Swedish boost to UK freight

Stena Line is joining Associated British Ports in a £100 million investment to build the new terminal at the Port of Immingham. This major long-term commitment will see Stena operate the terminal on a 50 year lease.

Niclas Martensson, chief executive of Stena Line, said the plans were the next steps in the company’s strategic vision for 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,” he said.

Stena Line currently runs four daily freight services from the Humber to The Netherlands, and has seen a 28% year-on-year increase in 2021 in unaccompanied freight on its North Sea routes.

At the start of the year Stena Line relocated its Rotterdam freight service to the ABP-owned Port of Immingham, the largest port in the UK by tonnage, allowing the company to provide both terminal and shipping operations.

Expanding operations

With freight levels continuing to grow, Stena Line needs to add capacity and expand its operations at Immingham. It requires a long-term solution that has access to the main Humber Estuary allowing for quicker sailing times and the option to use larger vessels.

As such the company plans to move its current freight operations at Immingham to a new site adjacent to Immingham Outer Harbour where ABP will develop a new purpose-built terminal. A

Development Consent Order will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport in early summer with a view to the new terminal facilities being operational in 2025.