ENG-1993 — Page 318

PORT DEVELOPMENT

268

Since August 1991, consultants have been carrying out the Lantau Port and Western Harbour Development Studies, on behalf of the government, to decide the best layout for the new port. They delivered their final report to the government in May 1993.

The consultants examined five options including a peninsula, a series of connected islands with berth entrances to the east and to the west, and east and west-facing basins. They evaluated different configurations from port and harbour aspects, marine risk and navigation, environmental impact, transport and traffic links, and onshore land planning.

The evaluation showed a strong preference for the west-facing island layout. Among the main advantages, its long-term development potential is much higher than for other configurations.

=

The preferred western approach channel allows for better marine traffic arrangements and manoeuvring into and out of the port basins. Ship-to-ship and ship-to-ferry encounter risk would be low, typhoon evacuation fast, and traffic control needs small.

Water quality impacts are similar for all concepts. But west-facing islands will mean better air quality because the expressway serving the port will be located further from residential areas in Discovery Bay and on Peng Chau. From an on-shore and general planning viewpoint, the layout is also compatible with developments in Discovery Bay and on Peng Chau.

While there are no great differences for traffic and transport arrangements, the west-facing island layout will give better direct port access.

It will also mean the lowest cost for Phase One development of the port. Comprising the first four berths of Terminal 10, this will be the most expensive phase. It will include flyovers, road junctions, interchanges and other infrastructure that must be in place before later phases begin.

Since planning and construction of new terminal facilities need a five-year lead time, close attention is paid to throughput figures to determine when to trigger the next phase of development. During the year, Terminal 11, the second to be built on Lantau, was triggered. Terminal 10 was triggered in 1992.

Mid-Stream and River Traffic

While 63 per cent of Hong Kong's container throughput in terms of TEUS was handled by the container terminals in 1993, 30 per cent was handled by mid-stream operations and seven per cent by river trade vessels. The 1993 Port Cargo Forecasts Study has estimated that container traffic carried by ocean-going vessels will continue to grow by 6.9 per cent per annum between 1992 and 2011, when total throughput to be handled at the container terminals and mid-stream will reach 26.7 million TEUS. River trade container throughput is expected to increase at 14 per cent per annum during the period, amounting to 5.1 million TEUs in 2011.

From its early days, Hong Kong has been a buoyage port, with most cargoes handled over the sides of ships into or out of lighters moored alongside vessels. Some ships are also worked at anchor. Even with the growth of containerisation, the port still handles much of its cargo in these ways. Lighters carry containers to and from ships moored or anchored mid-stream.

Mid-stream container throughput grew at an average annual growth rate of 27 per cent over the past five years. The year under review saw a 14 per cent increase in mid-stream container handling, to a total of 2.8 million TEUs.