Ports America on board at Nova Scotia

The agreement with Sydney Harbour Investment Partners (SHIP), which has exclusive development rights to approximately 500 acres in the Port of Sydney, will include the build of a dedicated, semi-automated, deep-water marine container facility capable of handling 18,000+ teu vessels.

Peter Ford, chief strategy officer at Ports America, said: “Novaporte is a uniquely located deep water port able to handle the largest of the next generation of ultra-large container vessels. Geographically, it is the first stop for vessels on the Great Circle Route from Europe and Asia via the Suez.”

“It has abundant land, an adjacent 1,200-acre logistics park and is located in a foreign trade zone. Add to that abundant power, road and rail, as well as a skilled work force, and you have the makings of an East Coast gateway for the next generation of super ships.”

He added that Novaporte will employ the latest technology to become the greenest, most cost-efficient port on the continent.

Building will commence after establishing sufficient customer volume commitments. Construction, once initiated, is expected to take approximately two years to complete.

Ports America will manage and operate the terminal for 40 years, providing services such as full stevedore and terminal labor management, terminal operating systems, and maintenance and repair.