April 7 - MarineLink has announced the appointment of Rohde & Liesenfeld Canada as its non-exclusive agent to market and sell transportation services related to the former's vessel, MarineLink Explorer, as well as the tugs and barges in the MarineLink fle
This agency agreement relates to services on the St. Lawrence River/Great Lakes System for heavy lift and project cargoes moving to and from Canadian destinations, especially for the Alberta Oilsands.
MarineLink is a multifaceted shipping company, specialising in short sea shipping throughout the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes areas.
The company says that one new area of opportunity for short sea shipping involves the port of Thunder Bay on Lake Superior and CN's completion in 2008 of widening the rail corridor for high and wide equipment moves from Thunder Bay to Ft. McMurray. In addition, one of the rail bridges which was an impediment to over height truck movements from Thunder Bay to the western provinces was removed in 2008. This has opened up a project cargo gateway for Quebec and Ontario manufacturers to move oversize and heavy equipment by water to Thunder Bay and then by rail or road to points in western Canada, such as Fort McMurray, says the company.
MarineLink Explorer, which is equipped with two 225 tonnes cranes, can deliver to Thunder Bay having loaded cargoes anywhere in the St. Lawrence Seaway, on the lakes themselves or the eastern seaboard of Canada.
