Port of Bridgetown explained

Port of Bridgetown
Country: Barbados
Location:Bridgetown, St. Michael
Coordinates:13.106°N -59.632°W
Locode:BBBGI[1]
Opened:1961
Operated:Barbados Port, Inc.
Owner:Government of Barbados
Type:
Berths:12
Wharfs:0
Piers:0
Employees:592

The Port of Bridgetown (officially the Deep Water Harbour), (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI, Port Callsign: 8PB) is a seaport in Bridgetown on the southwest coast of Barbados.[3] Situated at the North-Western end of Carlisle Bay, the harbour handles all of the country's international bulk ship-based trade and commerce.[4] In addition to international-shipping the Deep Water Harbour is the port of entry for southern-Caribbean cruise ships. The port is one of three designated ports of entry in Barbados, along with the privately owned Port Saint Charles marina and the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport. The port's time zone is GMT −4, and it handles roughly 700,000[5] cruise passengers and 900,000 tonnes of containerised cargo per year.

History

In 1948-49 Sir Douglas Richie, M.C. Vice-Chairman, of the Port of London Authority Published "Report on the Proposed Construction of a Deep Water Wharf" with a proposal of a £3,000,000 port facility for Barbados.[6] Construction of the Deep Water Harbour began in 1956 by Costain Group of Britain,[7] and cost EC$28,000,000 through completion in 1961. The port was formed by creating a man-made isthmus across the shallow strait that existed off the coast of Fontabelle, St. Michael. The isthmus formed 90 acres of new land stretching from the original west coast of Barbados, out to a small uninhabited, ex-quarantine island just offshore, named Pelican Island. After the initial completion, the harbour later underwent a $22 million expansion seventeen years later.[8]

In 2002, Barbados Port Inc. contracted with Jan De Nul Group of Companies of Belgium to carry out dredging at the port facility. The dredging was deemed necessary to allow some of the world's largest cruise ships to berth in Barbados rather than anchoring offshore. The project followed a rigorous environmental monitoring programme by the Barbados Port Inc. along with key regulatory agencies, namely the Town Planning Department, the Coastal Zone Management Unit, the Environmental Engineering Division and the University of the West Indies' Natural Resources Management Programme to ensure that the oceanographic and sediment processes, the water quality, and the marine communities were not compromised in any way.[9] During this operation, the port's depth was increased to 11.6 metres (from 9.6 metres). Reclaimed material from the dredging was added to increase the port's cargo area by 9 acres.[10]

In December 2008, Minister of International Transport George Hutson announced that due to congestion between cargo and passenger ships at the Deep Water Harbour, the country needed to look at expansion at the facility following the last upgrade undertaken in 2002.[11] Due to the importance of Tourism to Barbados' economy, the government is presently reviewing a further $70 million upgrade.[12]

In September 2010, the Barbados government stated it was reviewing a list of joint-venture partners to construct the new cruise ship facilities at the port with expected construction to begin in 2011.[13]

Due to increased activity at the port, officials say it is poised to become a "super-hub of the southern Caribbean", rivalling Puerto Rico.[14] [15] [16]

In 2012, the Government of Barbados announced [17] the desire to establish a new separate Cruise terminal just to south along the Princess Alice Highway.[18] [19] [20] As advisors to the Government, Royal Caribbean and STI were selected to work with the government [21] [22] on the project to be called The Sugar Point Cruise Development[23] or The Sugar Point Cruise Terminal. The facility will function as a means to separate cruise-traffic to the country from the containerised-traffic which will remain at the Deep Water Harbour. The move should help to mitigate delays which effect container-ships to Bridgetown which at times must have idle offshore for Cruise ships to make available a berth as cruise ships are given preference at the Harbour. The first phase of the new terminal is expected to cost in the region of BDS$300 million, and dredge work is planned by the administration to begin in November 2012.[24]

Administration

Responsibility for administering the port is vested in the CEO of Barbados Port Incorporated (BPI), as a ISO (9001:2015) Certified Company[25] BPI is statutory corporation that oversees all matters affecting the efficient operations of the harbour facility. The company also advises the Ministry of International Business and International Transport who has ultimate authority for the Deep Water Harbour. Barbados Port Inc. is a member of: the American Association of Port Authorities,[26] the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA),[27] the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (P.M.A.C.),[28] [29] the Shipping Association of Barbados (SAB),[30] and an affiliate of the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI).[31]

It has been awarded the title of "Caribbean Port of the Year" for: 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998; the "Best Multi-Purpose Terminal (Container terminal)" in 2004 and 2005;[32] the safest port in the Caribbean region in 2011.[33] [34] Top-Rated Southern Caribbean Destinations 2016 & 2017[35]

Shipping

Summary of Annual Operations 2011-2020[36]

!!2011!2012!2013!2014!2015!2016!2017!2018!2019!2020
Total TEUs handled77,05372,16374,92378,43186,508105,326107,169100,96198,43589,470
Vessel Calls1,6421,5471,5851,5551,6331,7821,5121,5081,3981,151

Trade

Top trading partners:[37]

Imports: consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components

Top import sources (2009):

Exports: manufactures, sugar and molasses, cotton, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, light manufacturing, electrical components

Top export destinations (2009):

Berths and terminals

The berths and terminals of Bridgetown are laid out as follows:[38]

Berth Length Depth LOA Draft Beam Remarks
(m) (m) (m) (m) (m)
Port of Bridgetown
Breakwater 522 11.5 362.1 — 47.0 Cruise vessels.
No. 1 Cross Berth 152 9.7 134.3 — 20.8 Naval vessels.
No. 2 183 11.0 339.8 — 41.4 Cruise vessels, breakbulk, and containers
No. 3 183 11.0 339.8 — 43.0 Cruise vessels, breakbulk, and containers
No. 4 184 11.0 299.5 — 36.0 Cruise vessels, breakbulk, and containers
No. 5 145 11.0 199.9 — 36.8 Cruise vessels, breakbulk, and containers
Sugar Berth 307 9.7 270.0 — 32.2 Sugar, molasses, and multipurpose
Arawak Cement Works
Cement Berth 37 9.1 138.0 9.0 21.0 Cement. Berthing length of 145m including dolphins
ADM Terminal Bridgetown
ADB Berth 25 11.5 299.5 9.9 35.0 Grain and breakbulk. Berthing length of 160m including dolphins.
Esso Terminal (Deep Water Port)
Esso Jetty — 13.2 244.0 11.6 31.1 Petroleum products. Berthing length of 70m (including dolphins). Closed
Texaco/Shell (Oistins Bay)
Texaco/Shell CBM — 11.6 172 10.0 20.8 Petroleum products
Texaco (Spring Garden)
Texaco CBM — 6.5 103 4.9 19.6 Petroleum products

Passenger lines

The Deep-Water Harbour now acts as a home port for many of the British-based Cruise ship lines operating in the Caribbean region. Some of the Cruise Lines which visit or are home ported at the Deep Water Harbour include:[39]

International sister seaports agreements

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UNLOCODE (BB) - BARBADOS . service.unece.org . 22 April 2020.
  2. http://www.planetware.com/picture/bridgetown-bar-bar142.htm Aerial photo of the Deep Water Harbour
  3. http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/BRB_Port_of_Bridgetown_139.php "Port of Bridgetown"
  4. News: Barbados 'best home port' . 2009-10-10 . C . T . 2006-10-25 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070310184849/http://www.nationnews.com/story/289975730418660.php . 2007-03-10 . Barbados has at times been billed the largest and most active cruise line home port in the world. And Barbadians are fast becoming the beneficiaries of this growing multi-million-dollar industry. That was the word from Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch, as Barbados prepares to host 18 home-porting cruise ships during the coming winter tourist season. Lynch made these disclosures during a Press conference yesterday at the Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC 29) taking place at the Westin and Sheraton Grand Bahama Lucaya Resort, Grand Bahama Island. "We will be having just about 17 or 18 ships turning in Barbados as a home port. And what will be happening in 2008 is that P&O Cruise Line (Pacific and Orient) is gearing up to bring an even larger ship to Barbados. Home porting contributes significantly to our numbers and to the economy. These ships cause people to be surprised about the level of provisioning that is done locally and the level of service which goes into these ships," he said..
  5. News: Forecast looking good for passenger growth . J. M. . B. . . 25 January 2011 . 25 January 2011 . “Our thrust is to take the number of cruise passengers from 700,000 to 1.2 million per year. A significant percentage of these will be part of the Air/Sea and Stay/Cruise programs. Existing facilities at GAIA are already stressed to handle passenger volumes during the 12 to 4 p.m. period. The new focus of developing the air/sea program will necessitate a suitable review of the airport plant and no doubt this will be addressed in by the master plan,” he said. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120326081528/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=local&NewsID=15340 . 26 March 2012.
  6. https://archive.org/details/colonial-report-barbados-1949/page/5/mode/2up Colonial Office Report on Barbados 1949 |Colonial Office Report on Barbados for the year 1949
  7. Web site: Deep Water at Bridgetown (1961) . Healy . Mike . 1961 . Film by Richard Costain Ltd . British Film Institute . London, U.K. . Film . 2020-03-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160214184952/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b70a0a93a . 2016-02-14 . Deep Water at Bridgetown: Tells the story of the construction of a new deep water harbour and shows its effect on the economic and social life of a Caribbean island. .
  8. https://www.barbadoslawcourts.gov.bb/assets/content/pdfs/statutes/DeepWaterHarbour(ExpansionandImprovement)(ExemptionfromDuties)CAP067A.pdf CHAPTER 67A DEEP WATER HARBOUR (EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT)
  9. Web site: Cruise and Cargo Facilities . Staff writer . Barbados Port Inc. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100903173447/http://www.barbadosport.com/html/cargo.html . 2010-09-03 .
  10. https://barbadosport.com/our-history/ Barbados Port Inc. - Our History
  11. News: Port call . 2009-10-10 . C . T . 2008-12-24 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20110526022404/http://www.nationnews.com/story/324258899010992.php . 2011-05-26 . MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT George Hutson yesterday expressed concern about increasing congestion at the Bridgetown Port. "Right now the cruise ships get priority and the cargo ships have to wait, but we are hoping to expand the facilities to be able to accommodate larger vessels," the minister said at a ceremony marking the inaugural visit of the Queen Victoria. "If we can get a couple of larger berths, it would create more space in the deep water harbour, and we would be able also accommodate larger ships and also offload cargo vessels while cruise ships are in port," he added. The 13-deck Queen Victoria was one of three cruise ships docking at the Bridgetown Port yesterday, the others being Ocean Village and Caribbean Princess. . dead .
  12. News: $70m cruise plan . Ricky . Jordan . . 2009-11-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091129145206/http://www.nationnews.com/news/local/LEAD-port-venture-FRONT-PAGE-LEAD . 2009-11-29 .
  13. News: Cruise facilities to be expanded . Patricia . Thangaraj . . 9 September 2010 . 9 September 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120311121105/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=local&NewsID=12632 . 11 March 2012.
  14. News: High hopes for Port . J. . H. . . 27 December 2010 . 31 December 2010 . THERE is an emerging belief that Barbados’ port will become a super-hub in the South, mirroring the cruise activities of Puerto Rico in the North. So says Chairman of the Barbados Port Inc., David Harding, who stressed that the management team is committed to making Barbados the number one port in the Caribbean. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120326081340/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?NewsID=14805 . 26 March 2012.
  15. News: Close to 7 000 cruisers . Kenmore . Bynoe . https://archive.today/20120910223045/http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/close-to-7-000-cruisers-for-boxing-day/ . dead . September 10, 2012 . . 26 December 2010 . 31 December 2010 . In welcoming the crew of the Queen Elizabeth, on its inaugural trip, Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy expressed joy and pride that Barbados was able to accommodate the largest vessels in the world without having to use the method of years ago, where ships berthed offshore and passengers were ferried to port. .
  16. News: Queen comes to port . Kenmore . Bynoe . . 27 December 2010 . 31 December 2010 . Barbados’ bid to become the No. 1 cruise destination in the Southern Caribbean made a gigantic splash in the right direction when one of the largest cruise ships, the Queen Elizabeth, sailed into the Bridgetown Port at dawn yesterday morning. . December 31, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101231235343/http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/queen-comes-to-port/ . dead .
  17. Web site: Home. June 19, 2021.
  18. Web site: Barbados to build new cruise terminal in Bridgetown. September 13, 2012 .
  19. http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/business/615720.html
  20. Web site: Cruise boost . September 30, 2012 . September 18, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120918074330/http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/cruise-boost1/ . dead .
  21. https://nationnews.com/2011/04/24/smi-also-gets-320m-project/# SMI also gets $320m project
  22. Web site: RCCL Partners with Barbados on New Cruise Terminal . September 30, 2012 . September 17, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120917013139/http://www.travelpulse.com/rccl-partners-with-barbados-on-new-cruise-terminal.html . dead .
  23. Web site: NEW CRUISE FACILITY TO BRING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR BARBADOS - news, business, entertainment, sport . 2012-09-30 . dead . https://archive.today/20130118205132/http://www.caribbeannewsreview.com/index.php/caribbean1/news/570-new-cruise-facility-to-bring-new-opportunities-for-barbados . 2013-01-18 .
  24. http://www.thecaribbeancurrent.com/barbados-to-get-an-ultra-modern-cruise-ship-terminal/ Web site: NEW CRUISE FACILITY TO BRING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR BARBADOS - news, business, entertainment, sport . 2012-09-30 . dead . https://archive.today/20130118205132/http://www.caribbeannewsreview.com/index.php/caribbean1/news/570-new-cruise-facility-to-bring-new-opportunities-for-barbados . 2013-01-18 .
  25. News: 12 February 2022 . Barbados Port Inc. is ISO certified . writer . Staff . Top Featured Article . Barbados Today . 12 February 2022 . 15 February 2022 .
  26. https://www.aapa-ports.org/unifying/content.aspx?ItemNumber=20921 Corporate Members - Caribbean Ports
  27. http://www.caribbeanshipping.org/index.php/aboutus/member-list/port-authorities-operators-and-container-terminals Barbados Port Inc.
  28. http://www.pmac-ports.com/ About the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (P.M.A.C.)
  29. http://www.pmac-ports.com/barbados-port-inc Barbados Port Inc.
  30. http://www.shippingbarbados.com/ourservices.html Shipping Association of Barbados - About us
  31. http://www.cmi.edu.jm/Partners_&_Affiliates.html Caribbean Maritime Institute
  32. http://www.caribbeanshipping.org/archway/about/portawardwinners.htm Awards
  33. http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/business/511519.html Barbados port recognized as the safest in the Caribbean
  34. https://web.archive.org/web/20120522063853/http://news.barbadostoday.bb/barticlenew.php?ptitle=Good%20re%20port&article=11265 Good re port
  35. Web site: Barbados Cruise Port . . 2018-01-01 . 2018-01-01.
  36. Web site: 8 April 2022 . Barbados Port INC. - Summary of Annual Operations 2011-2020 . Barbados Port INC..
  37. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/barbados/ Barbados profile
  38. Book: Pub 147 - CARIBBEAN SEA VOLUME I . 2022 . NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY . 207–208 . 17 . 8 April 2022.
  39. Web site: Staff . Cruise Lines . Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) . Barbados, W.I. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070701230256/http://www.visitbarbados.org/cruise/cruiselines.aspx . 2007-07-01.
  40. http://www.naylornetwork.com/aap-nwl/articles/index.asp?aid=280816&issueID=40342 Barbados, Manzanillo (Panama) Ink International Sister Port Agreement
  41. https://www.miamidade.gov/portmiami/sister-seaports.asp Sister Ports
  42. https://www.portofpalmbeach.com/148/Sister-Ports-External-Resources Sister Ports
  43. https://maritime-executive.com/article/port-of-palm-beach-and-port-of-busan-korea-reach-sister-port-agreement Florida and Korean Ports Reach Sister Port Agreement
  44. News: NewsRoom . Citi . 16 November 2019 . Ghana, Barbados sign agreement to establish sister Port relationship . General News . Adentan, Accra . Modern Ghana . 16 November 2019 . Ghana and Barbados today, [November 15, 2019] signed an agreement to establish a sister-port relationship between the Tema and Bridgetown, to facilitate the expansion of trade between the two countries, especially trade transiting through Barbados from Ghana and onward to other Caribbean and Latin America destination ports. The agreement was signed at the Jubilee House, when the Prime Minister of Barbados, Her Excellency Mia Mottley, paid a courtesy call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as part of her official visit to Ghana. .
  45. https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/341597/Resolution_2019-06.pdf DRAT AGREEMENT

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