ABP investments boost port operations
Associated British Ports (ABP) has announced significant investments across its UK port network, with major developments at Southampton and King’s Lynn aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, safety and the handling of critical cargoes.
At the Port of Southampton, ABP has successfully overseen the arrival of the first of four new quay cranes destined for DP World’s container terminal. The cranes, the tallest in the UK, represent a major upgrade to one of the country’s busiest deep-sea trade gateways and are expected to improve vessel turnaround times and cargo handling capacity.
The delivery required extensive planning and coordination due to the cranes’ exceptional size. Extending significantly beyond their transport vessel, the cranes created a transit width of more than 160 metres, necessitating dedicated pilotage, tug support, vessel escort services and temporary restrictions on other marine traffic.
“The scale of this delivery required meticulous planning, precise coordination and the expertise of our marine teams to safely navigate a highly complex operation through a busy working port,” said Steve Masters, harbour master for ABP Southampton.
He added that the project demonstrated ABP’s ability to enable major infrastructure investment while ensuring Southampton continued to operate safely and efficiently as a world-class gateway for trade.
Meanwhile, at the Port of King’s Lynn, ABP has invested £150,000 in two specialist vacuum lifting attachments designed to improve the handling of large pipe cargoes. The equipment, supplied by B&B Attachments, reduces the need for manual handling, improves load stability and enhances safety for operational teams.
The attachments have already been deployed during the import of water pipes destined for UK infrastructure projects.
“Safety underpins everything we do at ABP and it is central to how we invest and operate our ports,” said Paul Ager, divisional port manager at ABP.
“These new vacuum lifting attachments improve how we handle pipe cargo, reducing risk for our teams while increasing efficiency on the quayside.”
Steve Egginton, key account manager at B&B Attachments, said the technology provided greater control when lifting specialist cargo while reducing the need for personnel to work near suspended loads.
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