ABP SOUTHAMPTON GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH IN KEY TRADES
Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Southampton has seen further growth in key trades in the first six months of 2004.The port has reinforced its position as the cruise capital of the UK, the country’s number one car-handling port, and home to the UK’s second largest deep-sea container terminal.
Southampton leads the UK’s cruise market with 214,000 cruise passengers passing through the port’s three cruise-passenger terminals in the first half of 2004, an increase of 30 per cent compared to the same period in 2003 (165,000 passengers).The port handled a record number of cruise-ship calls- 86 calls compared to 76 calls in the same period last year.During the first half of 2004, Southampton played host to two cruise ship-naming ceremonies.January saw the introduction and naming by HM The Queen of the world’s largest cruise liner, Queen Mary 2, in her home port of Southampton and, in May, the naming and European debut of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s latest addition to their fleet, Jewel of the Seas.
Southampton remains the number one vehicle-handling port in the UK, with strong growth in exports, which increased by five per cent compared to the same period in 2003.January saw the start of a cross-Channel freight ferry service between Southampton and Radicatel (Rouen), operated by Channel Freight Ferries.The service consists of an overnight sailing in each direction and carries unaccompanied trailers, wide and abnormal loads.
Throughput at Southampton Container Terminals (SCT) increased by over five per cent compared with the volumes handled during the same period in 2003.SCT handled over 680,000 TEUs, with the continued growth in the Far East-Europe trade principally contributing to this throughput.
Five out of SCT’s 11 ship-to-shore gantry cranes are being heightened by five metres to allow them to service the increasing size of container vessels calling at Southampton.In addition to the straddle carrier-replacement programme currently under way, SCT has invested nearly £1 million in acquiring specialist reach-stack equipment, designed to improve vehicle-turnaround times. As the sole UK port of entry for Canary Islands’ fresh produce, Southampton saw an increase of almost four per cent in this trade in the first six months of 2004, handling 58,000 tonnes of palletised tomatoes compared with 56,000 tonnes in the first half of 2003.Andrew Kent, ABP Port Director of the Port of Southampton, said:
“ABP’s Port of Southampton is a vital engine that powers not only the local economy, but also the UK economy as a whole, supporting many thousands of local jobs.The success of the port is underpinned by long-term customer contracts, continuing capital investment, and a flexible approach to meeting the needs of our customers. The prospects for the second half of the year are encouraging.”
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