New Mega-Ship Facility Opens at Port of Felixstowe

The Berth 9 Extension at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain has been opened by Dr Therese Coffey MP, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.

Such an huge extension (190 metres) means that the port is now capable of working with two of the world’s largest containerships simultaneously. In 2015, more than 80 ships of 18,000 TEU were handled by the port, which has confirmed Felixstowe’s position as the port of choice for mega ships in the United Kingdom.

Dr Coffey was quoted at the ceremony, saying, “I am delighted to formally open this latest extension of the Port of Felixstowe. An ever increasing proportion of the UK trade is moving on these huge container ships and UK ports need to provide the facilities they require. Felixstowe was the first port in the UK to handle these vessels and this latest development will help ensure UK exports reach overseas markets in the most efficient way possible.”

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Felixstowe and Managing Director of HPH Europe division, Clemence Chang was equally delighted, quoting, “The Berth 9 Extension represents the latest phase of development at the Port of Felixstowe. Our programme of continued investment has ensured that the UK remains a destination for direct calls by the latest generation of mega-ships. We are committed to ensuring we offer the best facilities and the highest possible levels of service and productivity to all our customers. The new facilities being opened today will help us deliver on this commitment and ensure that the Port of Felixstowe remains the Port of Britain.”

To help work on the extended terminal, the port has acquired three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes, capable of working vessels with containers stacked 10-high and 24-wide, on deck.

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