Ports America and Sydney Harbor Investment Partners

Ports America and Sydney Harbor Investment Partners (SHIP) have announced an agreement for the promotion, development and management of Novaporte, the marine container facility in the Port of Sydney, Nova Scotia.

SHIP has exclusive development rights to approximately 500 acres in the Port of Sydney and, with the support of Ports America and a specially formed development group, will build a dedicated, semi-automated, deep-water marine container facility capable of handling 18,000+ TEU vessels. Building will commence after establishing sufficient customer volume commitments. Construction, once initiated, is expected to take approximately two years to complete.

Ports America’s highly experienced management team will apply its proven business development and growth strategies while marketing the Novaporte terminal as a Ports America-managed facility to attract new customer and investor relationships. It also will advise on the operational configuration of the terminal to maximize efficiency. Ports America will manage and operate the terminal for 40 years, providing services such as full stevedore and terminal labor management, terminal operating systems, and maintenance and repair.

Peter Ford, Chief Strategy Officer at Ports America, commented, “Novaporte is a uniquely located deep water port able to handle the largest of the next generation of ultra-large container vessels. Geographically, it is the first stop for vessels on the Great Circle Route from Europe and Asia via the Suez. It has abundant land, an adjacent 1,200-acre logistics park and is located in a foreign trade zone. Add to that abundant power, road and rail, as well as a skilled work force, and you have the makings of an East Coast gateway for the next generation of super ships." He added that Novaporte will employ the latest technology to become the greenest, most cost-efficient port on the continent.

Albert Barbusci, founding partner of SHIP, said, “We are excited about partnering with Ports America, the largest terminal operator and stevedore in the United States. In all our partnerships including financial, construction, engineering, marine equipment and technology relationships, we have looked for industry leaders. Ports America fits this description exactly. Its experience covers all aspects of marine operations from containers, to bulk, breakbulk, world-class cruise terminals, intermodal and RoRo facilities. We couldn't ask for a stronger, more experienced operating partner."