A huge deal between Swedish ferry operator Stena Line and Associated British Ports is behind plans for a new terminal at Port of Immingham.
The two businesses have revealed a £100 million agreement that will see them jointly develop an extensive new roll-on-roll-off facility. Hundreds of jobs could be created across both the shipping and logistics elements.
Focused on the eastern side of the port, the deal will cover operations over a 50 year period, and is described as “a major long-term commitment and boost for the region where freight on routes to and from the EU has been booming since Brexit”.
Read more: Major Humber port expansion proposal unveiled by ABP
Stena Line is one of the largest ferry operators in the world with 18 routes and 37 vessels operating between 13 countries across Northern Europe. It currently runs four daily freight services from the Humber to The Netherlands.
Demand is at a record level and anticipated to increase further. 2021 saw North Sea routes moving record levels of freight, this included a 28 per cent year-on-year increase in unaccompanied freight.
At the start of the year, Stena Line relocated its Rotterdam freight service from neighbouring Humber Sea Terminal at Killingholme to Immingham.
That allowed it to become a provider of both terminal and shipping operations, expanding services to its significant freight customers in the region.
The move will also open the door to larger vessels on the proposed four-berth facility, bringing further efficiencies.
Niclas Martensson, chief executive of Stena Line, said: “We are very pleased to announce that we will now take the next steps in the strategic vision for our 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 Port of Immingham.
“Stena Line is pledging a significant long-term commitment that will bring a substantial boost to the region’s economy in terms of jobs and revenue. We look forward to working with Associated British Ports to develop this exciting project.”
Immingham is already home to Danish shipping giant DFDS, with a huge footprint on the port estate. A first intermodal rail service connecting the docks with IPort Rail - the central transport hub at Doncaster - has recently been launched.
ABP intends to apply for a development consent order early this summer, with the scale of the addition making it nationally-significant. It will be up to the Secretary of State for Transport, currently Grant Shapps, to decide.
The aim is to be operational in 2025 with remaining Humber Sea Terminal operations to be unaffected.
Simon Bird, Humber director at Associated British Ports, said “We’re delighted to welcome this new deal with Stena as it underlines the fact that ABP in the Humber is continuing to go from strength to strength.
“Stena will be joining a growing family of commercial partners who are choosing to use ABP’s ports in the Humber which have fantastic facilities and connections for traders across Europe and beyond. Our track record in recent years of investing in new infrastructure is making the Humber the place to be for trading links between the Midlands and North of England, and the rest of the world.”
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