Albert Pier and St Helier Marina
Ports of Jersey are in the process of completing an astounding once-in-a-generation regeneration programme to transform the harbours in St Helier.
Much of Jersey’s harbour infrastructure is ageing and no longer meets the needs of today’s passengers or vessels. The Harbour Master Plan aims to modernise the facilities which have developed piecemeal over many centuries. These works will safeguard the long-term viability of St Helier Harbour, serving both passengers and freight and improving customer experience. The regeneration programme will also help to realise the area’s potential as a leisure, cultural and tourism destination.
The St Helier Marina and the Albert Pier phase of the Master Plan has now been completed. Both are already being enjoyed by the Island’s public and businesses, which rely on these essential pieces of infrastructure every day. The St Helier Marina and the Albert Pier areas were both in need of modernisation.
Geomarine, which is part of the Garenne Construction Company, was appointed to lead the work on the £4.5m project on behalf of Ports of Jersey. At Albert Pier, the old passenger terminal had reached the end of its useful life and was no longer needed, so this was demolished, with boat owner parking installed in its place. 24-hour access deep water moorings were also installed to accommodate the larger vessels unable to use other marinas. This freed up space in the neighbouring marinas, benefitting the local maritime community including marine traders, sea charter operations and local boat owners.
St Helier Marina’s guide piles and pontoons also needed to be replaced. This involved relocating more than 200 vessels while the old pontoons (approx. 1km of pontoons) and guides were stripped out and replaced. The Albert deep water pontoons included the installation of a three-metre wide back walkway, constructed using 21 pontoons and 13 piled fingers inserted into rock sockets in the seabed. A steel bridge was also added to give dedicated access via a security gate to the commercial-grade section of mooring facilities. An upgrade of the landside electrical infrastructure has also been completed bringing the facilities in line with other modern ports.
Both projects support Jersey’s blue economy, which is an essential part of the Island’s heritage. These improvement works have really allowed this section of the economy to grow and flourish in Jersey. The new pier and marina also enable the wider Island community to enjoy using the harbour, for everything from big charity events to a lunchtime stroll. Ports of Jersey hope to create a vibrant harbour community, which is better connected to the town with more inclusive and accessible spaces for use by Islanders and visitors.
Ports of Jersey commented on the impact that the completed works will have on the wider community of Jersey: “Islanders have commented on the improved look and feel of the harbour and, importantly, boat owners appreciate the new and improved facilities on offer.”
They continued: “It means a lot for us to have been involved with this project, providing the marine leisure and wider community with these new facilities. We are proud to have been involved in the regeneration of the area for future generations to enjoy.”
Elizabeth Harbour, New North Quay, Victoria Pier, Albert Pier, the Old Harbours and La Folie are all also part of the Master Plan. The existing Elizabeth Terminal building at Elizabeth Harbour will be replaced with a new modern facility designed to improve passengers’ first and lasting impressions of the Island, and freight facilities will be expanded and upgraded to meet modern-day requirements. The Plan proposes to consider how best to unlock the potential of the remaining harbour areas over the next seven to ten years.
Jersey Energy
Jersey Energy were appointed by Geomarine to design the electrical services infrastructure and water service to the new Ports of Jersey Albert Pier and St. Helier Marina pontoon berths, allowing for moored vessels to operate their onboard facilities without the need to run their own generators or engines. Marine ‘service pillars’ at each finger berth provide electrical connections that can be plugged into by a vessel as well as a potable water supply and Wi-Fi connectivity.
With the type and size of vessel potentially berthing at the new pontoons, the task to design an electrical distribution system was considerable due to the large electrical demand from the latest luxury yachts and the necessary length of cable runs along the marinas and the new pontoons. Jersey Energy provided numerous options for the project team to consider, with the selected designs requiring over 20km of cable carefully coordinated across the piers and under the pontoons.
Utilising the local electrical supply to operate yachts ensures that whilst docked in Jersey, their carbon footprint and emissions in running onboard facilities is far lower than using fossil fuel for generators and combustion engines, helping to keep the Ports of Jersey a pleasant place for all crews and visitors to the harbour.
For more information, visit: https://www.jersey-energy.com/
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