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Expansion of Virginia box terminal begins to raise annual capacity to 1.2m TEU

A US$320 million expansion project at Portsmouth's Virginia International Gateway (VIG) container terminal has begun. The works will nearly double the terminal's annual cargo handling capability and enable it to handle larger containerships.

The project is the first of two large-scale expansion projects that, together with a project at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT), will increase the port's overall annual container handling capacity by 40 per cent, or one million container lifts by 2020, reported American Shipper.

The overall project includes expanding VIG's container stacking yard, doubling the on-dock rail operation and expanding the truck gate. The cost of the work will be shared by Alinda Capital Partners and the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the owners of VIG.

VPA CEO John Reinhart was cited as saying: "We are adding capacity now so we can handle the cargo that will be coming to us in the very near future. The big ships are here - more are on the way - and they are carrying significant amounts of containers and Virginia will be ready to accommodate that volume."

The project involves lengthening the wharf to make way for four new Suez-class container cranes. The wharf project begins March 15 and is scheduled for completion in the winter of 2018. Once complete, VIG will have the capacity to handle 1.2 million containers annually, up from 650,000 containers per year at present.