ABP says its Port of Hull continues to boom as it welcomes yet another new container service. The latest service will connect Hull with Antwerp, Belgium's largest port.
Global logistics company, Samskip, has opened up the twice-weekly route which will officially arrive at the Port of Hull for the first time on 14 October, with a vessel holding over 500 twenty-foot containers. Over the year, around 15,000 extra containers are expected to be handled at the Hull Container Terminal.
This complements the existing Samskip shortsea services, including Hull to Grangemouth (eight per week) and the recent addition of the three times weekly Amsterdam to Hull service.
ABP Humber Director, Simon Bird, said: "It's fantastic news that Samskip has selected the Port of Hull once again as their premier short-sea departure destination.
"ABP has continued to drive substantial investments in its Hull Container Terminal, increasing container storage space and acquiring state-of-the-art equipment. We also make continual advancements in training our operational staff to ensure the best possible service and turnaround times for our customers."
Container trade through the Humber Ports remains buoyant and ABP is confident that this trend will continue. Last year, ABP invested £14 million to upgrade and expand the Port of Hull’s Container Terminal, which has driven further growth, with three new sailings from Iceland, Amsterdam and Ghent all coming in to Hull as a result.
Last year, the Humber container terminals - Hull and Immingham - grew by 9% in a single year. The growth is, in part, due to the rise in the number of regional distribution centres across the M1 / M62 corridor, which already look to the Humber Ports as their gateway to trade.
Samskip UK & Ireland Regional Director, Richard Beales, added: “We are excited at the prospect of offering a new solution that can meet the requirements of the local and hinterland markets in and around Antwerp, especially given the excellent rail and inland waterway links available.
“With the current Brexit uncertainty, we believe that our spread of dedicated short sea services can offer robust options for companies wanting to de-risk their supply chain in preparing for Brexit.”