ABP has invested £1.2 million in the new Nelson class vessel as part of an upgrade to its fleet of pilot launches.

In a traditional ceremony jointly hosted by ABP Director, Humber John Fitzgerald and ABP Harbour Master, Humber, Capt. Phil Cowing, P.V. Humber Jupiter was christened by Lady Sponsor Mrs. Rachel Cooper, with the Service of Dedication conducted by the Chaplain of the Immingham Seafarers Centre, Father Colum Kelly.

John Fitzgerald presented Mrs. Cooper with a gift of thanks in a presentation held on the quayside by the newly-named vessel. The ceremony was followed by a tour of the vessel before a reception for guests held at ABP Port House, Hull.

P.V.Humber Jupiter complements the existing four vessels in the pilot launch fleet and is capable of carrying eight pilots and a crew of two at speeds of up to 23 knots.

This significant investment demonstrates ABP’s commitment to the safety and efficiency of the pilotage operations on the Humber, the UK’s busiest commercial waterway, for which ABP is the Statutory and Competent Harbour Authority.

John Fitzgerald welcomed this latest addition to ABP’s fleet of pilot launches.

He said: “Every year over 30,000 commercial vessel movements take place on the Humber and 60 per cent of these require pilotage. The importance of the Humber ports to the whole of the UK cannot be underestimated – without them the lights would quite literally go out across the country. It is therefore vital that we continue equip our pilots with the right tools to meet the challenges of the future.”

Mrs. Cooper said she was honoured to name the vessel, and praised the 500-year-long tradition of pilotage on the Humber:

She said: “It has been wonderful to be involved in such a ceremony, which we must remember is both an opportunity to showcase the vessel and to bless her future. May all those who sail on her enjoy a safe passage.”

Photo

 Rachel Cooper, ABP Chief Executive James Cooper, Harbour Master Humber Phil Cowing and Deckhand Geoff Gawler (image courtesy of ABP/David Lee Photography)

The project, which costs around USD 2.5 billion will enable the port to handle 2.25m TEU, which would position it as the port with the largest capacity in West Africa. The Port Autonome d’Abidjan, the country’s largest port, recorded a traffic increase of 7% in 2013, which is a provisional figure that does not include oil shipments. In 2012, it handled 21.7m tonnes, a 31% rise from the 16.6m tonnes recorded in 2011. Container traffic also expanded 16% over the same period to 633,917 TEU. With the planned expansion these figures are expected to increase.

In December 2013, the Ivorian authorities and Bolloré Africa Logistics signed a public-private partnership deal, paving the way for the construction of a second container terminal.

According to the government, investment in the container terminal will amount to around USD 825 million. The new  terminal will have a 1,100m long and 18m deep dock. Work is expected to be completed within four years.

As part of this plan a custom designed VMware virtualization solution has consolidated ADPC’s IT infrastructure resulting in increased performance, savings on hardware maintenance and running costs, and enhanced scalability for further expansion.  The VMware team supported ADPC in the design process of the IT infrastructure.

The new 160,000 square-foot distribution center, situated in the prime location of Crossroads Business Park, is just three miles from I-95, and five miles from the I-95 and I-16 interchange.  

“The Port of Savannah’s strategic location and superior infrastructure enables St. George to cost-effectively and reliably deliver goods to nearly half of the U.S. population,” said Curtis Foltz, Georgia Ports Authority executive director.

Company officials said the facility, which features 28 truck bays, will primarily be used as a cross-dock operation with large capacity storage for medium to large retail customers, most of whom import consumer packaged goods, electronics, food and beverages, among other commodities.

“It was a natural progression for St. George Warehouse operations to choose Savannah, the fourth busiest port in the U.S., enabling us to better service our local and national clients,” said Anthony Mayor, Executive Vice President for St. George Distribution Group.

St. George’s future warehouse plans include building the facility into a multi-tenant model, combined with a container freight station operation.

At this time, St. George provides less than truckload, full truckload, and intermodal transportation services through a selection of partners as well.  

Since 2011, St. George has also operated a 45,000 square-foot facility in Atlanta, which links cargo to major shipping destinations such as Memphis, Tenn., Little Rock, Ark., and Montgomery, Ala. St. George operates facilities located in California, New Jersey, Texas South Carolina and Illinois.

“As the closest port to Atlanta’s 4 million-person metro area, with superb rail links to markets like Birmingham, Memphis, Louisville and Charlotte, the Port of Savannah forms a distribution center hub,” said GPA Board Chairman Robert Jepson. “In Savannah alone, there are more than 4 million square feet of local warehouse space available, with an occupancy rate greater than 88 percent.”