ABP’s Ports of Ipswich and Ayr enable wheat cargo to be shipped more sustainably

On the 20th July, the Arklow Fern, with a cargo of wheat partly destined for the world-famous Scotch whisky industry, arrived at ABP’s Port of Ayr from ABP’s Port of Ipswich. Moving 4393 tonnes of wheat by ship, rather than road, saved 61,535 lorry miles, which approximately equates to a reduction of 82 tonnes in carbon emissions. At both ends of this sustainable maritime supply chain, the stock of wheat cargo can be stored efficiently, at quayside in the Port of Ipswich, and in store at the Port of Ayr, which specialises in handling dry bulks, including salt, animal feed, heavy lift and forest products, ABP says in a press release.

Andrew Harston, Regional Director, ABP said, “ABP is keen to support our customers in creating more sustainable supply chains. This shipment of wheat is a great example of a collaborative approach to make a positive difference towards our shared sustainability goals and shows how shifting to shipping from road reduces carbon emissions significantly.”

Together with customers, ABP’s Scottish ports of Ayr and Troon contribute over £40 million to the UK economy every year, including £28 million locally. Earlier this year, ABP completed its investment of £2.2 million to upgrade all front-line machinery at its Port of Ayr, demonstrating its commitment to its customers and mission of keeping Britain trading. ABP’s Port of Troon is celebrating 21 years of running the TimberLINK service, which handles over 100,000 tonnes of timber each year and has reduced carbon emissions by more than 1,200 tonnes every year since 2000.

In both its Scottish ports, ABP maintains the region’s competitiveness, agility and resilience by continued investment in infrastructure, equipment and systems, while supporting its own sustainability goals as well as those of its customers.