Short Sea Container Shipping Services – The Green Economic Alternative to Ro-Ro
The Port of Poole and MSE are the UK partners in the European PROPOSSE project http://www.proposse.eu/proposse/ whose aim is to promote short sea shipping as a reliable and economic alternative to current means of goods transportation.
Having completed an analysis of existing and potential freight flows through Poole, MSE and the Port of Poole are now undertaking a market survey to investigate the views of potential customers (freight forwarders and SMEs) to the developments of a short sea container shipping service to European ports.
Short sea container shipping services through the Port of Poole offer many advantages to shippers wishing to move goods between the UK and mainland Europe.
* Short sea container vessels can utilise smaller ports, do not require a deep water berth and are more flexible in their ports of destination, reducing road distances for the final leg of the journey.
* Using the smaller ports could cut out the time spent waiting for a berth, which for deep water ports can be frustratingly long.
* The ships are far less complex than RoRo freight ships, and can be manned with smaller crew numbers. This means cheaper capital cost and running costs.
* There is good access to the Port of Poole via roads that bypass the town itself.
* There is a rail connection to the heart of the port.
* Loading and unloading of lorries is very quick compared with the major deep water ports, with turn-around times measured in minutes rather than hours.
* Port of Poole will make arrangements with continental port authorities and shipping lines to ensure smooth handling of containers with clear service performance indicators.
* Geographically, the Port of Poole is at least 20 miles (45 km) closer to Birmingham and Manchester than Dover. Poole offers particular advantages to shippers from the West of England.
* Port of Poole offers a multimodal route from the UK to Western France, Spain and Portugal which could save hundreds of road miles.
If you are interested in the possibility of new shipping routes to Europe from Poole we would value your views.
Please contact John Fannon on 01305 816942 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01305 816942 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email john.fannon@sollerta.com
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