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Port Focus
News from the Port of Felixstowe
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Port Celebrates New Rail Record and Continues Terminal Construction
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The Port of Felixstowe set a new rail record, handling a total of 11,474 containers (17,211 TEUs) in a single week; 28th May – 2nd June. This followed three weeks of record-breaking rail movements at the UK’s largest container port.
The port currently operates two open-access, common-user rail terminals and an all-new third rail terminal has been under construction since March 2012.
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Co-financed by the European Union from the Trans-European Network budget, the new North Rail Terminal is designed to handle 30-wagon long freight trains, each capable of carrying 90 TEU (twenty foot equivalent containers).
The port already moves 750,000 TEU per year by rail and the new terminal will eventually more than double its capacity for intermodal traffic. The ground improvements and area stabilisation is now complete on the site of the new terminal, and the piled foundations for a traverser have been installed. Work is currently underway on laying track on the rail sidings to connect the terminal to the Branch Line, and three of the Liebherr Rail Mounted Gantry Cranes are at present under manufacture in Ireland.
The record-breaking volumes come at a fundamental time, as the government considers the upgrades to the rail network it will procure over the next five years. Whilst a number of works on the Felixstowe to Nuneaton connection have already been completed, these record figures highlight the importance of a strong rail network nationwide, as rail freight becomes an ever more popular method of goods movement.
The Port of Felixstowe has a unique rail offering, with more trains to more destinations more often than any other UK port. These volumes highlight customer confidence in the rail facilities at Felixstowe, consolidating our position as the port-of-choice for UK importers, and justifying beyond question both the investments we have been making, and those required in the future, to improve still further the choice and frequency of the rail services available to all our customers.
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Queens Road Day Centre Benefits from Port Generousity
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The port was pleased to donate the gift boxes left over from the Port Community Reception for the third year running to day guests at the Queens Road Day Centre, Felixstowe.
The gifts were delivered by Paul Williams, Emma Hinds and Rageenee Hope, who handed out the boxes and spoke to the visitors and Day Centre carers and volunteers. In return, the Day Centre presented them with a lovely bunch of flowers as a ‘thank you’!
The boxes contained a range of luxury items including biscuits, preserves and local produce.
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Port Celebrates Improved Environmental Credentials
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The Port of Felixstowe has announced improvements in all its key environmental measures in 2011. Carbon emissions, air quality and waste recycling all improved during the year.
The port’s carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduced by a further 2.7% in 2011. This continues a trend that began when measurements were first taken in 2007.
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The reduction is especially encouraging considering the major expansion the port has undergone during this period. Despite adding significant capacity with the Berths 8&9 development, the port’s GHGs have reduced overall by 12.5% in five years.
The port takes the effect its operations have on the environment very seriously, and is constantly striving to reduce the impact caused. In this context, we are pleased to have achieved a continual reduction in our CO2e emissions since 2007 and are aiming to achieve a 30% reduction in CO2e emissions by 2015 as part of our 5 year Energy/Carbon plan. The modal shift provided at the Port of Felixstowe removes nearly 120,000 tonnes of CO2e from the supply chain through the efficiency of rail and feeder operations, which is almost twice the total carbon footprint of the port itself.
As a responsible business, the Port of Felixstowe is doing more than any other port in the UK to reduce its environmental impact, with more efficient use of fuel, investment in cleaner technologies and effective waste management generating improvements across the board.
In addition to reducing emissions, the port has also reported marked improvements in air quality. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations improved by around 10% in 2011, and sulphur dioxide concentration have improved by 60% since 2009.
The volume of waste being sent to landfill sites continues to reduce. In 2011 the port reduced the amount of waste produced by 14% and recycled more than 68% of waste produced on site or received from international shipping.
Throughout 2011, the Port of Felixstowe continued to develop its Environmental Management System and successfully gained certification to ISO 14001 and OHSAS18001.* The port’s Green Travel Plan has also found firm footing with staff, leading to an increase in employee car-sharing of 11%.
* OHSAS 18001 is an Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series for health and safety management systems. It is intended to help organizations to control occupational health and safety risks. ISO 14001 is the internationally recognised standard for the environmental management of businesses.
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Port Reservists Proudly Wear Their Uniform to Work
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Members of the Reserve Forces working at the Port of Felixstowe swapped their usual work clothes for military uniforms to celebrate 'Wear Your Uniform to Work Day' on Wednesday 27th July, highlighting the crucial role played by Reservists in Britain’s Armed Forces.
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The port Reservists and their Commanding Officers were invited to a special event on the dock, organised by the port in conjunction with SaBRE (Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers), involving a port tour, private lunch and a ‘flying visit’ from an Apache helicopter.
Uniform to Work Day provides a great opportunity for the port to celebrate the role of the Reserves and to remind both the public and its employees that the Armed Forces are made up of people from all sections of the community, from office workers to crane drivers. HPUK is proud of the remarkable work that our Reservists undertake as volunteers and will continue to support them in the coming weeks, months and years.
Kristina Carrington, the Regional SaBRE Campaign Director, commented:
“The support, dedication and commitment The Port of Felixstowe gives to its employees who are members of the Reserve Forces is absolutely vital to the continuing participation of the Reserves in the UK’s defence capability.”
There are some 38,000 Reservists in the UK Armed Forces, who have been deployed around 24,000 times since 2003 on operations around the globe, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Cyprus and in support of the NATO mission in Libya.
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