A contract has been landed which will see the first project loaded out of the newly-constructed $7.5-million barge terminal at the Spruce Lake Industrial Park in Lorneville.
Lorneville Mechanical has been contracted by Irving Oil Refining Ltd. to build four large modules for a refinery expansion, called the Tier 3 Gasoline project. The two biggest modules are each about 65 feet long by 40 feet wide and 37 feet high, weighing 200 metric tonnes.
“The modules are too large to transport by road so they need to be transported by barge,” says Khalil Asal, director of business development for Lorneville Mechanical, “and because of the barge and because of the barge terminal being completed we were able to bid on that work and be successful.”
The modules are going to the refinery and delivery of those is scheduled for early 2018 with construction slated to continue throughout the fall and winter.
“The preparation would be a couple weeks to prepare it once it’s fully completed, and then transport down to site, you could get it down there maybe in a week or two and then transport it across to the refinery would be a matter of days,” says Asal, who can be seen in the photo below.
Great announcement by Lorneville Mechanical during today’s @partneringrowth AGM. The barge terminal was a strategic investment. #growsj pic.twitter.com/DmCsWcFNrz
— Don Darling (@dondarlingSJ) June 14, 2017
In 2015 it was announced that the provincial government and the federal government would both be kicking in $3-million towards the construction of the terminal with Saint John Industrial Parks contributing $1.5-million.
“We designed, engineered and funded this back through [2014], 15, constructed in 16, finished construction in 17 and we will do our first load out in early 2018,” says general manager of Saint John Industrial Parks Brian Irving, who told the Annual General Meeting that there are several ‘really good opportunities in the hopper’ when it comes to the barge terminal.
“It’s a result of a lot of hard work and a lot of vision and a lot of holding onto the steering wheel hard during the tight turns so we’re pretty excited about what this represents to the community and the best part is it’s just a tip off,” says Irving.