With planned investments of $250M over the next three years, the Saguenay Port Authority (SPA) is embarking on an unprecedented era of construction and infrastructure work at the Port of Saguenay and its industrial port area, it was underlined at the port’s Annual General Meeting.
These investments aim to position the Port of Saguenay and its industrial port area as a world-class intermodal hub capable of quickly receiving large-scale industrial development projects in emerging sectors in North America.
“2024 will be an unprecedented year of action for our organization,” said Carl Laberge, President and CEO, Port of Saguenay. “It marks the start of an unprecedented period of large-scale construction that will allow us to leverage exceptional infrastructure to support the economic development and diversification of the region, Quebec, and Canada.”
Initiated last fall, the construction of the multi-user electric conveyor, a $111.2M project supported by the Governments of Quebec and Canada, will optimize the Port’s efficiency and handling capacities while reducing GHG emissions related to trucking.
The first phase of deploying municipal-type service infrastructures and constructing the access road to the industrial areas of the industrial port zone will begin in the coming months. This phase will greatly enhance the site’s attractiveness.
In addition to the $105M envelope confirmed in the latest Quebec Government budget, the City of Saguenay and the Saguenay Port Authority are each injecting $5M into this work. The Port intends to soon start preparing some industrial lands to be ready to receive major projects.
To support the commissioning of the conveyor and optimize handling and storage capacities for goods and general cargo, the Port of Saguenay will develop a new paved outdoor storage area southwest of its terminal. This project, planned for fall 2024 and financially supported by the Governments of Quebec and Canada, will reinforce the Port’s role within the Saguenay-Saint-Laurent-Great Lakes trade corridor.
Finally, the Quebec Government also confirmed in November 2023 a commitment of $20M to support the Marcel-Dionne wharf improvement project, which includes adding a berth and constructing loading infrastructures for oversized goods. Finalizing the financial setup for this major terminal capacity optimization project, estimated at $100M, is one of the SPA’s top priorities for the coming years.
Excellent 2023 cargo volume
Furthermore, the Annual General Meeting of the Saguenay Port Authority held on June 4 reviewed the excellent year 2023 experienced by the Port of Saguenay. In terms of operations, the Port received 80 ships at its maritime terminal, representing approximately 718,600 tons of transshipped goods.
Wood pellets destined for Europe, de-icing salt, and inputs for the regional metallurgical, aluminum, and pulp and paper industries accounted for a significant portion of the recorded volumes. In terms of international cruises, the past year was also exceptional, with 78 stopovers and 120,000 cruise passengers and crew members welcomed at the Bagotville International Cruise Terminal.
(Photo of current infrastructure work at Port of Saguenay)
