Western revival on schedule in Dover

News-in-print 1 Apr 2017 by WCN Editorial

The UK Port of Dover’s Western Docks Revival project, which includes a new multipurpose terminal and logistics terminal with a new cold store, is on schedule and the first vessels should dock at the new berths at the start of 2019. Last year, Dover Harbour Board (DHB) acquired the stevedoring business of George Hammond plc, which handles Seatrade’s Rayo and Caribanex services in the Eastern Docks.

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Dover is a ‘trust port’, but DHB was able to raise £200M in commercial loans for the project, which will allow the Eastern Docks to be entirely dedicated to ferries, while providing a bigger general cargo facility in the Western Docks.

Phase 1 of the project, said Barbara Buczek, the port’s director of corporate development, comprises two new berths and back-up area, together a multichamber cold/chill store, and should be ready by the end of 2018. Vessels will be handled by mobile harbour cranes for both pallets and containers.

The new berths will be long enough and deep enough to accommodate all the vessels deployed in Seatrade’s Meridian service and the Blue Stream service of Seatrade’s sister company Streamlines, which both call at Tilbury, as well as the four 300,000 ft3 Handysize newbuildings scheduled for delivery to Seatrade from China during 2018.

The line’s existing agreement with DHB runs to the end of 2018. Dover’s selling point is minimum deviation, while the ferry services provide ready access to Calais and Dunkirk and the French and Belgian motorways, perhaps giving reefer shippers faster penetration of inland markets as an add-on to the established North Continent calls. It is planned to offer a full suite of cargo services.

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This complete item is approximately 300 words in length, and appeared in the April 2017 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 6. To access this issue download the PDF here.