As global supply chains adapt to rising costs, sustainability requirements and the need for resilient, flexible routes, shippers are re-evaluating where and how their cargo moves.
For operators handling unitised cargoes—including Roll‑on/Roll‑off (RoRo) and Lift‑on/Lift‑off (LoLo)—the Humber offers a compelling combination of location, infrastructure, connectivity and operational capability that is difficult to match elsewhere in the UK.
Associated British Ports (ABP) operates four ports in the Humber – one of the UK’s busiest trading gateways which sees 17% of the nation’s trades pass through its Estuary. Goole, Grimsby, Hull, and Immingham offer unrivalled access to markets across the North Sea and beyond.
With, strong road and rail links, and a unique concentration of manufacturing, energy, and logistics activity, the Humber stands out as a port system built for resilience, connectivity and growth. It is why so many customers choose the Humber as their port of choice for reliable, efficient, and flexible short sea supply chains.
From a unitised, and freight perspective the ports of Immingham and Hull are the vital links for shippers. Short sea routes from the Humber provide a viable alternative to congested southern corridors and longer deep-sea transits. For shippers, this means faster turnarounds, reduced congestion risk and greater flexibility in routing—particularly valuable in an environment of ongoing disruption and regulatory change.
ABP’s Humber Container Terminals at the Ports of Immingham and Hull have become a significant gateway for containerised cargo in the UK, offering, flexibility, value added services and excellent road and rail access. Immingham is the UK’s largest port by tonnage and a major logistics hub, and its container facilities are designed to serve customers looking for efficient access to inland markets, shortsea connectivity and room to grow.
In 2023 a £1.5m new terminal entry system was added speeding up the operators process and offering multiple benefits to customers including improved turnaround time. Immingham container terminal handles 15 vessel calls a week connecting to major ports of Europe via shipping lines connecting to Scandinavia, the Baltic, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland with a wider global reach through various deep sea feeder providers. Its prime location on the UK east coast allows cargo owners and shippers to reduce carbon, cost, and congestion for customers by landing cargo as close as possible to its end destination.
Research published in 2019 by the University of Hull Logistics Institute, commissioned by ABP, identified that using ABP’s Humber ports to bring cargoes closer to their destination, particularly the major distribution centres in the North of England, would incur significant time and mileage savings when compared to using ports based in the south. The efficiency not only lowers emissions but also enables customers to avoid port congestion.
Regular services connect the estuary with key markets across Northern Europe and Scandinavia, making it well suited for accompanied and unaccompanied RoRo traffic as well as LoLo container and trailer operations.
There are also many opportunities from DFDS, Stena Line and P&O who are based at Immingham and Hull ports. Imminently work begins on Stena Line’s new freight terminal at Immingham - a joint investment of £200 million and a boost to the Humber region of England where the unaccompanied freight market has been steadily growing.
Stena Line currently runs two daily services from the Humber to The Netherlands. The new Roll on – Roll off (RoRo) terminal, known as the Immingham Eastern RoRo Terminal (IERRT), will provide access to the main Humber Estuary, allowing 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 Port of Immingham is also a key strategic port for the Ministry of Defence, who in partnership with ABP discharges their military hardware through the east coast port, as well as at Marchwood, near Southampton.
ABP is committed to fulfilling our mission to Keep Britain Trading as the leading and largest port operator in the UK. In a logistics landscape defined by change, the Humber stands out as a location that delivers not just access, but advantage.
To see our line up of speakers, view the full 2026 Coastlink programme here.
Book here or contact the events team at info@coastlink.co.uk or +44 1329 825335
*content provided by ABP on the Humber
