Steamships broke ground on its 38-hectare Portside Business Park to great fanfare in 2024. Alan Heyns, General Manager of its property division, shares its impressive progress so far with Business Advantage PNG.

Steamships’ Portside Business Park development in August 2025. Credit: Pacific Palms Property

Steamships’ “big play” in the Port Moresby area, the Portside Business Park, will complete its first phase of infrastructure development by the end of 2025, according to General Manager of Pacific Palms Property, Alan Heyns.

“In any emerging economy, infrastructure is key.”

The 38-hectare park is strategically located: adjacent to the Motukea international port and on the road between Port Moresby and ExxonMobil’s LNG Plant at Caution Bay.

Pacific Palms, which manages the development under the Steamships banner, is spending close to K100 million on infrastructure upgrades to the site, with the goal of offering a “value-creating asset for the whole [commercial] ecosystem,” Heyns tells Business Advantage PNG.

“We’re very much considering what is required to build value for businesses,” he says.

“In any emerging economy, infrastructure is key.”

Infrastructure at Portside will include water, sewage, waste disposal, power generators and provision for data connectivity. The site will be a secure facility, including access control and double fencing around the perimeter.

By year end, the site will have the first four warehouses completed and a logistics hub, as well as 20 management-level one-bedroom apartments, which are already available.

A wharf with barge access is also in the planning phases, with tenders currently under adjudication by Pacific Palms Property.

“We’ll be pretty much open for business next year,” Heyns says.

Preparing for FIDs

While Portside will be open for a variety of commercial enterprises, Heyns sees a particular opportunity for it to support second- and third tier contractors to major resources projects.

While delays to a final investment decision (FID) on Papua LNG have impacted tenancies, Heyns says the outlook is positive.

“Before the postponement of the Papua LNG FID in 2024, anticipation surrounding the project was tangible across the market. Pacific Palms Property recorded a notable surge in demand across its residential, office, and industrial portfolios, as prospective tenants moved quickly to secure top-tier accommodation, premium office space, and secure industrial properties in a market constrained by limited quality supply.”

This story is from our upcoming Mining and Energy 2025/26 publication, publishing in October 2025.