Vancouver: The Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) is working in conjunction with a private firm to test a fuel additive designed to reduce emissions. Starting today, the VPA, West Vancouver-based Catalyst Energy Inc. and a team of environmental technicians will begin testing the effectiveness of the fuel additive CombustAll on one of the VPA's harbour patrol vessels, the Brockton.

"As Canada's largest Port, we are always working to maintain and improve the quality of the environment and reduce the impact of industry on our neighbouring communities," said Captain Gordon Houston, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Port Authority. "The Port has the opportunity to expand and grow Canada's trade. We see a role in not only providing economic benefits but also seeking ways to improve our environmental performance. With a track record as the first North American port to introduce mandatory mid-ocean ballast water exchange for ships entering our waters, we will continue to strive to improve the quality of the Port's land, water and air."

Catalyst Energy's CombustAll is a chemical catalyst that is added to diesel or heavy bunker fuel to increase the combustion efficiency of engines and boilers. Improved combustion reduces or eliminates harmful emissions and decreases fuel consumption. By completing the combustion reaction, CombustAll has the potential to reduce or eliminate these harmful emissions, all of which are hazardous to human health and/or have a detrimental effect on the environment.

Other initiatives include:

• Working with industry to reduce the time vessels spend in port by developing a more efficient scheduling system.



• Improvement in operational efficiencies. Since 1999, the VPA has been successful in reducing truck emissions with its truck reservation system. Wait times for trucks entering terminals to load goods have been reduced from two hours to an average of 20 minutes, severely cutting back the amount of time spent idling. More efficient coordination of container movements in the Lower Mainland has reduced truck trips.

The Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest and most diversified port, trading $29 billion in goods with 90 trading economies each year. Port activities generate 62,000 jobs in total with $1.6 billion in Gross Domestic Product and $3.5 billion in economic output. Last year, 62.8 million tonnes were shipped through the Port of Vancouver.



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For more information, please contact:

Anne McMullin,
Director, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Vancouver Port Authority
(604) 665-9069 (office)
(604) 665-9073 (fax)
(604) 218-1403 (cellular)
anne.mcmullin@portvancouver.com

For more information:
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public_affairs@portvancouver.com