Port Of Felixstowe News

A significant element of the U.K. government’s levelling up plan to create thousands of jobs, regenerate more deprived areas and attract overseas investors is the introduction of freeports. These special low-tax trading zones allow all kinds of businesses to trade.Under the U.K. model, freeports can encompass two different kinds of sites. On customs sites, authorized businesses will be able to import certain goods with simplified customs documentation and without paying tariffs. Domestic goods can also be held in a customs site and used in any manufacturing process.

Efforts to speed up the movement of goods around the world have yet to solve the supply chain bottlenecks caused by surging demand for retail goods and pandemic-related lockdowns, the latest shipping data shows.Delays at U.S. major ports have been particularly severe, but knock-on effects have also been felt around the world.This week's Lunar New Year holiday in China and across Asia is also expected to aggravate delays.The journey time from China's northern Dalian port to the…

Dutch marine and offshore contractor Van Oord has, together with its compatriot Boskalis, secured a contract for deepening of the approach channel and inner harbor at the Harwich Haven in the UK,  allowing access to large container ships.The contract valued around 140 million euros ($165 million) and split 50/50 between Van Oord and Boskalis has been awarded by Harwich Haven Authority. The project entails the deepening of the approach channel and inner harbor from minus 14.5 to…

The global ocean transport operator AAL Shipping has successfully delivered a cargo of four rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) to the Port of Felixstowe, as part of a development project that will see the UK’s busiest container port add an additional 18,000 teu of container storage capacity to meet growing demand.The ZPMC Chinese-made RTGs were loaded in Shanghai and shipped to Felixstowe aboard the 31,000 dwt mega-size mpv the A-Class AAL Kobe, for the CPIA forwarding and shipping agency. Each of the units measured 32 m x 14 m x 30 m and weighed just under 200 t.The new remote controlled RTGs will serve Berths 8 and 9 at the Port and…

United Kingdom's Port of Felixstowe and Danish ferry operator, DFDS, have agreed to increase roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) capacity at the UK port by over 40%.The decision has come about after investment in a new linkspan, tractor units and additional trailer parking facilities.As part of the investments, terminal operator Hutchison Ports has planned to replace one of the existing ro-ro bridges with a floating linkspan which is capable of handling the latest generation of ro-ro vessels.Additionally, for unaccompanied ro-ro traffic, Hutchison Ports has planned to create over 300 additional trailer spaces.Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe and Executive Director…

The rail freight company in the United Kingdom, GB Railfreight has launched a new intermodal rail freight service connecting the Port of Felixstowe with the Birch Coppice terminal in the Midlands.The first locomotive on the service left Birch Coppice at 14:14 on 23 January 2019 and arrived at Felixstowe at 20:14, having passed through Hams Hall, Leicester, Peterborough and Ipswich along the way. Made up of 33 platforms, the service transports a mixture of intermodal containers, and will initially run 5 days a week.Commenting on the new service, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe and Executive Director of Hutchison Ports, said: "We are delighted to welcome this latest service offering from GB Railfreight.

Fresh from a European tour that has taken her to the shores of Malta, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, Damen’s new RSD Tug 2513 Innovation has taken part in towing tests in the Port of Felixstowe, U.K. The intention of the tests was to allow the Innovation to undertake a number of tows, in various positions, in a controlled and safe manner, gradually building up until she took on a powered indirect on ultra large container vessel (ULCC) the OOCL Hong Kong…

Cress Systems helps container terminals reduce fuel bills, emissions and power peaks with ProwESS energy storage for rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs). New technology allows container ports and terminals to capture, store and reuse energy from container yard handling equipment to reduce fuel cost and emissions and better manage peak electricity demands. Following a successful proof of concept trial at the UK Port of Felixstowe, Cress Systems is pleased to announce the commercial release of its ProwESS energy capture, storage and reuse system for container terminal yard handling equipment. The first version of the system has been designed for rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs), the global workhorse of yard operations, with a second version under development for straddle carriers.

The Port of Felixstowe has taken delivery of its first two remote control ship-to-shore (STS) gantry cranes. The two new cranes, the 32nd and 33rd at the UK's largest container port, were delivered on the Zhen Hua 23 from ZPMC in Shanghai. "These new cranes are the latest acquisition in our ongoing investment programme to provide the best equipment, infrastructure and systems for our customers. They will further enhance our capability to work multiple mega-vessels simultaneously. "Remote control quay cranes have been pioneered at other Hutchison Ports terminals. In addition to the new cranes, the port is creating an additional 18,000 TEU of container storage capacity…

The Madrid Maersk, the latest in a long line of record-breaking containerships, arrived on June 6, 2017 at the Port of Felixstowe’s newest quay, its first port of call in Northern Europe on its maiden voyage. As the world’s current biggest containership (weighing in at 214,286 metric tons, and a massive 399 meters long, with a beam of 58.6m), the Madrid Maersk is expected to set a record for carrying the maximum number of standard-sized containers (TEU) on its return leg to Asia.

World Maritime Day 2017: Connecting ships, ports and people. The importance of coherent and connected development across all maritime sectors will feature strongly in IMO’s work this year, as the Organization focuses on its World Maritime Day theme “Connecting ships, ports and people”. The theme for 2017 was launched by International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Lim during a visit to Felixstowe, the busiest container port in the United Kingdom. “Throughout the year, we will highlight the importance of ‘joined-up’ maritime development across all sectors, both from a policy and a practical perspective. The benefits of a free and efficient flow of goods and trade extend far beyond the ships and ports themselves,” Lim said.

The theme for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) World Maritime Day 2017 has been launched by the IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, during a visit to the Port of Felixstowe. "Connecting Ships, Ports and People" has as key objectives improving cooperation between ports and ships and developing a closer partnership between the two sectors. It will seek to raise global standards for the safety, security and efficiency of ports, and for port and coastal state authorities, as well as standardising port procedures by identifying and developing best practice guidance and training materials. “We are delighted to welcome Mr Lim and to support the IMO in the important work it does to maintain and improve standards across the international shipping industries.

Hutchison Ports signed an MOU with the Government of Ukraine for the development of Chornomorsk Port on the Black Sea. The MOU was signed by Clemence Cheng, Managing Director Hutchison Ports Europe, and Volodymyr Omelyan, the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure during a visit by the Minister to the Port of Felixstowe. The Minister was joined by Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, Natalia Galibarenko. Commenting on the agreement, Clemence Cheng, said, “We are delighted to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Ukraine to develop container terminal facilities at Chornomorsk. Minister Omelyan added, “I am glad that the world's leading port operator enters Ukraine's maritime market.

A naming ceremony was held on April 22, 2016 for Svitzer Deben, Svitzer’s new Damen ASD 3212 80-metric-ton bollard pull escort tug for the Port of Felixstowe. Marc Niederer, Managing Director of Svitzer Europe, hosted the naming ceremony, which saw Svitzer Deben blessed by Sister Marian Davey before Alyson Cheng, wife of Clemence Cheng, CEO of Hutchinson Ports UK, named the tug. Representatives from all parties in the Port of Felixstowe and Harwich Haven Authorities joined the celebrations. Built at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam, Svitzer Deben was delivered earlier this year to the expanding Port of Felixstowe, which has attracted regular calls from some of the world’s largest container vessels.

In a continued effort to provide reliable and quality services in a complex environment, CMA CGM is pleased to introduce its new FAL 8 service rotation linking Asia to North Europe.   FAL 8 will stop calling at Zeebrugge port, last vessel being m/v CSCL ARCTIC OCEAN voy. 086SCE, sailing from Zeebrugge on May 7th, 2016.   Effective from m/v AL DAHNA voy. 088SCE, sailing from Felixstowe on May 6th, 2016, FAL 8 new rotation will be the following:   Qingdao - Shanghai - Ningbo - Xiamen - Yantian - Port Kelang - Felixstowe - Rotterdam - Hamburg - Rotterdam - Port Kelang - Yantian - Qingdao

The Port of Felixstowe welcomed 105 calls last year by container ships of over 18,000 TEU, including all the largest container ships in the world. It is now firmly established as the UK port of call for these giants of the sea. The year of mega-ships started in January with the maiden call of the CSCL Globe which, at 19,100 TEU capacity, set a new world-record as the largest ship then in service. The record was short-lived however, the 19,224 TEU MSC Oscar pushed the bar even higher when it arrived at Felixstowe in March. June saw the maiden call of the first of United Arab Shipping Company’s (UASC) A-18 class vessels, the Barzan. Although advertised as ‘only’ 18,800 TEU, the A-18 ships have a nominal capacity of 19,870 TEU.

The Port of Felixstowe has confirmed that it will offer a container weighing service to ensure UK shippers are able to comply with new international regulations that will come into effect on 1 July 2016. “We have met with many customers and from their feedback it is clear that there is still a lot of uncertainty amongst exporters about the new rules. “The rules have the potential to cause significant disruption to export supply chains. To help avoid this, we have decided to provide a service where export containers can be weighed at the port before being loaded. From July, an amendment to the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention will require every export container carrying cargo to have its weight verified before it is loaded on to a ship.

The Berth 9 Extension at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain, has been opened by Dr Therese Coffey MP, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. The 190-metre extension increases the port's capability to work two of the world's largest containerships simultaneously. More than eighty ships of 18,000+TEU have already been handled at the port in 2015, confirming Felixstowe's position as the port-of-choice for mega-ships in the UK. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Coffey said, "I am delighted to formally open this latest extension of the Port of Felixstowe. An ever increasing proportion of UK trade is moving on these huge container ships and UK ports need to provide the facilities they require.

A new ambient-temperature food examination facility has been formally opened at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain, by Transport Minister, Robert Goodwill MP. The £4 million investment included a major refurbishment and expansion of the examination facilities and the provision of new offices for Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority. “This new state-of-the-art facility will ensure that vital imported products stay as fresh as possible. Some 40 per cent of the food on our supermarket shelves arrives by sea, so it must be checked efficiently in the most hygienic conditions. “The new inspection facilities are built to an incredibly high standard – safe, clean and hygienic – to maintain the integrity of the food chain to the highest requirements of upcoming legislation.

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill MP has taken part in a round table discussion with transport leaders from the ports, road, rail freight and shipping industry at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain. Mr Goodwill’s responsibilities at the Department for Transport include ports and shipping but the meeting, convened by Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, included discussions about the need for a joined-up approach connecting the maritime sector with other areas of transport policy. “We were delighted to welcome Robert Goodwill and leaders from across the industry to participate in these discussions. As trade and the ships that carry it continue to grow, further pressure is placed on transport infrastructure and transport operators.

Three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes have been delivered to the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain. Built by ZPMC in Shanghai, the new cranes will be operated on the port’s Berth 8&9 which are currently being extended to increase the port’s ability to handle the latest ultra-large container ships. The cranes are all designed to handle ships with containers stowed up to 24-wide and have a lift-height of 49.5 metres above the quay to allow them to work containers stacked up to 10-high on deck at all states of the tide. “The project to extend Berths 8&9 at the port, on which these cranes will operate, will allow us to work more mega-vessels simultaneously.

The Port of Felixstowe is creating an environmental corridor as part of the Go Green campaign launched by Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) and a number of other global port operators. The initiative at Felixstowe will include the refurbishment of part of a system of dykes within the port. The work will include the improvement of habitats for wildlife as well as enhancing green areas within a busy industrial complex by planting a mixture of trees, grasses and wild flowers. “The Port of Felixstowe has a long history of environmental achievements dating back to the creation of the Trimley Marsh Nature Reserve in the 1980s. Our participation in the Go Green initiative is the latest example of a commitment to the environment which…

The Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain has walked away with the coveted Rail Freight Group 2015 Customer Care Award for its continued and sustained improvement in customer service. This Award recognises the port’s commitment to delivering for its customers’ real needs by consistently making every effort to ensure continuity of service and minimum disruption to supply chains. “We are delighted to have been honoured with the prestigious Customer Care Award by the Rail Freight Group. In 2014 the prolonged Ipswich Yard track lengthening works caused an extended and unexpected period of disruption, posing many challenges for cargo owners, the port and freight operators.