On February 22, 2021, China Railway First Bureau Fiji Company and Fiji Ports Bureau successfully signed the Lautoka Terminal 3 yard upgrade project contract and held the groundbreaking ceremony.

Lautoka Port No. 3 Yard Upgrade Project

The total construction area of the project is 13,200 square meters. The main project content includes site leveling, base course, concrete surface construction, drainage, retaining wall and on-site lighting construction. The project duration is 8 months. After the completion of the project, the storage capacity of the Lautoka terminal yard will be effectively expanded.

Shaheen Ali, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Fiji Ports Authority, said that ocean transportation is a key channel for Fiji to connect with the world's commerce and economy. Currently, Lautoka Port can store approximately 40,000 20-foot containers. After the project is completed, an additional 1,260 container storage capacity will be added.

Li Zhi, the Chinese Economic and Commercial Counselor in Fiji, pointed out that China Railway First Bureau started its business in Fiji in 2008 and has made great contributions to Fiji's infrastructure construction. It has undertaken the famous Nabouwalu highway, several bridges and housing construction projects. Chinese enterprises' active participation in Fiji's modernization process will better promote the development of trade between the two countries.

The port of Lautoka is the second largest port in Fiji and is of great significance to Fiji's maritime trade. The start of the construction of the Lautoka Port No. 3 Yard Upgrade Project will significantly enhance Fiji's trade handling capacity and make it a transshipment center in the South Pacific. At the same time, it will further expand the influence of China Railway First Bureau in the South Pacific region. Editor/He Yuting