Trois-Rivières first vessel of 2024 arrives with cargo of alumina

(Posted on 09/01/24)

The Lowlands Hope is the first vessel to call at the Canadian Port of Trois-Rivières in 2024. It docked at the Port on January 2 at 3:42 am, after an seventeen-day crossing of the Atlantic. The vessel, with its 21 crew members of Indian and Philippine nationalities, left the port of Sao Luis in Brazil on 16 December 2023. Its alumina cargo, unloaded by Somavrac, is destined for Alcoa - Deschambault smelter for their aluminium production.

To receive the title, the vessel must arrive in Trois-Rivières from an overseas port without making a stopover at another Canadian port and perform a loading or unloading operation at the port. To view the Lowlands Hope at the Port of Trois-Rivières: January 1st, 2024.

During the 58^th ceremony marking the arrival of the first vessel of the year at the Port of Trois Rivières, Captain Nalini Kanta Das and Chief Engineer Ankit Shukla, received baskets of local products and a giclée reproduction Un port, une équipe created by Ms. Caroline St-Pierre, a painter from the Mauricie region.

Mr. Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the Port, pointed out that Alcoa – Deschambault smelter has been receiving raw materials for its aluminium production at the Port of Trois Rivières for over 30 years.

Groupe Somavrac, owner of the Somavrac subsidiary responsible for the unloading the Lowlands Hope, has been working at the Port of Trois-Rivières for 60 years.

"We are proud to count on these long-standing partners, who make a significant contribution to a sustainable and innovative port community. Both companies have greatly evolved over the years, as has our Port," said Mr. Boivin.

The vessel Lowlands Hope was built in 2016 and is sailing under the Singapore flag. It has an overall length of 199.99 m and a width of 32,31 m. The vessel is currently moored at section 19 of the Port of Trois-Rivières for approximately ten days. During its stay in Trois Rivières, it will be represented by LOLA Agency.

The ceremony highlighting the arrival of the first vessel of the year brings forward the crew members who navigate on the St. Lawrence River during winter. Winter navigation is now possible, more than ever, thanks to the efforts of many actors in the river system. These include the Canadian Coast Guard, whose ice breakers keep the channel open between Quebec and Montreal during the winter.

To navigate on the St. Lawrence during the winter, the ships lighten their cargo. They also need a reinforced hull, an adapted engine water cooling system to prevent ice build-up and be equipped with high-performance navigation equipment, such as high-efficiency radar systems, to facilitate their passage through the ice.

As part of the 17 Canadian Port Authorities and active since 1882, the Port of Trois-Rivières offers a wide range of facilities and services to the maritime industry throughout the year. The Port is an important player in the regional, national and international economic development of major industrial sectors such as aluminium, forestry and agrifood.