CONSTRUCTION is underway on Flinders Port Holdings $50 million Outer Harbor Intermodal Precinct, flagged as a major investment in South Australia’s logistics capability and trade infrastructure.
The multi-million OHIP project investment builds on $300m of recent investment by FPH to enhance and optimise containerised and bulk cargo handling at Outer Harbor, aligning its operations with the most advanced ports in Australia, the company says.
Situated adjacent to the Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal (FACT), the new precinct will bring storage, packing and rail interfaces together to support a more efficient containerised supply chain.
By strengthening Adelaide’s role as a competitive gateway for high-value imports and exports nationally and internationally, the precinct will support the movement of trade through FPH’s South Australian facilities, which facilitate more than $22 billion of trade each year, equivalent to 24% of the state’s Gross State Product.
The precinct will be supported by a dedicated FACT-operated interchange, connecting the container terminal directly to the new facility while also providing port users access to SA’s largest empty container park for faster transfer between landside operations and vessels.
The project will be delivered in three stages, beginning with Warehouse 1, a purpose-built facility for Flinders Warehousing & Distribution to be constructed by CIP Constructions over the next 12 months. Warehouse 1 is to have capacity to process 8,100 twenty-foot equivalent units per annum, provide stacking capacity for an additional 1,000 TEU and accommodate 17,000 pallet spaces.
The facility will feature a fully controlled ambient environment and a 500kW solar PV system, with excess solar generation to be used across the FPH network further supporting the group’s net-zero roadmap.
Future stages will support business growth by enabling customers to secure an on-dock footprint, with scalable warehousing solutions designed to grow alongside their operations.
FPH chief executive Stewart Lammin said OHIP was an investment in the next generation of trade infrastructure.
“By improving the integration of terminal, landside and rail operations within our existing footprint, we’re creating better connections for our customers while supporting SA businesses to move products," Mr Lammin said.
FPH EGM John Ranaldo said the new precinct had been designed to integrate storage, packing and rail interfaces directly alongside the container terminal, helping to reduce handling, improve transfer times and create a more seamless pathway between the port, road and rail networks.
The Port Adelaide project was praised by Joe Szakacs, SA Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, who added it was another strong vote of confidence in state’s economy and position as a leading trade and logistics hub.
“South Australia exports more than $18 billion of goods globally and investments like this help ensure our upply chains remain efficient, competitive and ready for future growth,” he said.