Flinders Port Holdings (FPH) will invest more than AU$350 million in a major upgrade of the Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal (FACT), South Australia’s only container terminal, according to the company's release.
The investment will be delivered over three years as part of the newly launched GatewaySA Program of Works, aimed at expanding capacity, supporting larger vessel calls, and modernising infrastructure.
“The GatewaySA Program of Works represents a major sustaining capital upgrade for FACT, which has been the only container terminal in South Australia since its opening in 1978,” said Trent Kolbig, General Manager of FACT.
Key components of the upgrade include:
-Berth 6 Extension and Crane Procurement: A 135-meter extension and remediation of Berth 6 will enable simultaneous servicing of two 366-meter vessels. Two new Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore (STS) cranes will be installed.
-IT System Upgrades: Implementation of a new Terminal Operating System (TOS), Depot Operating System (DOS), Vehicle Booking System (VBS), and gate technology to improve cargo visibility, security and landside access control.
-Empty Container Depot Expansion: Development of adjacent land to double depot capacity and increase reefer plug points to over 100. Early civil works have commenced, with the site expected to be operational by early 2026.
-Automation Proof-of-Concept: A trial area for Auto Rubber-Tyred Gantry (ARTG) cranes has been selected through a multi-criteria assessment. The goal is to enhance landside efficiency while minimising disruption to operations during the rollout.
Project Delivery and Timeline Engineering firm McConnell Dowell has been appointed under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) model to manage the Berth 6 civil works.
Construction is scheduled to begin in Q3 2025, with completion anticipated by late 2026.
The new STS cranes are expected to arrive in Q1 2027. The project builds on prior investment by FPH, which in recent years spent AU$40 million on 14 hybrid straddle carriers and three Konecranes reach stackers and empty-container handlers to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency.
Flinders Port Holdings (FPH) is a private Australian logistics and port infrastructure company headquartered in Port Adelaide. It operates seven South Australian ports and manages the state’s only container terminal.
Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal (FACT) is the only international container terminal in South Australia, FACT has operated since 1978 and is now fully owned and operated by FPH. It serves importers, exporters, and global shipping lines via the Outer Harbor in Adelaide.