May 7-8, 2015 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

The subject of energy transport by sea grows ever more topical in BC. Numerous proponents are aggressively pushing plans for LNG export from different locations on the coast, aided by a provincial government that is eager to realize economic gains from this new industry. Proposals to increase oil tanker traffic through Vancouver Harbour, and to introduce this business to Kitimat, have raised a host of questions and some considerable public opposition due to environmental concerns. Meanwhile, the continued growth of coal exports from BC ports looks for new ways in which to ship this much-maligned but still highly-demanded commodity. The fierce opposition of political, environmental and commercial interests in these cases makes it timely for the NIBC to explore this subject from a professionally-informed base of subject matter experts.

  Day One – Thurs 7 May 2015:

The first day of the conference will examine the driving incentives for energy transport in the Pacific Northwest. The forenoon will cover the respective visions of government and industry, and relate them to the global economic context of the energy trade. The afternoon will then marry the vision with the reality of what is in place, and what is being planned, for this coastal area. This will lead into a discussion of the practicalities and technicalities of marine transport of the various commodities being considered, encompassing naval architecture and terminal design considerations.

  Day Two – Fri 8 May 2015:

The second day will continue the preceding discussion by following-up operational concerns. This could extend to navigation and anti-collision, traffic management, pilotage and tug-escort, training and certification, and security. The second afternoon will provide for a discussion on environmental concerns and efforts to mitigate these. Finally, a high-level panel will debate the issues of industry best practices and the prospect for world-class safety standards for the PNW in the introduction of new and increased energy trade to this area.

Visit the NIBC Conference website for more details:  http://www.nibcconference2015.com