New Providence's $83 million front door is officially open for business. In just a few short months, the Nassau Container Port (NCP) has grown from a dusty construction site to what top executives describe as a 21st century facility capable of handling the island's essential shipping industry for decades to come.
Tropical Shipping and Atlantic Caribbean Line (ACL) shifted operations over to Arawak Cay this week, beginning a highly anticipated exodus from downtown. Michael Maura Jr., the CEO of Arawak Port Development Ltd. (APD), took Guardian Business on an exclusive tour of NCP to review its progress. When it comes to shipping, all ships now lead to NCP. "We have invested $83 million in a port facility this island has never seen," he said. "We'll be able to commit to the market and make it an efficient facility. We had to build a port that can take care of the needs of Nassau for the next 40 years."
Standing in front of Arawak Cay's "cash register", Maura pointed to gates one and two at the entrance of NCP. At gate one, trucks flow through in a consistent stream, but not before personnel check off the cargo and verify credentials. When it comes to gate two, the facility's new NAVIS-Argo system registers the container numbers, the names of the drivers and essentially places every shipment into a central database. The process allows the port and major shipping companies to track inventory like never before. Whereas operati
ons were once spread out at multiple docks, importing and exporting is being consolidated into one efficient, one-stop shop. "What they are doing here is managing inventory, which will determine what companies keep here and what they send back to the U.S., for example. This had not been done here because we were so dependent on older processes," he explained. The APD Limited chief also noted that in another four weeks, a new weighing system will come into force that is more "exacting" than in the past. Maura explained that a ship's manifest, providing information on the weight of what is on board the ship, is often an estimation and not altogether accurate. "A lot of estimation happens," he said. "A new system will come in that is more exacting."
Turning right, Maura lead Guardian Business through gate three, housing Bahamas Customs and NCP security and personnel. Just beyond, the vast container terminal is now dotted with great mounds from Tropical Shipping, ACL, Crowley, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and G&G Shipping. Maura estimates around 20 to 30 percent of Tropical's containers on the island are now on site after beginning the move on Monday. ACL has also begun the shift from downtown, with the process expected to be completed over the next two weeks. "Every day these mountains of containers will get bigger," he added. "In two weeks it'll be pretty much full."
That said, the site is already buzzing with staff and heavy duty machinery. Maura told Guardian Business more than 100 people are now employed with NCP, up from 60 a couple months ago. Security officers in tan uniforms inspected operations yesterday with hands held crisply behind their backs. Down by the water, the company's two new Liebherr 320 cranes, each with a $2 million price tag, are on full display, effortlessly lifting giant containers from docked vessels and placing them on flat-bed trucks. This is the spot where Nassau commerce truly meets the world, with ships consistently arriving from the U.S. and as far afield as New Zealand. Driving along the waterfront, Maura reported that $70 million of the $83 million budget has so far been spent at NCP and its inland sister facility, the Gladstone Freight Terminal. While the site is mostly operational, the main administration building is still under construction and will likely not be completed until the end of the year. At Gladstone, the administration building should be finished by mid-May, Maura added, which will be a key component to centralizing Bahamas Customs and creating the one-stop shop.
The major shipping companies are also building offices at Gladstone. As the APD Limited CEO took Guardian Business to the eastern side of NCP, he noted that the bulk and break bulk areas still need some infrastructure and touch-ups. Paving, bulkhead work and new ramps are in the works. "There is also a substation for the port. That will drive on through the end of the year. It is an extensive part of the project," he said. "It's not just for us, but to support development for years to come outside of the port's needs, as the fish fry expands, and they decide what they want to do with the west side of Arawak Cay." Maura expects there will not be any further investments in the near future. NCP has most of the infrastructure it needs, although investment in technology, he felt, will be ongoing as the site tries to remain efficient. "Twenty years from now, there will be different freight equipment and we'll have the ability to move things through the port faster. Space and infrastructure is just one part of the equation," he said. But for now, NCP, and indeed The Bahamas, will polish its world-class $83 million port.
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