Hutchison’s Bathside Bay terminal gets green light

Hutchison’s Bathside Bay terminal gets green light    The British government has given final approval to Hutchison Ports (UK) Ltd.’s proposal for a 1.7-million-TEU capacity terminal at Bathside Bay in Harwich.
   Hutchison Ports (UK) is a subsidiary of Hutchison Port Holdings, the world’s largest international port operator.
   Hutchison acquired the 250-acre site in 2000 and has applied twice before, in 2001 and 2004, to start developing the terminal. The U.K. government gave its provisional approval last November.
   The port operator plans to invest about '300 million ($521 million) to create the terminal with a 1,400-meter quay, capable of handling four container vessels at once.
   “The government clearly understands the need for further U.K. port capacity, and has listened to the people of Harwich. Not only will a new container terminal at Bathside Bay provide a significant boost to U.K. trade, but it will bring much-needed jobs and prosperity to Harwich and the surrounding region,” said Chris Lewis, chief executive officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Ltd.
   Work will not be able to start on the terminal before 2009 at the earliest as Hutchison still requires permission to upgrade the surrounding road network.
   In February, British Transport Minister Derek Twigg approved Hutchison’s plans to build a deep-sea container terminal with an annual capacity of 1.5 million TEUs at Felixstowe South, converting space previously used by P&O North Sea Ferries.