Hutchison Ports Port of Felixstowe has achieved a milestone by reaching the 100 million TEU mark since it handled its first container in the 1960s.
The 100th million TEU was loaded at berth eight, the port’s newest facility and one of four berths at the Port of Felixstowe, capable of handling the world’s largest container ships.
Commenting at a ceremony to mark the occasion, UK Maritime Minister Robert Courts MP said, “The tens of thousands of maritime workers who keep our critical goods and supplies moving are the backbone of our freight sector and kept this country’s supplies moving throughout the pandemic.”
In addition, Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe, noted that the Port of Felixstowe has been setting the benchmark for UK container ports “since we handled the first Sealand containers in what was then the Dock Basin in 1966.”
“Looking to the future we are committed to continual investment, upgrading existing facilities, building new infrastructure and constantly improving systems, equipment and the way we work to deliver the level of service our customers require,” stated Clemence Cheng, Managing Director, Hutchison Ports Europe.
Cheng also explained that as the number of ultra-large container ships increases, berth six will be deepened to 16.5 meters during next year, following berth seven, while berths eight and nine will be increased to 18 metres.
“At the same time we will be driving forward our agenda to ensure we do this whilst cutting our environmental impact and working towards net-zero emissions,” he added.
