A container terminal master plan for potential further expansion of Fairview Terminal and the development of a second container terminal at the Port of Prince Rupert’s South Kaien Island site has been completed, the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) said.
As informed, the planning work identifies the long-term potential to develop 6 – 7 million TEUs of capacity through the development of multiple terminals at the Port of Prince Rupert.
This is expected to result in the Port of Prince Rupert becoming Canada’s second largest port in the next five years.
“Conducting this work ensures we have a clear understanding of the future potential for terminal development and contributes to a vision for the future of our container business to respond to the growing market demand for capacity at the Port of Prince Rupert,” Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO of PRPA, commented.
“The terminal development potential identified in the study ensures that we can accommodate the short, medium and long term supply chain needs of Canadian exporters.”
As explained by the port authority, the second terminal features a capacity of 2.5 million TEUs and was identified as the next phase of terminal expansion for the container business at the Port of Prince Rupert following the expansion of Fairview Container Terminal.
Announced with DP World in 2018, the expansion of Fairview container Terminal will increase its current capacity from 1.35 million TEUs to 1.8 million TEUs by 2022.
Both the current Fairview Terminal and South Kaien sites are in close proximity to expanding export logistics operations on Ridley Island, and will fully integrate with these operations following PRPA’s construction of the Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor scheduled for the end of 2020.
“DP World continues to invest in terminal capacity, including advancing our current expansion project at Fairview Terminal,” Maksim Mihic, General Manager of DP World (Canada), said.
“We fully support the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s development vision which enables Canadian trade and improves the balance between imports and exports through the northern corridor,” he added.
The Port of Prince Rupert is among the fastest growing ports in North America and handled a record 1 million TEUs and 27 million tons of cargo in 2018.
“Our planned container terminal capacity expansion ensures Canadian shippers will be able to meet their supply chain needs well into the future and Canada will be well-served in meeting its objectives of growing trade in the Asia Pacific region,” Stevenson further said.
Completed with the assistance of AECOM, the plan’s research considered capital costs, operating efficiencies, optimization of construction sequencing to minimize disruptions to ongoing operations, and mitigation of human receptor impacts — air quality, noise and lighting — as criteria to determine the feasibility and sequencing of container terminal potential at the Port of Prince Rupert.