HUTCHISON Whampoa has received approval from Britain's Environment Department to go ahead with the GBP45 million (about HK$543 million) extension of its Trinity Container Terminal at Felixstowe.
The expansion, to be financed by Hutchison, will be completed by January, 1996.
It will comprise a finger quay equipped with three post-Panamax cranes and back-up equipment, raising the terminals capacity by 300,000 TEUs (20 ft equivalent units) to more than 1.5 million containers a year.
The Trinity expansion was authorised by the British parliament under the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Act.
It was deemed as being vital to the economic interests of the country and making an important contribution to the economic welfare of the region.
''This is clearly in the national interest, is good news for Felixstowe and for employment in the region,'' said Local Government Planning Minister David Curry.
To facilitate the expansion of the container handling capacity, the port authority is deepening, from 11 to 12.5 metres, the main navigation channel leading to Felixstowe at a cost of GBP21 million.