Halifax Seaport Developments
 

I figured I would start a thread pertaining to developments at the Seaport facilities in the HRM. Here is an article stating that port traffic continues to climb:

read more here: http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1254334.html

Read more here:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1254511.html

After reading this article it looks like this should be an easy win for Halifax, since it seems to be the only facility capable of building the big war ships and also has a large enough ship building workforce. This is huge news for the economy of Halifax, Nova Scotia and even the Maritimes.

I'm optimistic about the larger contract. Halifax does seem like a frontrunner when political considerations are removed from the equation. The Davie yard is sketchy -- if I were a government official seriously interested in a successful project I'd prefer a bidder with a successful track record, all else being equal. And it's not clear that Davie has any particularly significant advantages.

Halifax also has the advantage of being Canadian-owned, whereas Davie apparently needs a foreign buyer. Do we really want a foreign business running shipyards that build warships for the military?

If the $25B contract is awarded to Irving it will be huge for the region. I could see there being significant spinoff effects from the new investment and talent.

link here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...s-upgrade.html

I found a couple of articles stating that Halterm will be receiving 2 new super post-panamax cranes in June:

http://blog.halifaxshippingnews.ca/2...e-details.html

http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2013/02/n...is-summer.html

Work At Pier 9
 

Addtional Articles that may be of Interest:
Expansion Plans For Pier 9
http://blog.halifaxshippingnews.ca/2...at-pier-9.html

you can also keep tabs on the expansion work at halifax shipyards at http://blog.halifaxshippingnews.ca/s...fax%20Shipyard

This older newsletter to local residents shows the redevelopment also:

http://www.portofhalifax.ca/english/...etter-2012.pdf

Q2 2013 port statistics
 

The port statistics for the 2nd quarter and year-to-date for 2013 are out. The container numbers are up significantly over the first half of 2012. Here is a link - http://www.portofhalifax.ca/english/...ics/index.html

Shed 22 (the warehouse between Pier 21 and the Cunard Centre) seems to be undergoing renovations. IIRC it is being converted into office space. It looks like it will look similar to the Seaport Market when completed.

Check out this baby, which just floated into the harbour today:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...bour-1.3391605

http://i.cbc.ca/1.3391652.1452096157...antic-star.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CYCkzKCWcAA4Vcl.jpg:large

Summary of points from the article:

- It's the first of five such ships being built for Atlantic Container Lines

- The ship, he said, is 296 metres long and 37.6 metres wide, "about as big as we get coming into Halifax these days in the container ship range."

- It's a unique kind of ship in that it carries containers and roll-on, roll-off cargo. Things you can put wheels under, either that, or have wheels themselves, things that don't fit into containers

- Atlantic Star has the capacity for 3,800 six-metre containers and 1,307 vehicles

- It's only got 16 crew members

And retains the heavy RoRo ramp of the predecessors, good for heavy military equipment and choppers. Years ago Massey Ferguson exported combine harvesters using ACL ships. Also good for transporting large pieces of equipment. Down in the lower decks the view was amazing.

She seemed to be alot emptier on the way in the harbour than on the way out.

When did it leave? It was still at Fairview when I drove by at about 8:30 last night.

Nice ship.

Approximately 8pm Thursday.

Thanks! I knew I wasn't "seeing things"...

Great news for the Port of Halifax!

http://www.portofhalifax.ca/media-re...rt-of-halifax/

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...f3&oe=5ADAFF92

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...77&oe=5ADAF51E

Image sources Port of Halifax Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/portofhalifax/

New crane arrived today for HalTerm!
https://i.imgur.com/MldUHOz.jpg

Brett Ruskin via Twitter

I think it is a marvel that they can ship these fully assemble cranes from China. It is amazing. I believe they are welded to the ship for delivery, but still they must be top-heavy. I guess the red and white one is for us.

I've watched a few videos of them being unloaded and it's so impressive. The orange cranes are bound for Algeria and the blue for the south of France. I cannot imagine having a load like that in rough seas though.

Those ships must have copious quantities of ballast.