Stena Line and Associated British Ports (ABP) entered an agreement to jointly develop a new freight terminal at the Port of Immingham in the Humber region. The £100M agreement will see the Swedish ferry company operate the new terminal for the next 50 years.
Today Stena Line operates 37 vessels on 18 routes between 13 countries across Northern Europe, a business has been brisk with 2021 seeing its North Sea routes moving record levels of freight, including a 28% year-on-year increase in unaccompanied freight.
At the start of the year Stena Line relocated its Rotterdam freight service to the Port of Immingham, the largest port in the UK by tonnage, which is owned by ABP. With freight levels continuing to grow, it needed to add capacity and expand its operations at Immingham, with a long-term solution that has access to the main Humber Estuary. This would allow for quicker sailing times and the option to use larger vessels to cater for increased freight demand from exporters and importers from across the region and the rest of the UK.
The proposals outline the relocation of Stena Line’s current Immingham freight operations to a new site, adjacent to Immingham Outer Harbor, where ABP will develop a new purpose built terminal facility.
ABP intends to submit an application for a Development Consent Order to the Secretary of State for Transport in early summer with a view to the new terminal facilities being operational in 2025.
“We are very pleased to announce that we will now take the next steps in the strategic vision for our routes between the UK and Continental Europe. Our freight levels are at record levels and are continuing to increase, so we want to build on this success and provide additional services to our most important business needs, those of our customers, with the development of a brand new terminal and berths at the Port of Immingham,” said Niclas Martensson, CEO, Stena Line. Photo courtesy Stena Line
