13:00 22 August 2016
Britain’s premier port is to undertake a multi-million pound project to enable it handle more of the world’s biggest container ships.
The Port of Felixstowe has seen the number of visits by mega-vessels – able to carry more than 18,000 standard-sized boxes – grow consistently since it opened its largest deep-water extension at a cost of £300million five years ago.
Last year a project was completed to extend new Berths 8&9 with the creation of a 190-metre finger quay to allow it to handle two of the huge ships at once.
Three further ship-to-shore cranes, the largest of their type anywhere in the world with an outreach of 62 metres, capable of reaching across container ships with 24 containers wide on deck, costing £15m, were also added to the quay.
Now port bosses are turning their attention to Trinity Terminal, one of the world’s longest quays at 2,354 metres, with a plan to deepen the water alongside part of the terminal and increase the height of some of its cranes.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has granted permission for the project at Berths 6&7.
Lawrence Yam, commercial director for Hutchison Ports (UK), the port’s owners, said Felixstowe was already firmly established as the port-of-choice for the latest generation of mega vessels and the planned improvements will give it even greater flexibility when it comes to berthing the world’s largest container ships.
He said: “There has been a rapid increase in the size and number of mega ships operating on the main Asia to Europe route. Calls by these giants are now a daily occurrence at the Port of Felixstowe and an even greater number will be delivered from shipyards in the next couple of years.
Photo credit to Rick Vince
“Deepening Berths 6&7, which will be preceded by a project to raise the height of 10 ship-to-shore gantry cranes, will ensure we are ready for this increase and that we can continue to offer the best level of service to our customers.”
Work on the upgrade to Berths 6&7 will start later this year and is scheduled to be completed in 2017. At present the deepest water on parts of Trinity is 15m while Berths 8&9, where the biggest ships berth, is 18m.
Visitors to Berths 8&9 include the world’s largest container ship, MSC Oscar, carrying 19,224 boxes.
Sign in to leave your comment
2 comments
- This is good for the port and the jobs there but are we going to see any improvements to the road and rail links to cope with the extra traffic? All we've seen recently is permanent speed restrictions.Add your comment | Report this comment
- So once again Hutchison Ports (UK) side step the promises made and the requirements of the planning permission for the original project that include berths 8 &9. It was a requirement of the planning permission for that project that they duelled the railway line to Nacton and re-built the viewing point and café. I accept that would be expensive but they were let off doing it when they asked to build the finger quay and now it appears they are deliberately not completing the project so they do not have to fulfil their obligations.Add your comment | Report this comment
The views expressed in the above comments do not necessarily reflect the views of this site