Canada’s busiest seaport, the port of Vancouver, has formally launched the bidding process for the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project, a long-anticipated expansion that will boost cargo capacity by 70%.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) this week, seeking companies to construct a C$3bn ($2.2bn) container terminal.

The project is being framed as a “nation-building initiative”, aligned with prime minister Mark Carney’s push for major infrastructure developments aimed at enhancing Canadian economic sovereignty. The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) expansion will allow the port to handle an additional 2.4m teu per year, increasing total container throughput by 70% from current levels of 3.5m teu. The terminal is expected to be operational by the mid-2030s.