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, the company said in its press release.
The 190-metre extension increases the port's capability to work two of the world's largest containerships simultaneously. More than eighty ships of 18,000+TEU have already been handled at the port in 2015, confirming Felixstowe's position as the port-of-choice for mega-ships in the UK.
Berths 8&9 at the port were the first in the UK to handle the latest generation of giant container ships. The quay length of the port's newest terminal is now 920 metres, and the total quay length in the port nearly 4,000 metres.
The port has acquired three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes to work on the extended terminal. The cranes are capable of working vessels with containers stacked 10-high, and 24-wide, on deck. There are now 10 cranes on Berths 8&9 and 36 in the port as a whole.
The Port of Felixstowe is the largest container port in the UK, handling 44% of all UK container traffic. Its importance is recognised in the Government's National Infrastructure plan which includes improvements to its road and rail connections as leading priorities for investment.