Kai Tak Cruise Terminal - History and Development

History and Development

The annual berth utilisation rate of Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, which offers two berths accommodating vessels of up to 50,000 tonnes (49,000 long tons), rose to 76% last year from 71% in 2003. Between 2001 and 2005, some 11 cruise vessels had to berth mid-stream and at container terminals because Ocean Terminal could not meet market demand.

Hong Kong's Secretary for Economic Development, Stephen Ip, said Hong Kong needs an additional berth between 2009 and 2015, and one to two more berths beyond 2015 to capture the growth of the regional cruise market. New cruise terminal facilities could bolster Hong Kong's coffers by up to $2.2 billion a year by 2020, and offer almost 11,000 jobs.

Development of the new facilities on the 76,000 square metres (19 acres) of land earmarked at the end of the former airport runway includes:

• Berthing facilities – two alongside berths of 800 metres (2,600 ft), an apron area, fender system and passenger gangways;
• Support facilities – located mainly in the cruise terminal building, such as customs, immigration, quarantine counters, and baggage handling; and,
• A commercial area inside the cruise terminal building with a maximum gross floor area of 50,000 square metres (540,000 sq ft) for offices and retail facilities.

The Government at first adopted a market-driven approach in the new development. Selected through an open tender exercise, the successful bidder would have owned the 76,000 square metres (19 acres) of land for a 50-year period and form the site as well as design, build and operate the terminal.

A pre-tender consultation with relevant trades will be conducted in the first half of next year to expedite the pace of development, followed by invitation of tenders in the fourth quarter. The tender was to be awarded in the second quarter of 2008. The estimated development cost, excluding that for the commercial area, was about $2.4 billion HKD.