The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project is a significant infrastructure project that will require a contractor to build the new landmass and marine structures, as well as a terminal operator to build, equip, and operate the terminal.
Since fall 2019, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has been engaging with contractors, developers, and terminal operators to help shape the procurement process and approach, as well as the commercial terms.
After considering the feedback received, and assessing procurement objectives, the port authority has decided to move forward with a two-phased procurement approach.
Details of the procurement approach
First, we will select a contractor through a design-build (DB) or design-build-finance (DBf) procurement to build the new landmass and marine structures needed for the project. Then, prior to the anticipated start of terminal operations, the terminal operator will be selected to build, equip, and operate the new terminal through a terminal concession (TC) procurement.
The timing for the release of the landmass and wharf request for qualifications (RFQ) depends on the timing of the federal government’s decision on the project. If we receive a positive decision in the first half of 2023, then we plan to release the RFQ in 2024, based on our current understanding of the government’s process and its relation to the in-water construction start date. In the meantime, we plan to undertake further market sounding activities shortly after the federal government’s decision to help us update and finalize our procurement approach, commercial terms, and risk allocations.
We have a federal mandate to protect the environment and consider local communities, and we will work with the successful proponent to ensure this project is built in a way that upholds that mandate and aligns with our vision for the Port of Vancouver to be the world’s most sustainable port. Forecasts show that additional container capacity will be needed by the mid-to-late 2020s and we remain confident that the project is in Canada’s national interest to meet long-term trade demands, making it an important generational project.
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Supplier diversity
To support our supplier diversity program, the port authority is a proud member of:
 | Women Business Enterprises Canada Council (WBE Canada): a Canadian non-profit organization working closely with corporations and government organizations advocating for the inclusion of Canadian Women Business Enterprises in supply chains across Canada and abroad. |
 | Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC): a not-for-profit organization dedicated to facilitating the growth of Indigenous and minority owned businesses by connecting them to procurement opportunities with companies and governments committed to a diverse and inclusive supply chain |
| Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB): a national member-based business organization that builds bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, businesses, and communities through diverse programming, providing tools, training, network building, major business awards, and national events |
We look forward to further developing our supplier diversity program and engaging with diverse suppliers on port authority-led infrastructure projects, such as Roberts Bank Terminal 2.
