ABP UNVEILS A MAJOR SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY FOR CONTAINER EXPANSION AT SOUTHAMPTON
Associated British Ports (ABP) today, 27 September 2006, announces a major sustainable strategy to increase container capacity at the Port of Southampton, with the intention of raising volumes by 85 per cent to at least 3.7M TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit).
Southampton’s container strategy has been developed since the Government’s rejection of ABP’s Dibden Terminal application in 2004. The new strategy focuses on the sustainable development and reuse of existing dock infrastructure, coupled with significant improvements to efficiency through state-of-the-art container-handling technology. ABP’s announcement follows the recent addition of six weekly services to Southampton ContainerTerminals (SCT), where capacity has already reached 2.0m TEU.
To ensure the sustainability of the scheme, ABP has been in discussion with a range of local, regional, national and environmental regulators. Work on the developments will be implemented over a number of phases – in line with customer demand – and will be subject to a rigorous process of environmental assessment and consultation.
Bo Lerenius, CBE, Group Chief Executive, ABP, said: “Having learnt much from our recent successful developments on the Humber, and from the protracted Dibden Terminal-application process, we believe our current strategy for Southampton represents one of the most sustainable container-expansion plans currently being considered in the UK.”
Chairman of the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA), James Brathwaite, CBE, said: “The Regional Development Agency fully supports this strategy, which could potentially form a model for sustainable port development. Southampton is a vital hub for international trade and represents an important economic generator for the South-East and the rest of Britain. We look forward to working with ABP to develop these plans further.”
Doug Morrison, ABP Port Director, Southampton, added: “Southampton has some wonderful assets, including its central South Coast location and its ability to handle the largest container ships afloat. It is also perfectly placed for the onward delivery of goods – from ship to shelf. We need to increase our container capacity in order to serve our customers’ requirements – and the needs of consumers – and I am delighted that we have devised a sustainable strategy to fulfil this need.”
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