The first stage of a port expansion project to Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal is now 50% complete – and on-schedule to create the second largest such facility in Canada by this summer.
Officials from the Prince Rupert Port Authority and terminal operator DP World Canada confirmed this morning that Fairview’s Phase 2B expansion will complete its first stage in July, bumping the capacity from the current 1.35 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 1.6 million at that time.
That number would put Fairview only behind Port of Vancouver’s Deltaport in terms of the largest capacity of a container terminal in Canada.
The recent supply chain strains seen around the world have been felt acutely at port facilities – especially those on North America’s west coast. The extreme weather phenomena in B.C. over the last few months have exacerbated the problem locally, as rail lines and highways were washed out for extended periods during the rush shipping season ahead of Christmas.
Ottawa has attempted to aid the Port of Vancouver in funding solutions for capacity bottlenecks, but many experts have also cited an increased role for Prince Rupert – with much more space and less resistance to expansion – as a key part of the overall solution.
In a statement, DP World Canada CEO and general manager Maksim Mihic said Rupert being the North American port (linked to the continent’s rail network) closest to Asian markets is a key reason while Fairview is only going to see its role expand and not diminish moving forward.
“The Fairview Phase 2B expansion sets Prince Rupert firmly on the path to becoming a leading strategic Canadian logistics hub, custom-built for high-volume intermodal traffic,” Mihic said.
The rest of the Fairview Terminal expansion will be completed by 2024, bringing the final capacity at the terminal to 1.8 million TEUs. DP World said the project will bring 300 new, permanent full-time job positions to Prince Rupert.
Among the key components of the project that will be completed in the summer is the Fairview-Ridley Connector Corridor, a road link that provide trucks with direct access between Fairview and local trans-load and customs facilities.
There are also plans for import and export logistics facilities that would “grow Prince Rupert into one of North America’s preferred maritime gateways,” said Port Authority president and CEO Shaun Stevenson.
