Hutchison to develop French Fos Terminal

The Port of Marseille Fos authority has granted to Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) the right to develop the proposed Fos 4XL container terminal.

HPH proposed a "Twin Hub" concept that would pair the development of the new terminal with its "sister terminal", the European Container Terminal, or ECT, which it operates in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Greater China Transport Logistics reported.

HPH proposed that Fos 4XL be linked to ECT by a comprehensive multimodal network.

"This green and state-of-the-art terminal will support an ambitious strategy of Euro-Mediterranean consolidation," the Port of Marseille Fos said in its announcement.

Under the proposal HPH would invest an estimated US$811 million to build a terminal with a 3,937 foot berth and a 185 acre container yard. The port authority estimates that the new terminal will increase the port's overall annual capacity by one million TEUs.

The authority said details of the Fos 4XL operating concession will be discussed in the coming months and that the construction and operation of the new terminal will be aligned with market demand.

It said it does not expect that Fos 4XL will start commercial operations before 2017 or 2018.

This decision by the port authority's supervisory board concludes the call for proposals process that was launched in February 2008, when the Port of Marseille Fos issued a tender call for the development of the new terminal.

(Source: Cargo News Asia)