The Québec Port Authority (QPA) announced its plan to construct a container terminal at the site of the Beauport 2020 project. This initiative is part of the Beauport 2020 expansion project and aims to identify economic niches with the highest potential for the future Port’s development.
QPA concluded that building a container terminal at the Beauport 2020 site is the best way to leverage this space. For the Québec City area and all along the St. Lawrence, this project could potentially create a new international economic hub geared toward logistics, distribution centers, and new businesses.
Port president and CEO Mario Girard noted that the opening of the new 15-meter-deep Panama Canal in 2016 and the emergence of next-generation ships requiring deep-water ports is changing the landscape of commercial shipping.
Québec City must leverage its strategic geographic location on the shortest route between Europe and the St. Lawrence–Great Lakes region, which is home to over 40% of the U.S. manufacturing industry, QPA said.
“Québec is a city whose history and development are closely tied to maritime economic activity. Developing the Port of Québec and improving the existing facilities are priorities for the region. Building a container terminal as part of the Beauport 2020 expansion project will have a major impact on the economy by creating a new continental deep-water logistics hub, which will be a major asset for the Port. The governments of Québec and Canada must offer their unmitigated support for the project so that Québec and Eastern Canada can compete with big U.S. ports and to make the Port of Québec Europe’s gateway to trade in North America,” said Québec City mayor Régis Labeaume in comments on Beauport 2020.
Below there is a summary of the key aspects of the Beauport container terminal project:
- $400 million investment
- 610-meter extension of the wharf line
- Development of 17-hectare area behind the wharf
- Link-up with existing rail and road networks
