The new Kingstown Port opened on Saturday with the first ship calling at the facility shortly after the formalities, two days before St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) celebrates its 46th anniversary of independence from Britain.
At 11:33 p.m., Minister of Seaports, Senator Benarva Browne posted a photograph on Facebook showing the FOUMA, a Cyprus-flagged container ship that is 166.15 meters long and 25.26 meters wide, docked at the port, during a scheduled call.
The vessel conducted its business at the port before sailing on to Grenada later Saturday night.
“This is not just an opening, it’s a rebirth; a moment that affirms our collective will to build a resilient, forward-looking St Vincent and the Grenadines,” she said during the opening ceremony of the port.
“The port is a symbol of what vision planning and partnership can achieve. It signals that our nation is ready to trade smarter, connect faster, grow stronger, with a modern, competitive and many-sided, post-colonial economy.”
Former project coordinator and assistant project manager for the Port Modernisation Project, Lenski Douglas, who went on to work with Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) before the completion of the port, gave the project overview.
“A new chapter in our national story begins. The seed of an idea for modern port facilities in St Vincent and Grenadines has matured into a transformative reality,” he said.
Douglas said over EC$720 million was committed to the project for project preparation, infrastructure works, engineering and construction-related services, project management, institutional strengthening, goods procurement and other project support.
He noted that the project was financed through loans from the CDB, grant support from the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund and resources secured by the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including a loan from the Ex-Im Bank of Taiwan and a loan secured by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority.
“This project has been delivered within contractual time, with just five months’ extension on the timeline announced at the groundbreaking. The quality of the work is evident for all to see,” he said.
“And this is an important one, when all is accounted for, by every indication, the total amount spent to date is tracking very close to the original EC$650 million, which is less than the total EC$720 million in funding budgeted and or approved for this project,” Douglas said.
“The point there is government actually saved while implementing the Port Modernisation Project.”
He said that during the implementation of the project, EC$135 million was directly retained in the local economy.
“Cumulatively, more than 500 Vincentians had the opportunity for direct employment with the contractor over the past 42 months, including 31 women, local employment consistently hovered near 45% of the workforce on site for the duration of construction.”
Douglas said the achievement reflects vision, strategic foresight, leadership, strong partnerships and unwavering commitment to delivering a climate-resilient, future-ready cargo port built on reclaimed lands and engineered to withstand the tides of change and shocks of climate.
He said that with the completion of the project, three of the four strategic objectives had been met, namely, to improve infrastructure and working conditions, to support livelihoods and to reduce poverty, and to enhance safety and climate resilience.
“… economic and trade impacts will follow in due course,” he said.
Douglas said the port is “a resilient, future-ready gateway designed to enhance durability, climate adaptability, operational efficiency and an example of environmental stewardship”.
He noted that work commenced on May 12, 2022, and sand from the seabed on the east coast of St. Vincent was used to establish a 380-meter by 130-meter footprint within five weeks and four days.
The port is capable of handling 56,000 20-foot equivalent units annually. It has a 380-metre quay with a draft of minus 12.5 meters that allows for multiple vessels to berth simultaneously. It is elevated for sea level rise and engineered for extreme weather.
“This facility replaces aged and inadequate infrastructure for these times and strengthens our national resilience.”
Douglas said that Hurricane Beryl, which impacted SVG on July 1, 2024, was the first real-world test of this facility, adding, “and it validated our designs”.
The 25-metre-wide apron enables efficient container operations with mobile harbour cranes, will ensure efficient horizontal transport by terminal trailer units between the berth and the yard.
“This arrangement will surely improve the efficiency of vessel offloading by the modern port operating company.”
Douglas said that the terminal layout includes container storage, break-bulk (general cargo) and vehicle areas, reefer racks, maintenance zones and integrated systems for lighting, signage, closed-circuit television, wireless internet connectivity, electricity and portable water.
“The flexible pavement will reduce the wear on our mobile equipment, and it simplifies future maintenance. Runoff is treated to ensure that no contaminated water from this facility enters directly into the sea.”
He said safety and security are reinforced through the use of intercom, smoke detectors, fire alarms and card access control, while robust IT systems, designed with cybersecurity in mind, further strengthens the operations.
The port came into focus earlier this year when it became public, through non-government sources, that some of the sheet piles had declutched and sand was leaking into the ocean, resulting in large pools forming inside the quay wall
“When declutching was observed, the honourable Prime Minister, within a few days, assured the nation that rectification costs would fall within the contractor’s obligation; that assurance holds true,” Douglas said.
“The government’s team contractual management on this issue deserves the highest commendation.”
Meanwhile, Browne said the port was intended to expand trade and human capacity.
“At peak construction, over 140 Vincentians, which represented more than 70% of the workforce, were employed,” the seaports minister said.
“Young Vincentians gain skills in engineering, heavy equipment operation, logistics, project management, just to name a few areas. These skills will now power future national projects.
“As operations commence, hundreds more opportunities will open in the shipping industries, customs logistics, ensuring that our people remain at the heart of the progress.”
She said the port stands as a climate-smart flagship for the Eastern Caribbean.
“It is built to endure sea level rise and severe weather with robust coastal defences and efficient drainage.”
Browne said the solar system on the roof of the administration building will enable the port to generate some of its electricity and reduce dependence on the national grids, saving over 170 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
“This is practical climate action infrastructure aligned with environmental stewardship,” she said.
And, Carl James, CEO of the Modern Port Operating Company, said Saturday’s event was
more than the opening of a port.
“It is the opening of opportunity. It is the beginning of a new chapter for our people, our economy and our nation’s future,” James said.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves delivered the featured address at Saturday’s event.
I pray that my fellow Vincentians catch the vision and tap into the benefits that this major project has provided.