WEARSIDE waters have enjoyed a busy spell, with Port of Sunderland recording an average of a ship per day sailing through its piers.
Bosses at the municipally-owned port have recorded an increase in ships tonnage between April 2013 and March 2014, as a total of 365 vessels docked at Port of Sunderland’s quaysides.
In October 2013, Port of Sunderland took delivery of its then largest ever vessel, MV Ocean Bloom, which docked at Corporation Quay’s deep water river berth. The vessel was then followed by Lake Triview in December 2013, as it discharged thousands of tonnes of steel over several days.
Matthew Hunt, port director at Port of Sunderland said that the success of the year can be attributed to the strategic on-site purchases and developments as well as a more visible networking presence at conferences and events.
He said: “The port saw a successful 2013/2014 with on average, a ship a day and a record number of large vessels sailing to our quays. As we looked to strengthen our onsite offering with the help of a number of strategic developments, the purchase of a Liebherr LHM 420 Harbour Mobile crane gave us the opportunity to compete for more cargo handling work, something which came to fruition with the arrival of Ocean Bloom as previously, Port of Sunderland’s cranage did not have the length to reach across this size of vessels’ beam to discharge the far side of a ships hold.
“The purchase proved to be a major boost for us and a visible sign of the commitment we have from the council to invest in the port, which we believe can once again be a major economic driver in the city.”
In February 2014, representatives from Port of Sunderland also attended Subsea Expo held at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre to showcase the port’s capabilities. The exhibition introduced Port of Sunderland representatives to a range of Aberdeen-based subsea companies and helped to position it among national ports, as a leading player in the oil and gas and offshore and renewable energy fields.
Mr Hunt added: “The opportunity to be part of the wider European network was highly beneficial to our city, giving us a platform to really showcase the exciting developments that are putting Sunderland at the fore as a destination for offshore and subsea growth, and indeed for more traditional cargo handling and shipping operations.
“We expect to build on these relationships this year and hope to attract a greater number of port calls and projects to utilise our quaysides. All of the signs are there that Port of Sunderland is growing its reputation as a location of choice for all kinds of vessels, requiring a range of services, so we have a great foundation to build on the success of last year and make 2014/2015 another excellent year for the port.”
Councillor Paul Watson, leader of Sunderland City Council and chair of the port board, said: “With its deep-water quayside, as well as the purchase of a heavy lift crane, Port of Sunderland is proving it is well suited to meet the current demands of the North Sea offshore sectors.
“I’m thrilled to see the port has had such a buoyant period of trading and I hope our continued presence at networking events will allow us to develop new business leads, reacquaint ourselves with existing contacts and see where competitors and colleagues alike are heading over the forthcoming year.”
For more information about Sunderland and the Port of Sunderland visit www.makeitsunderland.com, email info@makeitsunderland.com or call +44 (0)191 305 1194.
