I've followed the Churchill story for years. Tons of hype, but the numbers ever added up to me. Everything has been proposed; grain, nat gas, oil, bulk. Even
icebreaking LNG ships (1 ship, breaks ice AND carries LNG). But at only 140 ice-free days, it's a tough proposition.
Churchill does compete with Thunder Bay and the terrible St Lawrence Seaway. It shaves off 2000km to Europe and helps western sovereignty from Ottawa.
But building on permafrost, the remoteness, sea ice, a few long winters, etc, really make Churchill a tough sell. That rail line itself has barely stayed alive due to the tundra. And 250km of no road. Port Nelson has no infrastructure either.
What does everyone think about the Northern Ports? What number of ice-free days tilts the scales in their favor? As always, numbers matter. So I'm posting 2021 shipping costs per ton-mile by mode for consideration. Every port transfer increases costs dramatically.
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