Counterbalancing peripherality and concentration of national port systems is the theme of the latest study by PortEconomics associate member Gordon Wilmsmeier and Jason Monios, who presented a related analysis of the UK container port system, during the annual conference of the International Association of Maritime Economists - IAME 2012, that was held in Taipei, Taiwan.
Over the last four decades the UK port system, particularly for containerised trade, experienced a shift to and concentration in the southeast of the country, close to the English Channel. At the same time, traditional ports in the north and centre of the country have lost importance, despite overall container traffic growth. This study analyses the evolution of container traffic at UK ports. The paper maps the patterns of container trade relations, focusing on regional trade specialisations as well as transshipment patterns.
Consequently, the study delivers new insights on the geography of UK container trades, and in this context explores and discusses the spatio-temporal development of container traffic and the potential repercussions on hinterland infrastructure development. In particular identifies a potential deconcentration of container traffic within the UK port system, related to a shift in gateway region for UK trade, increasingly being transshiped through continental ports rather than the traditional southeastern UK ports. This deconcentration has potential benefit for regional UK ports, many of which are pursuing significant port expansions to take advantage of these trends. These ports seek to reposition themselves within an emerging feeder market that could reduce their peripherality that has been embedded by the current concentrated UK port and infrastructure system. The study thus raises questions about port policy and both public and private sector responses to a changing UK port geography.
The study: 2012-IAME-UK container ports counterbalancing peripherality and concentration-Monios_Wilmsmeier
In terms of UK port capacity, current major developments are Felixstowe (now
complete), Harwich (postponed due to current market conditions) and London Gateway
(under construction). The Dibden Bay development at Southampton was rejected but the
port is planning development within its existing footprint. All these developments will
support the dominance of existing deepsea ports. However major port developments have
also been approved at Liverpool, Teesport and Bristol.
Liverpool is the fourth busiest container port in the UK, and with capacity of approximately 1m TEU, receives direct calls from deepsea lines, especially in the transatlantic trade. Its 2010 throughput was 657,264 TEU. A new development is being proposed to expand the port with a new terminal that would add approximately 500,000 TEU capacity to the total. Teesport has already upgraded the container terminal in 2003 to a nominal capacity of 235,000 TEU, of which 247,132 TEU was used in 2010. If expansion plans go ahead, the port will have capacity of 1.5m TEU. The port can handle vessels up to 3,500 TEU, meaning that it could accommodate some feeder vessels that may cascade down once the 18,000 TEU vessels enter service on the mainlines. The port of Bristol is currently a small container port (68,673 TEU in 2010) but it has plans to invest £600m in a new deepsea container terminal with a capacity of 1.5m TEU. In Scotland, Babcocks are going through the planning system to obtain approval for a proposed container port at Rosyth, with a first stage capacity of 450,000 TEU, with the potential for 600,000 TEU in the future. According to the application, the new terminal would be able to take ships up to 1,600 TEU, which will improve scale economies and thus lower the cost
Liverpool is the fourth busiest container port in the UK, and with capacity of approximately 1m TEU, receives direct calls from deepsea lines, especially in the transatlantic trade. Its 2010 throughput was 657,264 TEU. A new development is being proposed to expand the port with a new terminal that would add approximately 500,000 TEU capacity to the total. Teesport has already upgraded the container terminal in 2003 to a nominal capacity of 235,000 TEU, of which 247,132 TEU was used in 2010. If expansion plans go ahead, the port will have capacity of 1.5m TEU. The port can handle vessels up to 3,500 TEU, meaning that it could accommodate some feeder vessels that may cascade down once the 18,000 TEU vessels enter service on the mainlines. The port of Bristol is currently a small container port (68,673 TEU in 2010) but it has plans to invest £600m in a new deepsea container terminal with a capacity of 1.5m TEU. In Scotland, Babcocks are going through the planning system to obtain approval for a proposed container port at Rosyth, with a first stage capacity of 450,000 TEU, with the potential for 600,000 TEU in the future. According to the application, the new terminal would be able to take ships up to 1,600 TEU, which will improve scale economies and thus lower the cost
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