Double stack?

[mbhoward]

A quick question. I was wondering if the MM&A was cleared for double stack operations. If not, where are the main bottlenecks? I recall Maine was thinking of expanding Searsport and I think they had containers in mind. Thanks.

[fogg1703]

Searsport to Montreal is cleared for double stacks. As for Searsport port expansion, they have been proposing different facilities there for 40 years, and I have a feeling no major container port, refinery, smelter or LPG tank farm will be built there in my lifetime.

[mbhoward]

I believe you that there will be no expansion to Searsport anytime soon. With St. John and Halifax just up the coast, I think it would be hard to establish anything more than what they have.

[fogg1703]

While containerized traffic may never materialize in Searsport, the old port may have one more trick up its sleeve in a long line of reinvention. The potential export moves of torrified wood to Europe from the former GNP mills in Millinocket may mean a healthy reinvestment in the facilitates in Searsport. While not bringing the hustle and bustle of the BAR years back, the port stands to find a niche in a tight East Coast port market.

[doublestack]

While containerized traffic may never materialize in Searsport, the old port may have one more trick up its sleeve in a long line of reinvention. The potential export moves of torrified wood to Europe from the former GNP mills in Millinocket may mean a healthy reinvestment in the facilitates in Searsport. While not bringing the hustle and bustle of the BAR years back, the port stands to find a niche in a tight East Coast port market.

Any timeframe from Great Northern as to when production will start?

[CN9634]

You still see a double stack every so often on the MMA/NBSR

[fromway]

Article in Bangor News about GN parent company not paying their bills for E. Millinocket mill. If they can't pay these bills where are they going to get money for the new plant?
Good Luck. Searsport is going to wait a long, long, long time before they see any shipments out of there.

[fogg1703]

The saga continues with those mills. Hopefully they get everything straightened out. With money problems this early on one has to wonder if Searsport is even on Cates radar as it seems like Eastport needs the least amount of retooling to get up and running for export but a major investment in a conveyor in Searsport will be needed. I'm not confident of a rail move for export if this operation ever gets off the ground.

[Cowford]

Further to that, here's the link to the article:

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/01/n ... -payments/

"Cash flow problems at an East Millinocket paper mill have left the business’s owners months behind in some of their payments to vendors, officials said Wednesday.

But a company official said that Cate Street Capital and its subsidiaries, Great Northern Paper Co. and Thermogen Industries, are hoping pending emergency legislation can help them secure about $15 million in state tax credits over eight years for one of their projects."

The reporter is mixing two different issues: Cate Street A) is struggling with cash flow, and B) hasn't secured the funding needed to start construction of the torrified wood pellet mill. That they are both confirming significant cash flow issues while reporting strong [newsprint] sales is pretty disturbing.

[roberttosh]

The terrified wood plant situation is starting to look a lot like that of the pellet plant on the Mountain division in that both were supposedly done deals, but now appear to be on life support.