Alcoa and the Trois-Rivières Port Authority (TRPA) officially inaugurated new facilities at Wharf 17 on June 10, 2026, to support the unloading of raw materials for the Deschambault Smelter. The $71.8 million investment by Alcoa includes the acquisition of two fully electric, closed-loop pneumatic ship unloaders, which were delivered in fall 2025. These systems are designed to increase unloading efficiency, improve operational stability, and significantly reduce environmental impact. Since their commissioning in January, nine vessel unloadings have been completed successfully.

Project Details and Investment

The modernization project at Wharf 17 is part of a broader initiative involving Wharfs 16 and 17, representing a total investment of $312 million. This total includes contributions from the Government of Canada ($87 million) and the Government of Quebec ($41 million), which were announced in 2025. The remaining work on Wharf 17 is limited to the installation of electrical conduits for a light pole and the deployment of fiber optic infrastructure, with all other infrastructure on the pier now completed.

Operational Impact

Through a long-term agreement, the handling area at Wharf 17 is now exclusively dedicated to Alcoa's operations. The new equipment enables the handling of alumina and calcined coke destined for the Deschambault Smelter. The Port of Trois-Rivières handles 65,000 trucks, 11,000 railcars, and more than 240 merchant and cruise ships annually, with a capacity of up to 4.2 million metric tons of cargo.

Strategic Significance

Pascal Rochette, Plant Manager at Alcoa – Deschambault Smelter, stated that the investment strengthens the competitiveness and long-term sustainability of the smelter. He highlighted that the project was delivered in compliance with high health, safety, and environmental standards. Anick Métivier, President and CEO of Trois-Rivières Port Authority, noted that the modernization of port infrastructure acts as a concrete driver of industrial transition by supporting state-of-the-art equipment with a low environmental footprint.

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