PRINCE RUPERT – The Port of Prince Rupert and DP World have recently announced a significant milestone in the ongoing expansion of Fairview Container Terminal.
The Phase II North container terminal expansion project, launched in the first quarter of 2015, is now more than 75% complete and is on schedule to increase annual capacity at Prince Rupert’s container terminal to over 1.35 million TEUs by the third quarter of 2017.
“Prince Rupert’s container business has experienced rapid growth since the opening of Fairview Container Terminal. This project is the continued evolution of our fast and reliable trans-Pacific service,” said Don Krusel, President & CEO of the Port of Prince Rupert. “The expansion of our intermodal operations answers growing interest from North American shippers that are capitalizing on the Prince Rupert advantage.”
Fairview Container Terminal anchors one of the west coast’s most efficient trade lanes, served by CN’s North American Class 1 railroad, providing extensive reach into major markets in Canada and United States. The expanded terminal will include a second deep-water berth, three additional gantry cranes, and land reclamation to further expand the container yard.
On-dock rail capacity will also be expanded by densifying the current track configuration, which will be supported by a rubber-tired gantry crane operation.
“Prince Rupert’s success has been driven by its unparalleled geographical position on the Trans-Pacific trade route, high terminal productivity, and consistent low dwell times that have sustained despite our significant growth in throughput over the past two years,” said Maksim Mihic, General Manager, DP World (Canada) Inc. “Strong relationships with our partners ILWU locals, Port of Prince Rupert and CN Rail have resulted in a reliable and competitive service for our customers.”
The next significant milestone for the project is expected in March 2017 with the arrival of three Malacca-max dock gantry cranes to make Prince Rupert big ship ready. Each crane is equipped with a reach of 25 containers wide and is capable of working the largest vessels in the world with a carrying capacity of 20,000- plus TEUs.
