The construction works are in respect of extending Pier E, which serves berth ED7, to accommodate the P&O newbuildings. The first of these, Spirit of Britain, is due to enter service in January with the Spirit of France to follow in September.
Currently the largest ferries operating from Dover are the 186 metre long 35,000 gross tonne DFDS trio and these fit in almost all the berths. The longest ferry is the long and thin (ex Superfast) SeaFrance Moliere at 204 metres and 30,000 gross tonnes.
The new vessels will be 213 metres long and 49,000 gross tonnes. They will normally use Pier F, which serves berths ED8 and ED9. These berths, and the associated passenger terminal, were opened not all that long ago by the Queen (together with the Sea Sports Centre) and I believe the pier was constructed to be long enough for any future ferries envisaged. A lot of work has been carried out on this pier in the last few months, not least the removal of an automatic mooring device which appears not to have worked satisfactorily. Pier E is being extended to furnish an alternative berth.
The port has been the customary hive of activity with this operation to install several piles off Pier F followed by a huge monopile on the end involving a fleet of crane barges and tugs, coincident with the operation to remove the wreck of the Spanish Prince by the Western Entrance. The piles are all in place now and the whopping great pile driver has been deposited on the Eastern Arm. The next operation will be to install the decking on top of the piles. I have seen the plans and seem to remember that the platform on top will be octagonal so parts for this are presumably what Ross has seen over at the Hoverport.
Conclusion of this work will see the Port of Dover able to handle the largest ferries envisaged. P&O describe their newbuildings as Dover-Max as they will be able to berth in up to 50 knot winds without the use of tugs and manage a turnaround within an hour. It should be added that the DFDS trio were built with jumboisation in mind should the trade warrant it so may also be of a similar size in future years.
There are a large collection of photos of the Pier E extension taking place on my fotopic site at :
http://shipsintheportofdover.fotopic.net/c1906836.html
Here is a small selection. First one shows one of the giant DFDS trio on Pier C, the piles going in at the end of Pier E, the ultra-modern passenger building and facilities on Pier F with a crane progressing works and one of the updated P&O Darwin twins on the berth, the truck parking reclamation area of recent years, and the new dock exit road.
The others show the piles and monopile being installed.
