Work begins on new Port of Montreal substation

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.