Port of Boston planning for growth

Port of Boston planning for growth The Massachusetts Port Authority plans to hire a consultant to explore its need for additional facilities for both cargo and cruise ships through 2025.
   The Boston Herald said the port has been experiencing annual cargo growth of 6 percent to 9 percent over the past three years, and wants to develop a strategic plan that would look at both expanding facilities and financing them.
   The newspaper quotes port director Michael Leone as saying some growth could come from trans-Suez services from South China and the Indian subcontinent.
   The new plan would come just as Massport is increasing the capacity of the Conley Container Terminal by 50 percent under a two-year project that will be finished this summer.
   Boston has also been seeing growth in the number of cruise ships calling there. It expects 101 ships this year compared to 81 in 2006. Cruise companies have also expressed interest in bringing bigger ships to the port.