Work begins on new Port of Montreal substation
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - The Port of Montreal is building a new electricity substation to boost its electricity network that should double its power capacity and allow the port to handle more ships and cargo.
The federal government and the port are splitting the 9.2-million dollar cost.
The port says it's reaching its maximum capacity. Container traffic has grown by almost 70% over the past 13 years. And equipment handling the containers and feeding the terminals suck up half of the port's electricity. The network consumes more than 63-million kilowatts a year, enough to power a village of 2,500 residents.
The new power system should be in place by next spring.
Meantime, the port reports a dip in shipping traffic last year, a 12% decrease compared to 2008. Container traffic alone went down by 15%. The port blames the drop in volume on the recession. But it says last month's strong performance bodes well for the rest of the year.
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