The UK has the oldest and most diverse merchant fleet, dating back to the 15th century. Shipping of goods began in the 17th century, also to colonial partners. As a result, most London major ports have extensive experience overseeing evolving technology and change. The term “Merchant Navy” is a historical homage to the British fleet lost in World War I. The UK merchant fleet is 24 times the size of the worlds.
95% of goods handled and transported in the UK come from the shipping industry. Total cargo volume handled by ocean-going vessels in 2019 was 475.34 million tones. Of this, nearly 65% was due to imported bulk, containerized and liquid cargoes. Of which, Grimsby & Immingham, London and Milford Haven have the highest cargo shares. The current figure also reflects a crude oil throughput of 85.5 tones equivalent. In the same period, trade in other petroleum products was 76 million tones.
A total of 45% of the UK’s total maritime trade is with neighboring countries across Europe. However, the high point of UK goods throughput was reached in 2008 before merchandise trade slowed. 2019/2020 statistics from almost all UK ports show that trade flows increased by +0.8%. Let’s look at the UK’s strategic ports.
Port of Immingham
Immingham is the UK’s largest cargo port in terms of tonnage. It forms a port complex with the larger Grimsby and other smaller facilities. The other two names in the union are an Hull and Goole, and the complex is under the jurisdiction of the British Ports Association. Construction of the port began in the early 20th century, although its history of major cargo traffic dates back to 1957. The Port of Immingham alone covers an area of 55.2 hectares and handles a cargo volume of.
Cargo Handling
The Port of Immingham is an only port in the UK that consistently handles more than 50 million tonnes of cargo. In 2019, Immingham’s volume was 54 million tonnes. 74% of this figure was due to the port’s import trade. However, statistics for 2020 show a decline, with total cargo throughput reaching 48 million tonnes. Liquid bulk goods account for almost 70% of Immingham’s total trade. Immingham is one of the UK’s two largest oil shipping ports, along with London.
Network and Layout
Immingham has direct connections to key regions in the European Union, Asia, Africa and the Americas. ABP’s advanced port complex will create jobs for around 10,500 people. Draughts for longitudinal ships range from 14.5 to 17.5 metres. The facility handles 240 cargo transshipments per week by rail and locomotive.
Port of Felixstowe
Felixstowe is ranked 9th among the top 10 busiest port facilities in Europe. The port handles the most containers of all UK ports (48%). It covers an area of 33.83 km² and has a total of 10 berths for an container handling. The port was established in the late 18th century and the facility has been in existence since 1875. The first operations at the Port of Felixstowe were recorded shipments via pipeline and railway pier. Commercial freight traffic and pioneering container handling began in the late 1960s.
Cargo Throughput
Container operations at Felixstowe have averaged 3.
Eight million TEU over the past five years. The 2020 figure reflects cargo volumes of 25.8 million tonnes, representing 65% of inbound flows. This shows that the port of Felixstowe is a hub for the trade of industrial goods with the UK. There are a total of 22 mobile gantry cranes on mobile lifting tyre structures. The giant cranes on these piers have the world’s largest capacity, lifting more than 70 tonnes at a time. Each crane has a maximum radius of 62 metres and weighs around 2000 tonnes.
Network and Layout
Felixstowe’s human network comprises more than 3500 employees, with a further 2500 employed in internal processing. The length of track is over 11,000 metres, and the three terminals serve 72 train stops per day. The facility is one of the few in the UK to test 5G connectivity for security and surveillance purposes. It is also one of the few ports that receive super container ships.
Tees Harbour
Tees Harbour covers an area of 490 acres and handles the majority of inland traffic. Located on the banks of the River Tees, the facility is the third largest of the UK’s ports. All major cargo operations at the port began in 1965. Tees is also on the list of the UK’s busiest ports, with 6,000 ships arriving every year.
Over the last decade, total investment in PD ports has reached £1 billion. With an average annual container throughput of 50,000 TEU, Tees is one of the UK’s most profitable ports.
Cargo Handling
The port facilities use a unified design to handle bulk cargoes and ores. Thanks to these modern loading technologies, Tees can handle more than 56 million tonnes of cargo per year. Dry bulk cargo accounts for over 73% of the port’s total operations, which also includes steel, oil and containerized cargoes. On average, 8. Five million tonnes of iron ore arrive at Tees via the deepwater bulk terminal. An average draft of 17.5 metres allows large VLOCs to be handled simultaneously. In addition, eight gantry cranes and two container berths allow for the handling of over one million tonnes of steel.
Network and Layout
The Tees container terminal network is divided into two nodes measuring 294 metres and 360 metres in length. Dawson Wharf handles 400,000 tonnes of bulk cargo, and the RoRo facility handles 100,000 vehicles. In addition, the network handles a large amount of RoRo shipping traffic from the North Sea.
Port of London
The Port of London was established in the 1st century as one of the most important trading ports. Modern shipping in the port began in the mid-19th century. London is the second largest port facility in the UK in terms of tonnage after Immingham. The port’s geographic location on the banks of the River Thames results in a high volume of maritime traffic through the North Sea. The port is the largest contributor, generating £4 billion in annual turnover over the past decade.
Cargo Handling
London is one of two UK ports that handled 54 million tonnes of cargo in 2019. The trade curve shows the four-degree line of cargo for the port in 2020. There are a total of 30 berths available for ocean-going vessels of all sizes. The average draft at shipping is 17.
5 metres. 82% of the Port of London’s trade volume is accounted for by bulk, liquid and container ships. The maximum quay length is about 655 metres, and the average depth is 15.5 metres.
Network and Layout
The inland waterway network leading to the port covers 60% of the region’s ship traffic. The port facility employs more than 45,000 people in surveillance, cargo handling and transshipment operations. It also provides access to the national rail network for freight traffic.
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool has 43 docks with connecting facilities. The facility is spread over an area of 12 kilometres and is divided into two ports: Liverpool 1 and Liverpool 2.
Royal Seaforth Container Terminal, named Liverpool 1, is the UK’s oldest container terminal. Liverpool 1 dates back to the early 18th century, but Liverpool 2 is a new investment opportunity. Peel Ports’ £400 million investment will make the facility the largest container terminal in the world. Liverpool 1 is also an first commercial dock to use a closed operating design.
Cargo Throughput
The Port of Liverpool currently handles over 75,000 TEU of cargo, with over 600,000 TEUs arriving by sea. Of the total tonnage of 34 million tonnes, 75% consists of imported containerized cargo.
The terminal was expanded with 22 mega CRMG cranes to cater for the largest vessels, and 30 additional existing cranes with a maximum container capacity of 45 tonnes, operating 24 hours a day. There are a total of 30 berths across the terminal, with a maximum draft of 11.6 metres. One of the UK’s leading ports also has a huge floating crane with a capacity of 250 tonnes.
Network and Layout
The Merseyside facility has a rail network of over 150 km for handling and transporting cargo, and the terminal’s cruise network manages the disruption of passenger embarkation. The Liverpool 2 project is one of the UK’s most significant operators, making the seaway wider and deeper.
Port of Milford Haven
The port of Milford Haven has renewable energy concepts at the heart of its operations. It is the first port of facility in the UK to comply with the Green Port Operating Standard. Its operating records reflect an establishment date from 1790 onwards, however its history of commercial freight traffic dates back to the early 1900s. The facility is the largest port in Wales for commercial shipping operations. With an annual turnover of £28.1 million, Milford Haven is also one of the most profitable trading ports in the UK.
Cargo Handling
The port of Milford Haven has 21 berths with an average depth of 15. Five metres and a maximum depth of 22 metres. LNG operations are solely at the Dragon and South Hook terminals. The facility handles an average of 34 million tonnes of cargo, ranking third in the UK by tonnage. Furthermore, 31.9% of these operations are carried out off-site, making a significant contribution to the Welsh economy. As of 2020, 85% of Wales’ gas consumption passes through the port of Milford Haven. Bulk cargo handling is carried out using monopile platform structures and modular 7000TE baskets.
Network and Layout
A total of 195 employees work on port operations throughout the year. The facility relies heavily on automation and camera surveillance to achieve fast uptime. The quay length is up to 65 metres.
Port of Southampton
The Port of Southampton is another well-known port in the Associated British Ports’ list of active ports. This modern facility has been in existence for 51 years and is used for passenger and cargo traffic. The Port of Southampton sees between 500 and 650 cruise ships carrying 2 million passengers per year. The port’s cargo traffic brings in £4.
Five million, and the passenger terminal generates £2 million per year. Of the 21 UK ports, large and small, operated by ABP, Southampton is ranked seventh financially in.
Cargo Throughput
The Port of Southampton handles an average of 33 to 35 million tonnes of cargo per year. The port is also one of the UK’s largest exporters, with a turnover of 36 to 40%. It is also the UK’s largest london port, handling 900,000 cars per year, with a maximum quay length of 290 meters and a longitudinal draft of 14.6 meters for ocean-going vessels. Goods are handled at five central berths and a total of 45 berths of various sizes. The London port is the UK’s second largest container london port, handling 1.9 million TEUs per year.
Network and Layout
A total of over 45,000 employees work in the passenger and cargo terminals. This includes personnel in traffic, network, cargo and security operations. The London port’s layout spans 585 acres, including the western quay. It will be able to handle four container ships simultaneously for efficient workflow.
