For over 100 years, Global Container Terminals (GCT) has been one of the most successful port operators in the world. Nestled off the mainland coastline in Delta, British Columbia, Canada’s busiest port Deltaport has been increasingly growing to meet the changing needs of the ocean shipping industry. GCT’s Deltaport has expanded three times in the past to meet these growing demands and is now once again having to increase capacity to keep up. Their answer is a 4th expansion called Deltaport 4. It is a smart, phased expansion that will expand as needed with a focus on creating minimal impact on the environment.

This time, however, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), the regulator and landlord of the port, are putting forward its own expansion project instead of considering the less expensive, environmentally-conscious DP4. Their project is called Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) and would require a whole new terminal island to be built out in the ocean at roughly three times the size as GCT’s DP4 solution. RBT2 would also become the most expansive port expansion in history and would look at Canadian taxpayers to foot the bill.