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Since 1912, the Port of Vancouver USA in Vancouver, Wash., has served as a transportation hub navigating the Pacific Northwest to the rest of the world. The port continues to establish itself as the idea transfer point for cargoes moving to and from the Pacific Rim, handling more than 500 ocean-going vessels, as well as river barges, with a total cargo volume ex­ceeding 5 million metric tons.

The port ensures public ownership of trade docks on the Columbia River. Three elected commissioners govern the port, serving six-year terms and setting the overall policy and goals for port operations and development. The district of the Port of Vancouver covers an area of 111 square miles with a population of more than 300,000. 

Senior Director of Operations Alistair Smith points out the important role the Port of Vancouver plays in the local community. “About 2,300 people are directly employed by people at the port, and 5,000 jobs are generated in the community,” he says. “The port employs 75 people, and has about 50 tenants on the industrial and marine side. Overall, it generates about $1.6 billion in the economy.” 

Situated on the Columbia/Snake River System, the port is adjacent to north/south and east/west national highways and offers on-site connection to rivergrade rail traveling between Canada and Mexico.

Port Expansion 

The Port of Vancouver has accomplished substantial growth in the last few years because it takes cargo 14 to 18 days to travel to Asia and China through the port, but 28 to 30 days through the Gulf. 

“We have a 15-day-shorter transit time, which lessens the time a charter has to be hired, lessens fuel cost and you don’t have to go through the Panama Canal,” Smith says. 

Also, Port of Vancouver has recognized a possibility for growth by servicing the rail lines of the Midwest. “We can connect directly with the major rail lines to the Midwest and reach destinations in about four days, depending on the end point,” Smith states. “We thought of the financial and logistic advantage we could offer, and it’s why we are dedicated to adding more rail traffic.”

To achieve its goals of expansion, the port is undertaking the West Vancouver Freight Access (WVFA) project designed to create a state-of-the-art Unit Train facility. The project will increase capacity for rail freight flowing through the port and along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway and Union Pacific mainlines connecting the Pacific Northwest to major rail hubs in Chicago and Houston, as well as from Canada to Mexico. 

Smith says the obvious advantage to the project is the capacity increase it will bring to the port. But he also points out that it will make Port of Vancouver a more attractive transfer spot. “By doing this, it’s giving us the design for expansion of our mainline that goes from Vancouver, British Columbia, down to San Diego,” he states. “Everything in the port today crosses that mainline. Everything coming into the port stops that mainline and blocks the track.” 

Through the WVFA project, the port will no longer have to worry about the railway being blocked, and freight operators will be willing to travel through the port. Construction for WVFA includes a new dual carrier rail access into port property and enhancement of the port’s internal rail system, which is designed for growth of existing operations and development. The Port of Vancouver operates more than 16.9 miles of rail track, but upon completion of the WVFA project, the port will operate on more than 44 miles of rail. 

“The new design will not block the mainline with traffic, and takes everything from the mainline and egresses the port for efficiencies,” Smith conveys. “What we’ve been told is the port will gain 25 to 30 percent more rail efficiency. Also, the Washington Department of Trans­portation is adding a bypass that will be built in the yard. When both are in place, we will see a 40 to 50 percent efficiency increase in rail.”

Strong Wind

The Port of Vancouver also is leading the way in the transportation and handling of energy equipment. The port handled more than 2,700 pieces of wind turbines in 2009, and the U.S. Census Bureau identified it as the leading U.S. port in handling cargo related to wind energy products.   

The port has brought in two heavy-lift mobile harbor cranes that have single-lift capacity of 140 metric tons and tandem picks up to 280 metric tons. 

“We decided in 2006 to make a purchase in heavy lift cranes to see if it attracts wind energy players,” Smith explains. “Once we did that, we entered into longer-term agreements with wind players.” 

The Port of Vancouver is able to offer an abundance of land, which Smith notes is one of the best assets it can offer. “Normally, there are about seven towers per acre,” he says. “When you look at the amount of wind energy that can provide, it has the potential for Northwest states to truly rely on wind power. We have about 3,000 ton megawatts through current towers, and permitting an­other 4,000-ton megawatts, and can see possibly 8,000 tons coming in.”