By Brian Dunn
One of the first customers welcomed by Port of Valleyfield is Valleytank, which opened in 1970 under Norwegian ownership, which continues today.
Valleytank provides handling and storage of bulk liquids, including methanol and ethanol, biodiesel, solvents, vegetable oils and plasticizers, among others. The company serves the Montreal area, Ontario, Eastern U.S. as well as export markets. The terminal has 34 storage tanks with a total capacity of 36,000 cubic metres. It has a 180-metre tanker berth with a maximum draft of 7.9 metres, connected by two stainless steel piggable dock lines to the terminal. The terminal is served by CN, CP, CSX and Norfolk Southern and can accommodate up to 25 rail tank cars.
Since it opened over 40 years ago, the terminal has been enlarged several times and over the past number of years, its Norwegian owners have invested more than $3 million to upgrade it. The improvements include new rail track, improved and safer loading racks, a new truck scale, replacement of tank floors, and an online inventory system. More upgrades and another expansion are expected to be announced in the coming months, according to General Manager Gérard Masson.
“In 1970, we had 17 tanks. Now we have 34. We’ve had several expansions over the years, including in 1980 and 1992.” With the expansion of Autoroute 30 and the opening of the nearby CSX intermodal terminal, Mr. Masson expects business to increase exponentially. “This gives us a lot of opportunity not only to attract new customers, but to expand business with our current clientele.”