Port Saint John is poised to add another piece to its growing container operation, with the hope that it will spur growth in New Brunswick’s agricultural industries.
The port has partnered with Americold, which owns or operates 239 cold storage facilities worldwide, to build a massive cold storage facility in the city’s west side.
The facility would be used to store food before being loaded on container ships.
Craig Estabrooks, the chief executive officer of Port Saint John, said the new facility should make the port more marketable for exporters and cargo companies.
“We see this as a very important opportunity, a very important signal … that we have a base of cargo that is there for them should they see the value of coming to Saint John,” said Estabrooks.
The facility would be about 190,000 square feet, or more than 17,000 square metres, and big enough to hold 22,000 pallet positions, a measurement used in warehouses equivalent to a standard pallet.
Information Morning – Saint John10:00Global company setting up at Port Saint John
A $100-million cold-storage facility has been announced for Port Saint John’s west-side terminal. CEO Craig Estabrooks speaks with host Emily Brass to explain what it means for the future of the port.
Americold would spend upwards of $80 million on the facility, with the province chipping in just over $1 million in payroll rebates.
A news release said 100 jobs will be created by 2029 with up to $37 million added to the province’s GDP.
Estabrooks said he envisions the facility opening up new markets for New Brunswick’s agricultural sector.
“New Brunswick agriculture business could potentially look at a new export market that they would never have explored without the knowledge of having cold storage in close proximity to a port that can export to global markets,” said Estabrooks.
The cold storage facility is just the latest in a series of upgrades to Saint John’s port over the past several years.
Other upgrades have included better integration with rail lines and the installation of new cranes.
2 new super post-Panamax cranes, weighing more than 16,000 tonnes, have the capacity for bigger loads — and additional jobs.
This has led to a lot more activity at the port site, and some concerns from local residents about the increased activity.
Estabrooks said steps are being taken to address concerns like noise and traffic.
“They’re pointing the coolers out towards the water. The truck bays are on the other side,” said Estabrooks.
“They’ve done as much as they can to really try to mitigate that noise during operation and during construction as well.”
Estabrooks said construction on the facility is scheduled to begin this spring with an estimated opening date in 2026.
