ISSUE 3 2011
NEWS Could it work for Workington?
There could soon be a new addition to the ranks of UK container ports – Workington in Cumbria. The port has entered into an alliance with rail operator DRS and logistics company TDG “to open up a new containerised end-to-end logistics option”. Meanwhile the port, which has secured £5.7m of investment from the Nuclear Management Programme and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, says it hopes soon to launch a new container service linking the port with Belfast, Dublin and Rotterdam, details of which are expected to be announced by late spring or early summer. A mobile crane has already been installed.
DRS managing director Neil McNicholas said the idea was to give a one stop shop offering sea, rail or road transport. DRS would provide rail haul service for larger volumes and TDG road transport for smaller shipments. DRS already operates trains on the local Cumbrian coast rail line
and links to Teesside, North-west England and Scotland would be possible, he said.
Despite the run-down of steel-making in the area, there are still major industries
in the area including plastic film manufacturer Indorama Polymers and paper and Igesund Paperboard. There are also major offshore energy developments and the region is being marketed
as ‘Britain’s Energy Coast’. Workington would also be the only port offering a regular scheduled container service between Merseyside and the Clyde.
David Barron, TDG’s TDG will be supplying logistics expertise to the UK’s newest box port
international services director said that TDG had been appointed to provide its logistics and supply chain expertise. “There is a fair amount of industry in the region and discussions have been going on with a number of potential customers,” he said. • Stobart Biomass said on 23 May that it had signed a £90m supply and logistics agreement with Iggesund Paperboard (Workington) to supply fuel to a new green energy power station. It covers sourcing, supply and transportation of forest residue and recycled wood for use as biomass fuel at the new £100 million green energy power station at Iggesund’s paper mill. Construction materials for the new power station could also be brought to the site via the port.
ROUND-UP: SEAFREIGHT
Seafast Holdings has just completed doubling of its temperature controlled facility at Felixstowe port. Seafast opened its Celsius facility, the only one within the port boundaries, in July 2009. The new phase also increases the facility height, vital for handling tall fresh produce pallets. Seafast has also signed an agreement with Solstor UK, which manages a fleet of over 350 temperature controlled vehicles providing UK and European distribution.
Belfast Harbour published its new Corporate Plan for 2011-2013 on 19 April, detailing plans to invest £92m in capital projects related to the Port and Harbour Estate. The single largest investment is a £40m proposal to develop a logistics terminal to support Danish-based DONG Energy’s offshore wind farm operations in the Irish Sea.
The Government has approved Associated British Ports’ (ABP) planning application to develop a dedicated two-berth ro-ro riverside terminal in Grimsby. It will significantly increase the port’s car capacity compared with the existing Alexandra Dock, which is accessed through the port’s 19th century Royal Lock The new berth will be able to handle vessels carrying over 3,000 vehicles. ABP has been working closely on this project with Grimsby-based automotive logistics group GBA, which manages the car terminals at the port.
K Line president and CEO Kenichi Kuroya has resigned his post, little more than a year after moving to the position from the vice-presidency of the Japanese-owned shipping line. He has been succeeded by current vice president Jiro Asakura.
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