ABP Chief Executive James Cooper, Ipswich MP Ben Gummer and ABP Short Seas Port Director Andrew Harston with guests for the official opening ceremony of the Orwell Bulk Terminal.
A new £2.2 million dry bulk warehouse terminal, which will provide state-of-the-art facilities to Associated British Ports’ (ABP) customers, has been officially opened by Ben Gummer MP at the Port of Ipswich.
Named the Orwell Bulk Terminal, it replaces the former ‘Number 3’ warehouse on the River Orwell at Cliff Quay and will provide nearly an acre of purpose built storage for bulk commodities such as grain, barley and other agribulks. These can be stored more than six metres within the new store, making best use of the limited space available within the Port of Ipswich.
Designed to minimise its impact on the environment, the terminal also has solar panels to provide a clean energy generating capacity of 120kw. The panels are linked to the network which powers the port estate, providing sustainable energy for customers and cutting the port’s carbon footprint.
The terminal was constructed by local company RG Carter, which completed construction on time and on budget.
Ipswich MP Ben Gummer said: “The Port of Ipswich plays a vital role in the supply chain for businesses across East Anglia. This fantastic new facility will help support these businesses, will drive trade and will create jobs in Ipswich, our county and our region.”
ABP Short Sea Ports Director Andrew Harston said: “Last year the port handled over 1.5 million tonnes of bulk cargo for East Anglian customers. It is an important and growing business for the port. The opening of the Orwell Bulk Terminal will help to provide our customers with modern facilities.
“This is typical of the sort of partnership ABP is proud to provide, investing in world-class facilities to support growth in our customers’ businesses. We are delighted that The Grain Terminal (Ipswich) Limited and Clarkson Port Services will be extending their presence at Ipswich by using the terminal to provide storage and handling services to the agribulk market in the area.”
The Port of Ipswich plays a key role in the agricultural market which is central to the Suffolk economy. The port, along with its customers, supports over 1, 800 jobs locally and contributes £122 million to the regional economy.
About ABP
ABP is the UK’s leading ports operator with 21 ports and other transport related businesses creating a unique national network capable of handling a vast array of cargo.
ABP contributes £5.6 billion to the UK economy every year and supports 84, 000 jobs. Our current investment programme promises to deliver an extra £1.75 billion for the economy every year.
ABP…
- Handles over 1.5 million vehicles every year
- Generates around one quarter of the UK’s rail freight
- Has 1.4 million square metres of covered storage
- Has 1, 000 hectares of open storage
- Handles around 100m tonnes of cargo each year
- Owns 5, 000 hectares of port estate
- Has 87km of quay
Our five year investment programme is worth £837 million. Our investment is designed to respond to the needs of our customers whose business relies on our ports for access to international and, in some cases, domestic markets.
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