Napier Port is on the rise

Napier Port, a gateway connecting central New Zealand with the rest of the world, will host an official 6 Wharf opening on Friday, July 22, 2022.

This $175 million project follows the recent completion of the 6 Wharf’s two-year dredging campaign, and is now one step closer to seeing the wharf become operational. 

Construction work started in February 2020 – just before Covid arrived in New Zealand – and has taken more than two years to build.

“We broke ground on this once-in-a-generation project a mere month before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in New Zealand, and despite two periods of lockdown, an international border closure and ongoing global uncertainty it is set to be delivered ahead of time and under budget,” said Napier Port Chief Executive, Todd Dawson.

“Given the size and complexity of this infrastructure project, this achievement speaks volumes for our 6 Wharf project team and the tremendous planning and hard work they have put in.”

Once fully operational, Napier Port’s 6 Wharf will provide increased shipping capacity and the ability to handle larger vessels and berth a greater number of vessels, as well as improving the availability and operational performance across all of the port’s wharves.

The wharf is capable of berthing container vessels 320 metres long and a beam (width) of 50m and 360-metre Oasis-class liners – the world’s largest cruise ships.

Alongside Napier Port’s three tugs, it will also allow berthing for larger container ships 24-hours per day.

Sustainability has been an overriding consideration throughout the 6 Wharf build, with detailed planning undertaken with mana whenua, fishing groups and other marine users during a comprehensive resource consent process.

Establishment of the Napier Port kororā (little blue penguin) sanctuary also took place – to protect this at-risk species found on port, including the microchipping of over 185 kororā.

Under the project, they develop the sanctuary with the help of kororā expert of 30 years’ Professor John Cockrem from Massey University and in consultation with mana whenua as kaitiaki of the area, the Department of Conservation and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

Creation of two new artificial reefs, using limestone from a dismantled revetment seawall, has helped to enhance the existing habitat and health of the region’s marine life and provide for local recreational fishing.

This project was a unique collaboration with LegaSea – a group of recreational fishers dedicated to rebuilding Hawke’s Bay fish stock.

Once complete, the wider 6 Wharf project will move into the final pre-operations stage involving wet commissioning (berthing the first ships) and container exchange trials in June.

In order to be sustainable, it is important for Napier Port to proactively manage its carbon footprint.

While the amount of fuel they consume reflects the size and nature of the port’s operations, the officials are working hard to bring the consumption down.

To cater for the increasing volumes of refrigerated containers being handled through Napier Port every year, they have gone up investing in more container towers.

Storing refrigerated containers in a tower rather than on the ground means that the port can power them from the grid, reducing reliance on diesel-powered generators which come with a much higher carbon footprint.

The increase in emissions correlates with an increase in annual cargo volumes, with the majority of the increase relating to increased fuel usage for generators to keep refrigerated containers cool while stored on port awaiting shipment. 

Also, Napier Port is continuously reviewing its operations and looking at ways to improve efficiencies to minimise and reduce the footprint.

The port has already installed an electric vehicle recharging station, and have begun the transition to electric vehicles.