When the City of Freeport was born in 1955 with the signing of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement there was one defining mandate, to dredge a deep water harbour that became the catalyst for the growth and development of Grand Bahama Island. Today, the Freeport Harbour Company (FHC) is pleased to announce the East Harbour Expansion (EHE) project and the continuation of that mandate given almost 60 years ago.
The Freeport Harbour is dynamic and has been in a constant state of development, but the East Harbour Expansion Project will be the most significant expansion of the harbour since the initial dredging in 1956 and establishment of the Freeport Container Port and the Grand Bahama Shipyard in the 1990’s.
From 1956, the development of the harbour caused Freeport to become synonymous with the names ‘Industrial Capital’ and ‘Second City’ of The Bahamas, and for the country to boast of having one of the largest and deepest manmade harbours in the region comprising of 1,600 acres with a depth of 52 ft. (16m).
As a direct result of the development of the Freeport Harbour, many state of the art companies are operating in and around the Harbour today. Freeport Container Port, Grand Bahama Ship Yard, Bahamas Oil Refining Company, Bradford Marine, Bahama Rock, Quality Services, Bahamian Brewery and Beverage, the Bahamas Hot Mix, Bahama Cement Company, PharmaChem Technologies, Bhicam, and other marine-related facilities, have made Freeport a world-class maritime center.
The expansion of the Freeport Harbour also brings with it long-awaited growth opportunities for companies like the Grand Bahama Shipyard that will be able to expand their operations and allows Freeport Harbour to retain its competitive edge over other ports. This includes creating additional berthing areas for a future container port; new industrial development; and serving the growing needs of the local industry.
The continued development of the Freeport Harbour allows Grand Bahama Island, and by extension, The Bahamas to remain competitive; to increase job and business opportunities within the harbour; and to strengthen the diversified, third pillar of the economy of The Bahamas.
