New Immingham ferry terminal will 'bring confidence to economy' with international trade investment - ABP

ABP’s Humber director has underlined the confidence its proposed new £100 million Immingham ferry terminal can bring at a time of economic uncertainty.

Up to four North Sea services a day could be operated from the proposed major infrastructure investment with Stena Line on the South Humber Bank, easing international trade - with freight levels at record levels when the announcement was made.

It is now entering the planning process, with the scale of it requiring a development consent order and sign-off from the Transport Secretary. The proposal was revealed in January, with public consultations held. If successful, 2025 had been eyed for operations to start, with hundreds of jobs across both the shipping and logistics elements.

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Mr Bird, who heads up Britain’s busiest freight-focused ports cluster, said: “ABP has an excellent recent track record in investing in the Humber ports to help unlock economic growth. The investment of over £50 million in 2018 and 2019 to upgrade and expand the two container terminals in the ports of Hull and Immingham are a good example of this success. In the brief time since those investments, many new destinations and regular shipping calls to the terminals were added to their work, after the investment helped to establish them as a strong player in the market.

“It is certainly hoped that the 50 year £100 million investment deal between ABP and Stena for a new up-to-four ferries a day service from the Port of Immingham will produce similar results. That project is currently going through the consenting process with the Government. The investment, at times of economic uncertainty, helps to grow confidence in the market and strengthen the already strong position the Humber plays in the trade flows of the UK.”

Immingham Eastern Ro-Ro Terminal, as it is known, will be considered by National Infrastructure Planning, with a report to hit the Whitehall desk of new incumbent Anne-Marie Trevelyan within nine months.

Mr Bird has also shed further light on the hydrogen production project involving US industrial gases giant Air Products on the Immingham port estate, with a new jetty and supporting infrastructure part of that plan. It would also serve shipping into carbon capture and storage plans harboured on the Humber. The newly named V Net Zero project -