Port of Felixstowe opens berths 8 & 9

The Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, has opened a new deep water shipping terminal. The new terminal which consists of two berths – Berths 8 & 9 – is the first stage of a £1bn plus inward investment programme in Hutchison’s UK ports.

Currently the Port of Felixstowe deals with over 40% of the country’s container cargo, with around £60bn of imports and exports passing through Felixstowe each year. The expansion of the port could potentially add a further £20bn to this figure.

Berths 8 & 9 are the only ones in the UK capable of handling the largest container ships currently on order and the new facility will be equipped with seven of the largest container cranes in the world. Each crane is able to manage ships with containers stowed 24-wide on deck. This capability will allow the world’s largest ships to import goods directly to the UK.

David Gledhill, Chief Executive Officer of HPUK commented: "As an island nation, a huge proportion of the goods on the high street are imported in containers and more come through the Port of Felixstowe than anywhere else. As container ships get larger it is crucial ports like Felixstowe stays ahead of the game and ensure the UK is ready for the introduction of the next generation of container ships. Failure to provide facilities for the new container ships would mean the world’s most efficient ships could not dock in the UK, driving up the cost of imports and making UK exports less competitive.

Quelle: eyefortransport
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