WESTERN Australia is set to move its main container port from Fremantle to Kwinana by 2030, in an AUD7 billion (US$4.6 billion) shift.

Fremantle processes approximately 800,000 TEU annually and can handle up to 1.4 million TEU yearly, but with volumes anticipated to exceed 3 million TEU over the next 50 years, there are concerns its capacity is inadequate.Its location does not make upgrades feasible.

The Westport Taskforce settled on Kwinana, which is Western Australia's primary industrial area with a busy bulk freight port.

Fremantle will continue to cater to cruise ships and coastal vessels, reports Greece's Container News.

On November 11, the taskforce said in its business case that infrastructure limitations at Fremantle will begin impacting AUD445 billions of container trade as early as the mid-2030s.

The taskforce said: "The continued trend of increasing containerization of imports and exports means that by 2040 this is expected to have grown by around 20 per cent per person. At the same time, our population is growing and is expected to reach 3.6 million by 2036.

"Long-term, container trade is expected to grow from approximately 857,000 containers annually today to 2.9 million annually by 2070. This means our port and supply chain needs to handle a significant increase in containers.

"As it will take at least a decade to plan for and develop a new port, it's critical to get the process underway now. Not being ready in time would significantly impact the Western Australian economy."