THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA but for concrete and cement stone as well. “It opened up a whole new world for us,” Scott says. “Our customer can now sell not just to asphalt contractors but to concrete customers as well. The supply grew, and every year we’re adding to our crushing circuit to increase our tonnage rates.” The seasonal nature of the operation in Newfoundland does impose a ceiling. Because the aggregate must be washed before shipping and washing isn’t feasible once freezing temperatures set in, Shoreline’s productive window runs roughly from mid-April to early November – about eight to nine months. Within that window, Scott says they expect to dispatch close to 20 ships this year, with a goal of reaching 30-to-40 ships annually within the next few years. Shoreline is also currently exploring what to do with the waste stream produced by the washing process – roughly 50,000 tons of fine powder per season. Shannon Lewis, the company’s director of business development, is developing a process to convert this material into an agricultural additive for fertilizer, which would effectively make Shoreline a zero-waste operation. The potential upside, Scott notes, may rival that of the aggregate business itself. “This rock dust can generate a lot more revenue than even the aggregate,” he says. “We’re on tidal water, so if we need to ship it somewhere, we can do it in 50,000 to 60,000-ton loads. It could be distributed all around the world.” Looking ahead, the company also has a new berth in the planning stages. The expanded port infrastructure would support armour stone and riprap operations, which require physical handling equipment rather than conveying systems. It would also serve a nearby copper mine – formerly in receivership but now under new operators preparing to resume production – which intends to transport their copper concentrate through Shoreline’s site and out through the new berth. In Scott’s view, the facility could eventually function as a multipurpose terminal, generating revenue from concentrate handling, receiving supply ships for the mine, and supporting Shoreline’s own growing export volumes.
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