Flinders Port Holdings (FPH) will invest AU$350 million to upgrade the Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal (FACT) as part of its GatewaySA program, a multi-year initiative aimed at increasing capacity and efficiency at South Australia’s only container terminal, the company said in a statement.
The company has also completed an additional AU$40 million investment in new equipment to maintain continuous operations.
According to FPH, the GatewaySA program includes several major projects: the purchase of two Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes, a 135-metre extension of Berth 6, upgrades to terminal operating systems (TOS, DOS, VBS and gate technology), improved site access, new site-wide services and hardstands, and a proof-of-concept for automated rubber-tyred gantry (ARTG) cranes.
The plan also involves expansion of the adjacent empty container depot, which will double its capacity and raise full and empty reefer handling to more than 100 points.
“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.
Once completed, the new cranes and berth extension will allow the terminal to handle two 366-metre vessels at the same time, which FPH says will improve service reliability for shipping lines. Construction on the Berth 6 extension is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025 and finish in late 2026, with delivery of the new cranes expected in the first quarter of 2027.
McConnell Dowell has been engaged under an Early Contractor Involvement model to deliver the quay-line extension and remediation. FPH stated that terminal operations will continue during the works, with project teams emphasizing minimal operational impact.
Flinders Port Holdings Pty Ltd is a privately owned Australian group headquartered in Port Adelaide, South Australia. It provides port management, logistics, and terminal services across the state. Through its subsidiaries, FPH operates seven ports including Port Adelaide, Port Giles, Port Lincoln, Wallaroo, Port Pirie, Klein Point and Thevenard. The group also offers warehousing, pilotage, and hydrographic survey operations, serving importers, exporters, and shipping lines.
McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd is an Australian engineering, construction, and infrastructure company specializing in complex civil, marine, pipeline, and industrial projects. The firm operates as part of the McConnell Dowell Group, which works across the Asia-Pacific region under various contract models including design-and-construct and Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) frameworks.
