Portico, the international cargo terminal based at Portsmouth International Port, have helped move 10,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) of empty containers back to where they need to be.
There has been a glut of empty containers across the UK and a shortage in the major manufacturing regions in Asia. This has been caused by the ongoing effect of the coronavirus pandemic, along with some British ports seeing container traffic well above normal levels at the start of this year.
To help clear the congestion, Portico has worked with some of the world’s biggest shipping lines, including CMA CGM, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, Yang Ming and HMM, to get containers back to where they are needed.
Deepwater access for sub-Panamax sized ships and a great location next to the motorway means they are perfectly located to help remedy this problem and an ideal hub for future feeder services.
Following the Miriam and the Buxtehude visit this week, Portico will have moved a total of 10,000 TEU of empty containers since the end of 2020 on to ships bound for major European ports. They are then collected from there and returned to Asia.
Steve Williams MBE, operations director at Portico, said: “I’m delighted that we’re going to hit this impressive milestone of 10,000 empty containers shipped, and have done our bit to help solve this issue.
“It also demonstrates the potential of scheduled feeder services establishing themselves at Portsmouth – our modern equipment can handle containers with ease, and the flexibility of our operation means we can react with speed. We stand ready to assist with any backlogs that occur as a result of the recent issues in the Suez Canal.”
Jonathan Williams, commercial manager at Portico, added: “Regional ports, such as our home here in Portsmouth, offer businesses the opportunity to maximise marine and minimise road movements. Feeder services from major European ports can get UK imports closer to where they need to be, increasing efficiency and offering substantial carbon savings”.
To find out more about Portico, visit porticoshipping.com.