Work to start on 'ambitious' £26m Portland Port development

The improvement project - described as the port's most ambitious to date and the largest investment it has ever undertaken - now has all the necessary permissions.

Deep water berth plan Portland Port

Companies, including some local firms, have been appointed to carry out the work which is set to begin in October with the project aiming to be completed by May 1 next year.

The construction of a new berth and the extension of an existing structure will mean deeper drafted and longer ships can be accommodated – or two huge cruise ships could dock alongside at the same time.

The port has said that it needs to be able to cope with the ever-increasing size of modern vessels, especially cruise liners.

Ian McQuade, Portland Port’s Commercial General Manager said: "This development will provide a major and significant enhancement to the port’s capabilities. The new facilities will enable Portland Port to keep pace with the increasing demands from our existing cruise and cargo customers whilst offering the opportunity for future growth. The size of vessels calling at Portland over the last number of years has continued to grow and this investment will enable our business to keep ahead of this trend."

He added: “This is the largest investment Portland Port has ever undertaken and it is a resounding vote of confidence in the business by the company’s owners. The future looks very exciting for the port."

The development will see the existing Deep Water Berth (DWB) removed, and replaced with a new, extended berth. In addition, the works will deliver a 74m extension to the solid quay face of the current primary cruise berth, known as the Outer Coaling Pier (OCP).

The works will result in a new DWB with a 250m solid berth face with a 12m water depth, capable of handling cruise ships up to 350m long. In addition, the OCP will be extended to produce a 250m solid berth face with 11m water depth. Overall the project will deliver 16,000m2 of additional quayside space and be capable of handling two 350m cruise ships alongside at the same time.

Alex Hayes, Landside General Manager at Portland Port who is overseeing the project, said: "This is a key investment for the port and demonstrates our commitment to the continued development of our infrastructure.

"The project has taken a lot of time and planning to take it from its initial conception though to implementation. There is still a lot of work to be done before the project is complete, however the outcome will be a milestone for the port and its future."

During the tender process, pre-qualifications were sent out to 20 applicants. Knights Brown are the managing contractor with Ramboll undertaking the design work. Ramboll have used their expertise in the design of quay walls to minimise the tonnage of steel required as well as maximising the use of locally available rock within the works.

The piling works has been awarded to Red 7 Marine which has worked with the port before.

Additionally, local contractors Barrett Electrical, D&M Groundworks, ESG Trading, Pipefix and Quest Marine will also be involved.

The preparatory works are already underway and, once complete, the development will have used 380,000 tonnes of locally sourced infill material and 4,800 tonnes of steel.

The initial surface finish of the quayside will be temporary but heavy duty, to allow for settling, with final surfacing works due to take place between October 2023 and February 2024.