SOUTHAMPTON’S STRONG MARKET POSITION BOLSTERED BY SOLID PERFORMANCE OF TRADES
Consistent growth in throughput across Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Southampton’s principal trades of cruise-ship handling, car imports and exports and container-handling has seen the South Coast port perform strongly in the first half of the year.
Cruise-passenger numbers have risen by nearly 16 per cent during the first half of a record-breaking year for the port (164,822 in 2003; 142,638 in 2002). The Port of Southampton is scheduled to handle over 200 cruise calls in 2003, a figure that has more than doubled in the past six years, and includes more inaugural cruise-ship visits than in any previous year.
On the back of this growth, and extended customer contracts with P&O Cruises, Cunard Line and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, ABP has invested over £10 million in the past year in the port’s cruise business. To stamp its mark on the UK’s cruise market and retain its position as the country’s premier cruise port, ABP has undertaken major reconstruction works at its existing cruise terminals – Mayflower and Queen Elizabeth II – and constructed a third cruise terminal, the City Cruise Terminal, which was officially opened last month.
Following the opening last year of the port’s multi-deck car facility – Southampton International Vehicle Terminal – which was brought on stream to provide further
vehicle-handling capacity at Southampton, vehicle imports and exports continue to increase. Vehicle volumes rose by 11 per cent in the first six months of 2003, with Southampton handling over 365,000 vehicles – an increasing proportion of which arrive and leave the port by rail. Southampton receives three car-trains a day, with customers such as Jaguar benefiting from a direct rail service from factory to port.
Throughput at Southampton Container Terminals (SCT) increased by four per cent on volumes handled during the same period in 2002, coming mainly from the terminal’s Far East services. As container lines continue to increase tonnage to accommodate increasing demand, in particular, from China, SCT in June handled the largest container vessel afloat – the 8,200-TEU OOCL Shenzhen.
SCT has completed the commissioning of a further 14 x twin 20ft-capacity straddle carriers, as part of an ongoing programme to upgrade and increase the
container-handling equipment at the terminal. New equipment to increase SCT’s railfreight-handling capacity and yard capacity will be delivered during the second half of this year.
At the port’s multi-user bulks terminal, key cargo throughput continues to rise following the completion of ABP’s £1.5 million investment at the terminal. The volumes of sand, gravel and aggregates handled rose by over 4 per cent during the first six months of the year.
Andrew Kent, ABP Port Director, Southampton, said:
“As a busy port at the heart of the South’s regional economy, supporting thousands of local jobs, Southampton is a vital artery for the UK’s international trade. ABP has built a strong ports business here in Southampton by adapting to meet the changing needs of its customers. Continued investment, underpinned by long-term contracts, will reinforce Southampton’s position as one of the UK’s largest, busiest and most efficient ports.”
The public inquiry into ABP’s application to develop Dibden Terminal ended in December 2002 and the Government’s decision is expected either late this year or in 2004.
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