SOUND FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR FOR ABP’S NORTH-WEST PORTS
Associated British Ports’ (ABP) ports in the North-West have enjoyed a good first half of the year, with growth in major trades such as forest products and grain.
Ayr & Troon
It has been a sound first half of the year for the Scottish Ports of Ayr & Troon, with an increase in timber imports and exports compared to the same period last year. In July, Ayr received cruise calls from two luxury vessels: the 2,112-tonne Hebridean Princess and the 9,000-tonne Hanseatic.
P&O Irish Sea introduced a new passenger-ferry service between Troon and Northern Ireland in April 2003. P&O Irish Sea also runs a freight service, which – along with Sea Containers’ high-speed car and passenger service – runs daily between Troon and Northern Ireland.
A new £1.5 million salt-handling facility at Ayr – Jura Terminal – was opened in August. The 3,500 sq m warehouse, which is equipped with a high-tech bagging facility, was built following a long-term agreement between ABP and Peacock Salt (‘Peacock’). The terminal handles Peacock’s salt imports from around the world, and will become the company’s primary UK operation.
Garston & Fleetwood
Garston handled higher volumes of grain than for the same period last year, boosted by imports of North American wheat for local millers. Garston also handled increased volumes of domestic coal for the Irish market, and has won new business handling exports of scrap to Europe.
The Port of Fleetwood has experienced a good first half of the year, with roll-on/roll-off freight volumes increasing compared to the same period last year.
Barrow & Silloth
The Port of Barrow has played a significant support role in Burlington Resources’ £180 million project to bring gas ashore from the Irish Sea to a new gas-processing terminal under construction at Barrow. Barrow also received cruise calls in June and August, from the 11,209-tonne Black Prince and the 5,888-tonne Arion, respectively.
Silloth has benefited from the performance of the Silloth Molasses Terminal – a storage and distribution facility for molasses imports which opened in October last year. The facility was built following an agreement with ABP and Prime Molasses, which was awarded a £220,000 Freight Facilities Grant by the Department for Transport for taking freight off the roads. In the past, molasses was shipped from Continental Europe to Liverpool and Grangemouth, and subsequently transported by road to animal-feed mills and farms throughout North-West England. It is estimated that, with Prime Molasses importing closer to its end-users, there will be a total of 11,000 fewer lorry deliveries over a five-year period.
Nick Palmer, ABP’s Port Director, Short-Sea Ports, said:
“I am very pleased with the performance of ABP’s North-West ports in the first half of 2002, and this sound performance looks set to continue for the remainder of the year.”
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