49 Vancouver Throughput: 2,492,107teu (-0.1%)

On 1 January 2008, the three Lower Mainland port authorities – Fraser River Port Authority, North Fraser Port Authority and Vancouver Port Authority – amalgamated to form the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, branded Port Metro Vancouver (PMV). Adding Fraser River and North Fraser to Vancouver's totals in 2008 would have boosted the volumes by 8%. However, based on the actual volumes handled in the relevant terminals, Vancouver saw a contraction of 0.1%, or 3,415teu in 2008.

PMV points out that, in contrast to other North American West Coast ports, Port Metro Vancouver's container sector was stable, with overall container volumes essentially unchanged from the previous year.

It attributes this to several factors, including a high degree of diversification and a focus on the Canadian market, which, it argues, allowed the port to demonstrate stability and resiliency during a period of unprecedented worldwide economic difficulty.

Although PMV declines to provide a firm volume forecast for specific sectors, it expects volumes to decline by around 5% in 2009, with all cargo sectors impacted negatively.

The third quarter of this year will see the completion of the Deltaport Third Berth Project (DP3) at Roberts Bank. The initiative will increase capacity at TSI Terminal Systems-managed Deltaport by up to 600,000teu by adding a third berth and 20ha of container storage facilities to the existing two-berth terminal.

A new three-berth container facility is also planned for Roberts Bank, with the schedule yet to be determined. A joint venture between APM Terminals and SNC-Lavalin has been selected as preferred proponent for project and PMV is to negotiate a business agreement.