One of the UK’s busiest ports has completed an expansion on one of its berths that will allow two ‘mega-ships’ to be handled simultaneously.
The Port of Felixstowe’s Berth 9 extension was officially opened this week by Therese Coffey MP, deputy leader of the House of Commons.
Having been expanded by 190 metres, the berth is part of an ongoing series of investments at the port as it hopes to remain an attractive destination for the world’s largests container ships.
The quay length of the port's newest terminal is now 920 metres, and the total quay length in the port is nearly 4,000 metres.
The port has acquired three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes to work on the extended terminal, which are capable of working vessels with containers stacked 10-high, and 24-wide, on deck. There are now 10 cranes on Berths 8&9 and 36 in the port as a whole.
Port chief executive, Clemence Cheng, said: “The Berth 9 Extension represents the latest phase of development at the Port of Felixstowe. Our programme of continued investment has ensured that the UK remains a destination for direct calls by the latest generation of mega-ships.”
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. Felixstowe was the first port in the UK to handle these vessels and this latest development will help ensure UK exports reach overseas markets in the most efficient way possible.'
The Port of Felixstowe said it handles 44 per cent of all UK container traffic and is recognised in the government's national infrastructure plan to improve road and rail connections.
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