With uncertainty over Brexit still looming, the Port of Felixstowe has announced an agreement with Danish ferry operator DFDS to increase its roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) capacity by over 40%.
According to a statement, the capacity boost will be achieved through investment in a new linkspan, tractor units and additional trailer parking facilities.
The Port of Felixstowe has been described as “key gateway” for ro/ro trade with Europe, and demand on DFDS’ service from the UK trade hub to Rotterdam has been growing year-on-year.
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Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe, commented: “The new contract includes a significant investment by Hutchison Ports replacing one of our existing ro/ro bridges with a modern floating linkspan capable of handling the latest generation of ro/ro vessels and creating over 300 additional trailer spaces for unaccompanied ro/ro traffic.”
Niels Smedegaard, CEO and President of DFDS, added: “We are very happy to continue our excellent relation with the Port of Felixstowe and their ro/ro staff.
“We are very excited about this investment which allows us to further enhance the high level of customer service that is expected by our clients.
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“It is also a further step in our striving to provide necessary capacity to continue supporting our customers' trade and business, even in a possible post-Brexit world.”
Hutchison Ports has witnessed increasing interest in both ro/ro and short sea container connections at all of its UK ports, with shippers seeking to mitigate the potential risks to their supply chains from Brexit.
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