DP World officially launched construction of the Duke Point Terminal expansion earlier this week, aimed at significantly enhancing Vancouver Island’s connectivity and trade resilience with global markets.
Once completed, the terminal’s berth length will nearly double from 182 meters to 325 meters, while cargo-handling capacity will expand to 280,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually.
According to DP World, this will enable Duke Point Terminal to serve larger international vessels, provide improved services for importers and exporters, and facilitate smoother regional and international trade.
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.