The new berths, to be extended up to 190 m with a draft of 18 m, will be able to accommodate “the next generation of mega vessels”, according to a statement by the Port which welcomed the decision by the UK Government's Marine Management Organisation (MMO) that governs the port. Felixstowe is so far the only port in the UK to have handled 18,000 teu vessels. Work on the new quay, to begin as soon as possible, is scheduled for completion in 2015, in anticipation of further development at the newly-opened competitor terminal London Gateway.
“We welcome MMO’s decision to consent to the extension of Berths 8 and 9 by 190m at the Port of Felixstowe,” said Hutchinson Ports UK (HPUK) ceo Clemence Cheng. “This scheme represents the latest in a long line of investments by HPUK at the Port of Felixstowe. We opened Berths 8 and 9 in November 2011 and this new extension will allow us to offer more berth-windows and greater flexibility to our customers. This is an important investment as it will increase our ability to berth a greater number of the very largest container vessels in the future.”
Work on the new quay will commence as soon as possible and it is scheduled to be operational in 2015. The quay extension will take the total berth length for container vessels at Felixstowe to over 3,250 m, serviced by 37 ship-to-shore gantry cranes.
“This latest phase of development is designed not only for the latest generation of container vessels, but for those that will follow them in future,” said Cheng. “With a design depth of up to 18m alongside, and cranes able to span 25 containers across a vessel, this facility gives our customers confidence in our ability to deliver for them in the long term.”
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