Delta’s Roberts Bank Terminal 2 selects construction partner

New terminal is on track to start operations in the mid-2030s, says port authority

One of Canada's largest trade infrastructure projects is a step closer to construction after the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) selected its preferred construction partner for Roberts Bank Terminal 2. The VFPA announced Monday, July 13 it has selected TerraMarine as the preferred construction partner for the landmass and wharf component of the Delta-based project. TerraMarine is a consortium of Canadian and international firms formed specifically for the project.

The selection moves the project into its development phase, during which the VFPA, TerraMarine and First Nations will work together to finalize the design, construction planning, schedule, cost estimates and permitting, according to the VFPA. “This brings us one step closer to breaking ground on the nation-building project,” said Alexa Young, vice-president of government, external and environmental affairs of VFPA. “The team has extensive experience in collaboratively delivering major marine infrastructure projects.

It has demonstrated expertise in health and safety, regulatory compliance, project management, environmental protection and community engagement.” The terminal is expected to begin construction in late 2027 and remains on track to start operations in the mid-2030s, according to Young. She declined to disclose the project’s cost, saying the procurement process is still underway.

The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project has been identified by Prime Minister Mark Carney as part of Canada’s efforts to expand trade infrastructure and double exports to non-U.S. markets over the next decade. Once completed, the three-berth marine container terminal is expected to increase container capacity on the West Coast by more than 30 per cent while contributing more than $3 billion annually to the national gross domestic product (GDP), according to the port authority. “It's going to unlock $100 billion in additional container trade capacity annually,” said Young.

“So we're going to be able to move more of what Canadians make, mine, harvest and grow, including British Columbians right here in our backyard.” She said the additional capacity will primarily support trade with Asian markets, particularly China, Japan and South Korea. “Fifty per cent of global GDP is going to reside [in Asia] in the next 20 to 50 years.

Just think about how many customers that want and need what British Columbians and Canadians make,” she said. The project is expected to support about 18,000 jobs during construction and about 17,000 ongoing jobs across the supply chain once the terminal becomes operational, added Young. The port authority said it has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Vancouver-based Global Container Terminals and is in “exploratory discussions” aimed at reaching a development and operating agreement for the future terminal.

“The discussions are ongoing but going very well,” said Young. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith jointly advanced a proposal for a new West Coast oil pipeline, with Roberts Bank identified as one potential terminus. Young said that proposal is still at a conceptual stage and that the port authority is not currently involved.

Around the same time, Carney also referred to $10 billion in federal funding for the upgrade of the Roberts Bank container terminal. Young said the authority is still awaiting details about the funding commitment and expects to provide more funding information about the Terminal 2 project after the procurement process advances. "We will have updated costing figures, as well as the breakdown of where our funds will come from, in due course.

We can't speak to that during the procurement process," she said. BIV's free newsletters cover daily business, real estate, B.C. politics and more. Sign up here for B.C.’s most important business news delivered directly to your inbox.