MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands’ could have new deepwater port by 2012

The current FIPASS facilities are insufficient and need upgrading

Economic situation allowing, the Falkland Islands hope to have a new deepwater port by 2012.

Funds were approved by the Islands Government this week in order to begin phase 1 of the project that will include a tender process for a team of international engineering consultants who will advise on design, cost updating and business planning.

Falkland Islands Government Major Projects Manager Ken Johnson said also included in the first phase would be an examination into whether the life of the current port, FIPASS, could be extended on an interim basis.

He said, “We need to look at whether we can sensibly do something about it in the short term, particularly bearing in mind the current economic situation.

“We will also be looking at the selection of a site for the new port; although work on this has been undertaken before it is now very much out of date and we need to look at updating costings and design solutions. After that we will inform Executive Council so that they can make the final decision on location.”

Mr Johnson thought work undertaken by the consultants would take around two to three months and that Executive Councillors would have the opportunity to look at the port options by the end of the year or the beginning of next year.

If the decision were taken to go ahead with the project then the port, he believed, would be completed in 2012.

Discussions in 2008 identified Port William outside of Stanley Harbour as the popular option of the Falkland Islands business community. Other sites, suggested in the report by Royal Haskoning, included the current floating dock in Stanley Harbour known as FIPASS; Port William West; Port William East (Ordnance Point) and Berkeley Sound, where the majority of fishing transhipping and bunkering takes place.

An extract from the Falkland Islands Government Executive Council report this week noted, ‘A number of activities and milestones leading up to the selection of a preferred (port) site by the end of this year were approved. Members were concerned that a number of the key stakeholders were not engaged to the extent that would be expected at this stage of the project, and so requested that they be made aware of outcomes of consultations as soon as possible. Members noted the staged approach to this project in terms of key decision points and requested that the funding be aligned to this staging. Members approved that a request for £57,000 in order to carry out the work required to get the project to the next stage (selection of a preferred site), be referred to Standing Finance Committee.’

By Lisa Johnston - SealedPR - Stanley