Quebec government to invest $8.7mln in development of smart corridor

The Quebec government has decided to invest $8.7 million in the development of the St. Lawrence Smart Corridor.

As informed, four members of Green Marine, an environmental certification program, have had their intelligent marine transportation projects partially funded by the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable, as part of Avantage Saint-Laurent, Quebec’s maritime vision.

Specifically, Société Terminaux Montréal Gateway’s Mercure project, which will use artificial intelligence (AI) to replace manual planning of container movements and ensure traceability, is receiving $4.8 million in financial assistance from the Quebec government. The project is expected to eventually reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 9,200 tonnes annually.

Furthermore, another $2.7 million has been allocated to the CSL Group for its project to develop a ship voyage optimization model.

By using AI to estimate the arrival time and fuel consumption of ships, the CSL Group believes it can help to further reduce maritime transportation’s environmental footprint in Quebec.

Additionally, the Société de développement économique du Saint-Laurent (SODES) has been awarded a $750,000 grant to conduct an opportunity study for the deployment of collaborative technologies that to make river transportation both safer and more competitive.

Quebec has also granted $478,220 to the Laurentian Pilotage Authority for Phase 3 of its optimized pilotage services project, which will ensure the uninterrupted passage of vessels sailing between Montreal and les Escoumins on the St. Lawrence River’s North Shore, which will result in ships consuming less fuel.