A ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on the latest phase of expansion at the Port of Felixstowe took place last month, with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling in attendance.

About 13 hectares of new paved container yard will be constructed directly behind Berth 9 at the UK’s largest container port.

Mr Grayling said: “This important expansion of Felixstowe continues the port’s impressive record of investment to make the most of trading opportunities.

“The UK and its ports are the natural home for international maritime business. It is great to see our largest container port expanding its offering, so it can grow and prosper.”

Clemence Cheng, CEO of the Port of Felixstowe and executive director of Hutchison Ports, said: “Berths 8 and 9 were the first berths in the UK built to accommodate the latest class of ultra-large container vessels.

“Creating additional storage space will allow us to optimise container-handling operations and further enhance the service we offer to our customers.”

Completion of the new yard, which will comprise 10 container storage blocks and allow six-high stacking, is scheduled for early 2019.

It will add 18,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) of storage capacity to the 130,000 TEU already available and further enhance Felixstowe’s ability to handle the world’s largest container ships.

The port was the first in the UK to handle the latest class of 18,000+ TEU ships.

In 2017, it welcomed 166 ‘calls’ by the largest class of mega-ships — more than any other port in the country.

Hutchison Ports is continuing to invest in rail facilities, and a new benchmark was set in 2017, when Felixstowe became the first port in the UK to handle more than one million TEU by rail in a single year.