The Sunshine Reporter

The New Year has brought new challenges for shipping companies in Canada, who are facing challenges from new rules from the International Maritime Organization regarding the amount of pollution being carried in fuel with high sulphur content. The tighter rules are likely to mostly affect the transport of material such as raw bitumen from the Alberta oil sands.

Shipping companies in Canada are also caught in a debate over whether to allow shipping routes through the Arctic, particularly as sea ice has receded due to global warming. On one side of the debate are environmental concerns over shipping goods through the Arctic and whether the time saved on the shipping route is enough to even be worth it; and on the other, there is a call to involve more local knowledge and input in decisions around safe shipping routes.

Shipping companies criticized over environmental record

Shipping companies in Canada have never had the greatest track record when it comes to environmental impact. High water levels in the Great Lakes has led to criticism from campaigners over continued shipping seasons never allowing the Ottawa River to thaw, while shipping bosses disagreed with a flood relief initiative in Lake Ontario because of uncertainty over the benefits – and because of the costs involved for the shipping companies.

Meanwhile the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act came into force in 2019 and has put the focus on Canadian shipping companies to take ownership of vessels and wrecks, and ensure more is done to reclaim and recycle wrecks. Penalties of up to $6 million can be made for failing to comply, placing extra pressure on companies to accept their responsibilities and remove and recycle old wrecks in the proper way.

Eco-friendly safe shipping is being developed

A renewed focus on the fuel used by shipping companies in Canada has raised the potential for companies to reduce their environmental impact, with liquefied natural gas emerging as a power source that can reduce emissions. Studies have demonstrated a 25% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions using this type of fuel compared with diesel.

Wind and solar power are two other eco-friendly methods of powering shipping companies in Canada. The TuranorPlanetSolar is an interesting solar power experiment that has already travelled around the world using power from 29,000 solar cells – and it could be boosted even further by on-board turbines that make it a promising solution to the issue of environmental impact by shipping companies in Canada.

Shipping companies must move with the times

“With so much intense focus on the environment, shipping companies in Canada must stay ahead of the game and find newer ways to power ourselves through greener methods,” says a spokesperson for Ontario Container Transport, who specialize in shipping goods between the US and Canada. “We are constantly looking for ways to innovate and we do this by investing in our shipping capabilities – ensuring we provide a full range of shipping options for customers while controlling our environmental impact.”

About Ontario Container Transport

Ontario Container Transport specializes in transporting goods between the US and Canada and also offers storage and home moving services, and is equipped to ship items via land, air or sea. They are based in Woodbridge, Ontario, and more information on their range of ocean shipping services can be found at http://octi.ca/services/ocean-air-rail-shipping/ocean-freight-services/

Media Contact
Company Name: Ontario Container Transport
Contact Person: Ryan Lynch
Email: Send Email
Phone: 905-695-1501
Address:6201 HWY 7 West Unit 2 Woodbridge
City: Toronto
State: ON L4H 0K7
Country: Canada
Website: http://octi.ca/