Sales rise at Port of Felixstowe owner


Rising demand and an increase in the average rate charged per shipping container has helped to push turnover higher at Hutchison Ports, which owns the Port of Felixstowe and Harwich International Port.


The company, whose parent is a Hong Kong multinational conglomerate, said the opening of Felixstowe's new £40m rail terminal has given it the ability to handle even more cargo.
Latest accounts filed for Hutchison Westports Ltd show turnover rose to £312m in the year to 31 December 2013, up from £306.7m a year earlier. Pre-tax profits dipped, however, from £30.4m in 2012 to £22.2m following a rise in administrative expensive.
The Port of Felixstowe is one of Britain's largest container ports, welcoming more than 4,000 ships each year. About 33 shipping lines operate from the port, offering approximately 90 services to and from 365 ports around the world.
Financial accounts for Port of Felixstowe Ltd show it made up the lion's share of Hutchison Westports' total turnover, accounting for £277.2m of it. Pre-tax profits for the port were also very strong at £60.3m, up from £55.4m in 2012.


During the year, a £40m rail terminal opened at the port which Clemence Cheng, chief executive of Hutchison Ports, said made it "bigger than King's Cross station". Rail volumes reached record levels in 2013 when 830,000 containers were handled at the port's rail terminals.
Since then, the Ipswich Chord has opened, which will reduce rail freight times, while work has started to extend the Port of Felixstowe's Berth 9 by 190 metres.
Cheng said: "The new extension will increase the berthing permutations we can offer and continue to ensure that we turn our customers' vessels around in the quickest possible time."
At Harwich International Port in Essex, Hutchison Ports said it expects turnover growth in 2014, while it is also hoping for an improved performance at London Thamesport in Kent, which suffered a decline in 2013 as shipping companies consolidated deep sea services at other locations.

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