'We welcome this global partner to the Port of Halifax. We are focused on growing the international container business to the benefit of our regional economy,' says Karen Oldfield, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Halifax Port Authority. 'We are pleased that the local management team will continue terminal operations with the backing of a strong company with diverse transportation assets.'
The South End Container Terminal is located at the mouth of Halifax Harbor, one of the deepest harbors and deeper than any of its competitors on the Eastern Seaboard. The current terminal size is 72 acres. The terminal offers its users two important benefits - deepwater port facilities and unobstructed access from the ocean. The approach is clear with no bridges, ice, shallow water, crosscurrents, narrow channels or significant tides.
Current terminal equipment includes two post-Panamax cranes, four ship gantry cranes and three deep-water berths (1000 metres in length). These facilities permit simultaneously handling of three fourth-generation vessels. In addition, they have three ro/ro ramps which provide the flexibility to handle breakbulk cargo and rolling stock. Storage capacity on the terminal is 12,500 teus, plus an additional 30,000 square-foot covered shed.
The Halifax Port Authority, landlord of the terminal, announced in early November a dredging project to take the Pier C berths of the South End Container Terminal to 16 meters, which will be completed in early 2007. (See related story)
Rail facilities at the South End Container Terminal are located directly on the terminal. Intermodal connections include on-dock, double-stack rail service, as well as truck and highway access.
