Soda ash terminal to bring new export commodity to Washington state port 

By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor 

The Port of Vancouver USA (POV) in Washington state already handles a large variety of cargo, including grain, bentonite clay, copper concentrate, slab steel, automobiles, wind energy components, pulp, aluminum, forest products, containers, ores, concentrates, fertilizers and bauxite. And late next year, the port will begin handling something different: soda ash. 

In mid-May, POV leaders joined officials from chemical company Solvay and Vancouver Bulk Terminal (VBT) to break ground for a state-of-the-art soda ash export terminal at the port’s Terminal 2. To launch operations in late 2026, the more than $80 million facility is designed to transload more than 3 million tons of soda ash annually. 

Soda ash is used to manufacture glass and lithium-ion batteries, and is an essential ingredient for food, animal feed, baking soda, pharmaceuticals, detergents and other products used daily.   

The terminal will feature expanded storage space, upgraded unit-train access and state-of-the-art cargo handling systems to create a seamless flow from rail to vessel to global markets, POV officials say. The project includes the construction of two additional unit-train tracks at the port, which is served by BNSF Railway Co., Canadian Pacific Kansas City, CN and Union Pacific Railroad. 

The terminal will support an expansion of Solvay’s soda ash operations in the Green River Basin in Wyoming. The Green River facility produces soda ash and sodium bicarbonate from trona, a naturally occurring mineral. 

UP will transport soda ash from the Wyoming mine to the port, where BNSF then will place the train on the VBT’s tracks, says Casey Bowman, the POV’s director of communications. Formed in 2023 by a joint venture between Nautilus International Holding Corp. and Neltume Ports, the VBT operates the port’s dry bulk export dock and handles a range of heavy mineral bulk commodities. 

The soda ash will be exported to a number of countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru and South Korea, subject to market conditions and demand, says Bowman. Occasionally, exports also will be sent to China and India. 

The terminal will add crucial export capacity to North America’s soda ash industry, transforming the port into one of the continent’s largest gateways for soda ash, says Bowman. 

“The project demonstrates our expertise in accommodating bulk commodities [and] significantly expands the port’s current bulk mineral volumes,” he says. “The existing bulk mineral terminal here currently handles approximately 300,000 metric tons of bentonite clay and copper concentrate combined, so this project will have 10 times the throughput.” 

Global demand for soda ash from the Green River Basin — the world’s largest natural deposit — continues to grow, said Solvay Executive Vice President of Global Supply Chain Brian Kebart at a groundbreaking ceremony held May 13. Solvay operates seven soda ash plants worldwide. 

“The Green River facility is a linchpin of our global supply network, and the Vancouver terminal will secure [our] ability to meet the growing needs of the industry for years to come,” Kebart said in a press release. 

Established in 1912, the POV is the furthest-inland deepwater port along the Columbia River and operates five terminals. Pursuing a diverse mix of commodities people need in their everyday lives is key to the port’s continued stability, said POV CEO Julianna Marler at the groundbreaking ceremony. 

“With advanced cargo handling systems, expanded storage and enhanced rail connectivity, this terminal will set a new standard for bulk export efficiency,” she said.  

The facility will also mean something else that’s particularly exciting to POV officials. 

“We have not previously handled soda ash,” says Bowman.