Van Oord will dredge and subsequently make beneficial reuse of 1,600,000m3 of sand, which will create 17.6 hectares of land for future port development. The joint venture will also construct some 450m of quay wall with associated capping beam and crane rail as well as 225m of revetment berth and associated berthing dolphins.

Works were due to get underway immediately, with a fully operational container berth available within 18 months and full completion expected within an additional six months.

Great Yarmouth Port Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Port Holdings (IPH), which was formed last year with a strategy to invest in small to medium size ports having the potential to expand in scope and scale, and to contribute to regeneration initiatives and economic development.

The landmark scheme, which has received £8.75m in funding from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), is expected to boost tourism in Great Yarmouth whilst also making it a key port for lorry freight traffic between continental Europe and the British Midlands.

An agreement between Great Yarmouth Port Authority and IPH will see Great Yarmouth Port Company develop the Outer Harbour and take over the operation of the port.

EEDA has been directly involved in ‘Eastport’ or the past seven years and has been instrumental in getting the project off the ground.

Stephen Eldred, chairman of Great Yarmouth Port Authority said, ‘This is a very important and exciting deal for us which will bring numerous benefit to the local economy and will put Great Yarmouth on the map as a key UK port for a variety of goods and services. We very much look forward to continuing to work with IPH and Great Yarmouth Port Company who have already leveraged their considerable experience to successfully get this project to the implementation stage.’