-Rivières, it is represented by Lower St-Lawrence Ocean Agencies Ltd.
Navigating ice-covered waters: a collective effort
In addition to the work by crew members, winter navigation is made possible through the efforts of many actors, including the Coast Guard and its icebreaker fleet, as well as St. Lawrence River pilots. The Port of Trois-Rivières also took the opportunity to recognize their important contribution.
On the picture (from left to right): Mrs. Caroline St-Pierre, Mauricie artist, Mr. Kumar Sanjay, Chief Engineer of the Federal Kushiro, Mr. Junes Cherian, Captain of the Federal Kushiro, Mr. André Desjardins, Harbour Master, Port of Trois-Rivières.
Watch the arrival of the Federal Kushiro
