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Facility Expansion: Houston, Prince Rupert

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Houston: $275 Million for Capital Improvement Projects in 2015

The Port of Houston Authority plans to undertake significant infrastructure improvements in the next few years to accommodate the advent of larger vessels and increased cargo it is expecting to from the Panama Canal expansion and future Houston region demographic growth.

In 2015, the port authority expects to commit $275 million for various capital projects. Approximately $184 million will be allocated to container terminals for continuing development of Bayport and modernization at Barbours Cut, and another $35 million is geared towards improvements at the general cargo and bulk terminals in the Turning Basin area. The balance will go for railroad improvements, channel development, port security, building renovations and information technology.

While the port commission has approved the 2015 capital budget amount of $275 million, any individual capital project or expenditure exceeding $50,000 must be presented and acted on by the port commission at a public meeting.

The Project Advertising Schedule lists all the current port authority capital improvement projects that are about to begin the procurement process. 

Prince Rupert: Container Terminal Expansion Will Boost Capacity to 1.3 Million TEUs by 2017 


Fairview Container Terminal, looking north.
Photo/Prince Rupert Port Authority

Maher Terminals Holding Corp., the operator of the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s Fairview Container Terminal, announced March 10 its decision to proceed with expansion of the seven-year-old facility, increasing its container capacity by 500,000 TEUs to accommodate rapidly growing container volumes.

"Intermodal customers have been capitalizing on the advantages of Prince Rupert as part of their transpacific trade solution since Fairview’s first phase opened in 2007," said Port Authority President Don Krusel. "We’re very pleased to see Maher Terminals continue delivering on the vision of fast, reliable container service – while creating new opportunities for the workers, communities, and nations who benefit from this trade gateway."

Since operations began, Fairview Container Terminal has experienced dramatic gains in throughput, from just 16,703 TEUs in 2007 to 618,170 in 2014. Volume jumped 37 percent during the first two months of 2015.

The project will provide a second deep-water berth, four additional gantry cranes, and land reclamation to further expand the container yard. On-dock rail trackage will also be expanded through densification of the current track configuration, which will be supported by a rubber-tired gantry crane operation. Expansion will increase throughput capacity from 750,000 to more than over 1.3 million TEUs annually by mid-2017.

Said Gary Cross, president and chief executive officer of Maher Terminals: "The two-berth, eight-crane operation that the expanded Fairview Container Terminal will provide, together with the intense focus on delivering industry-best dwell times, assures ocean carriers and beneficial cargo owners alike that the Prince Rupert gateway will continue to flourish as a premium service provider by remaining comfortably ahead of demand."

"Today’s announcement affirms the value of the forward-looking investment in Prince Rupert’s original Fairview Terminal conversion project," said Mr. Krusel. "The strategic vision, partnership and alignment of the original partners – Maher, CN, the Governments of Canada and British Columbia, and the Port of Prince Rupert – seized an opportunity that is still paying dividends today."

Artist's rendering of the expanded Fairview Container Terminal.
Source/Prince Rupert Port Authority
 

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