After years of preparations, big plans to upgrade the shipping terminal at Duke Point are going ahead.
DP World says the improved port will be able to process 280,000 containers annually, more than ten times its current capacity.
An official ground-breaking ceremony was held on Friday, with dignitaries from the port, city, Snuneymuxw First Nation, and DP World donning hard hats and wielding golden shovels.
The expansion has been in the works for years. DP World, the terminal’s owner, says it will provide exporters and importers with direct access from Nanaimo to global markets.
Highlights of the upgrades include extending the berth to 325 metres, large enough to accommodate international shipping vessels. The container storage area will be expanded, and cold storage will also be added.
“Through projects like the Duke Point Phase 2/3 Terminal Expansion, the Port of Nanaimo, and our partners, are creating cooperative solutions to current operating constraints in the supply chain,” said Ian Marr, President and CEO of the Port of Nanaimo in a news release. “This is a catalyst for reconciliation, diversification, job creation in our local community, and co-operative economic development opportunities for BC and Canada.”
The project is supported by Snuneymuxw First Nation’s free, prior and informed consent, and is supported by a 50-year lease agreement between DP World and the Port of Nanaimo, both of which were important first steps in the planned terminal expansion. The project was funded through combined public and private investments, including $46.2 million from the federal government’s National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) and $15 million from the Province of British Columbia under the Regional Port Enhancement Program, part of B.C.’s Economic Recovery Plan.
