Vice President of Crosby Liquid Bulk Terminals, Robert Powell, takes us through the company’s extensive history, and how it’s keeping up in modern times
Crosby Liquid Bulk Terminals is a 145-year-old family-owned company in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, now into its fifth generation of owners.
Pre-World War II, Crosby would import molasses on tall sailing ships into Courtney Bay, and this product originally came from Barbados. Today, the molasses is shipped by vessel from Guatemala. The cane molasses (Blackstrap and Fancy) are blended and then transported to Crosby’s Foods company, where it’s packaged into consumer products and sold to purepak, pails drums, totes. Crosby also sells tank truck products to various bakeries, distilleries and farms, distributing its high quality Fancy Molasses all over the world.
Crosby’s site is the sole food-grade facility of its kind on the Northern Seaboard, equipped to handle various types of fish oil, multiple types of molasses, and some magnesium and other essential oils (sunflower, soya, can oil, olive). The team exclusively handles food products and so is well-versed in safe handling practices. ‘Our food safety programs are regularly updated to ensure we can consistently provide food to the world,’ says Robert Powell, vice president of Crosby Liquid Bulk Terminals.
‘We are the longest-standing stakeholder at Port Saint John, possessing a year- round open deep-water port that allows us to receive a wide variety of products by vessel,’ says Powell. ‘Having access to a berth capable of receiving Panama-class vessels gives us a significant advantage over congested ports of call.’
Investing In Infrastructure
Today, Crosby moves 40,000 metric tonnes of products annually in and out of its facility, and has capacity for another 40,000 tonnes. ‘Our latest strategic initiative was to install a rail line, which
is now complete,’ says Powell. ‘This has provided us with access to three class one rail lines, making us very competitive on the freight side. When I consider the requirements for a world-class terminal, we have everything we need.’
The terminal currently has 53 tanks on its site, which are made of mild steel with food-grade coatings and 3/16 stainless steel. The tank sizes range from 10 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes and are all equipped with steam coils.
‘We are capable of blending products for customers, and a major focus for 2024 has been loading and offloading flex containers and isotainers,’ says Powell. ‘Working with DP World and major container lines, we have been able to help customers save costs on their supply chain while avoiding any disruptions.’
‘We have a year-round open water deep port, and we are just about five minutes away from major highways,’ says Powell. ‘Additionally, the newly added rail line gives our customers a choice of three class one rail lines. This allows us to bring in products and store them, ensuring the operational integrity of our customer’s supply chains, which truly sets us apart. We offer a turnkey solution.’
Crosby Terminals is actively enhancing its capabilities to remain competitive in the market. Recently, the terminal has built a rail spur to facilitate the trans-loading of shipments, which increases its efficiency and capacity for handling various goods.
Additionally, Crosby Terminals is modernising its infrastructure, including upgrades to current assets, and tank pumps, to improve overall operational effectiveness and meet the safe quality of handling food. These strategic investments help ensure that Crosby Terminal can accommodate current and future market demands effectively.
‘Crosby has always been focused on providing the best service and the safe handling of products. We are looking at adding more storage and other ways to help our customers improve their supply chain process while providing savings. A long-term plan would be to continue growth with products other than just food, like biofuels, while keeping both operations separate,’ says Powell.
Challenges Of The Energy Transition
Like most bulk liquid storage facilities, the biggest issues Crosby faces are the high cost of heating and carbon tax charges, and the energy transition plays a big part in terminal operations.
‘Our energy transition plan began a few years ago when we started measuring our current emissions. Since then, we have been participating in the Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition (SLoCT) Program and have completed Scopes 1, 2, and 3. We are currently in the phase of setting targets for the program,’ says Powell.
‘As part of Port of Saint John and its commitment to sustainability, we are very committed to reducing our own emissions,’ he continues. ‘Over the last 12-24 months, we have taken on many projects as we work towards becoming net zero. Currently, we use natural gas and are exploring alternative options to reduce costs and improve heating efficiency. We are evaluating the possibility of converting our boiler to biofuel and considering the use of hydrogen vehicles for transporting some products.’
Crosby Terminals has undertaken a Net-Zero Manufacturing Project with Green Economy Canada, involving an energy audit and an assessment of the company’s energy management
information system. The results are still to be determined, but Powell says: ‘In the meantime, we have implemented an in- house recycling and sorting program to divert waste from landfills. Additionally, we have installed an on-demand hot water heat exchanger for plant use, which replaced an old, inefficient system and has helped save time and energy.’
To further reduce emissions, Crosby has installed heat pumps to heat and cool the office and lunchroom areas, as well as replacing old, inefficient boilers. ‘We have also upgraded and added LED lighting, some of which are equipped with motion sensors,’ says Powell. ‘Furthermore, we are proud to announce that we have won the Port Saint John Sustainability Award for 2024.’
Powell continues: ‘Let’s envision a future where every action we take is mindful of its impact on the environment. Let’s innovate, collaborate, and advocate for sustainable practices. Together, we can reduce our carbon footprint, mitigate climate change, and build a greener, more resilient world.’
