In September DP World Canada commenced loading operations with their $150 million canola oil transload facility at Fraser Surrey Docks. Built in partnership with Richardson International, the facility was designed to connect Prairie production directly to global shipping markets via a dedicated site in the Port of Vancouver.

The facility receives the canola oil via bulker tank rail cars that are gravity unloaded at two different rail spurs. Thirty-five cars can be unloaded at each spur. The oil is transferred to one of three storage tanks and then loaded to vessels via a pipeline.  DP World expects to receive about 10,000 tonnes of oil from each train and load on average of about 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes each vessel.

Under the partnership, DP World built the required infrastructure while Richardson committed to using two of the three 15,000 tonne storage tanks. Richardson will also have first rights on the third tank but if they don’t need it, DP World will find another crusher with which to work.

The original intention was to sell most of the oil to the United States where it would be turned into biofuel, collect the blender’s tax credit and then head back to Canada. Unfortunately the blender’s tax credit was eliminated by the US Federal government at the start of 2025 and replaced with the 45Z producer tax credit, which is not available to biofuel made with Canadian canola oil.

Canada exported 3.5 million tonnes of canola oil in 2024, with the United States accounting for 95 per cent of that. While it has not been as dominant a market this year, US demand remains strong accounting for 70 per cent of the 1.83 million tonnes shipped through the first seven months of 2025.

Canada’s other traditional market, China, has been more severely curtailed by the Chinese government’s 100 per cent tariff on canola oil. However DP World sees this as a temporary impediment that will also give them a chance to explore new buyers.

To date, four vessels have already been loaded at the facility and they are preparing to scale to one ship per week. A second project phase is also under consideration to expand into other edible oils.