Port of Vancouver seeks bidders for massive Roberts Bank terminal expansion
The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) project will add a new three-berth terminal to the existing port site in Delta, increasing the port's capacity by 50 per cent.
It says the project, once complete, will free up more than $100 billion in new trade capacity and contribute $3 billion in annual GDP.
The port authority said Wednesday that it has opened a request for qualifications for the team to handle construction planning and to build the landmass and wharf component of the expansion.
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Delta port expansion faces legal challenges
The successful candidate will be responsible for building a 100-hectare marine landmass, a 35-hectare widened causeway and a 1,300-metre wharf structure and expanded tug basin.
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The port authority is aiming to shortlist three teams by the fall, who will then submit a detailed proposal.
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The port expansion, which faced significant pushback from environmental groups and the City of Delta, was approved by the provincial and federal governments in 2023.
Environmental groups still oppose the project, which they say will threaten salmon and the critically-endangered southern resident killer whale population, which is sensitive to ship noise.
'RBT2 is a real, real issue for Southern Resident Killer whales in terms of the increased shipping that will take place,' said Valeria Bergara, co-director of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation's Cetacean Conservation Research Program.
'Any industrial processes that put more noise into the water through increased shipping are going to affect the whales. Right now, we need a quiet space and quiet time for the whales, and it's super important. We're at 73 individuals.'
The federal approval came with 370 legally-binding conditions aimed at mitigating safety and environmental concerns.
Those include the installation of a safe fish passage infrastructure, developing habitat creation programs and creating a marine mammal detection response plan and noise restrictions.
The port authority has signed mutual benefits agreements with 27 First Nations, and says it will continue with 'consultation and collaboration' with them, including Indigenous economic and procurement opportunities.
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Construction on the project is slated to begin in 2028, and the terminal is scheduled to be in operation by the mid-2030s.
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