Fednav Limited, the largest international maritime bulk carrier in Canada, yesterday marked the first visit of its latest addition to its fleet to Canada. The Port of Trois-Rivières welcomed the Federal Sable, a bulk carrier of 37,200 tons deadweight (DWT). This new addition will reduce the environmental impact of the Fednav fleet while introducing a period of growth and renewal for the fleet.

The Federal Sable arrived on the St. Lawrence River with a cargo of 35,000 tons of ilmenite from Madagascar to Rio Tinto, Fer et Titane, in Sorel. It will load 28,000 tons of wheat from the Les Élévateurs des Trois-Rivières Ltée to Tema, Ghana.

The Federal Sable is the first in a series of fifteen new vessels commissioned from Japanese and Chinese shipyards. Fednav has ordered eight ice-class vessels (including the Federal Sable) of 37,200 DWT from the Ouhua shipyard in China, to be delivered in 2012. Fednav has also ordered four 55,000 dwt bulk carriers for its long-standing Japanese partners, Sumitomo Corporation and Oshima shipyard. These ships were designed to navigate ice in winter in places like the St. Lawrence, and will be delivered between 2012 and 2014. Finally, the company will also acquire three bulk carriers of 35,300 DWT from Oshima that will be in operation in 2012 and 2015. These fifteen ships represent an investment of over $400 million.

The welcoming ceremony took place in the presence of Mark L. Pathy, President and Co-CEO of Fednav, Danielle St-Amand, MNA for Trois-Rivières, Yves Lévesque, Mayor of Trois-Rivières, Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the Port Authority of Trois-Rivières, as well as several customers and partners. Following the ceremony a reception was attended by numerous partners and the maritime community of Trois-Rivières.

Mark Pathy declared: “This investment by Fednav demonstrates its confidence in sustained growth of its activities and a particular listening to its customers.”

The design of the Federal Sable gives several environmental benefits:

• The ship reduced its emissions of greenhouse gases by more than 8 percent because it has lower fuel consumption than the previous ship of the fleet of Fednav and greater cargo capacity.
• The Federal Sable is equipped with a “Tier II” engine type that significantly reduces nitrogen oxide emissions, a gas that contributes to global warming. Fednav is committed to equipping all its new vessels of this type of engine, two years before the regulation comes into force.
• The design of the ship allows the installation of a ballast water treatment system. Space in the engine room is reserved for this purpose and more powerful pumps were installed. Fednav is also testing new methods for treating ballast water on one of its ships.

Mark Pathy said: “The environment is one of our priorities when we acquire new ships. It is important to us and to our customers that our ships not only meet but go beyond environmental regulations in Canada and around the world."