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Britain’s oldest box port turns 50

[ December 13, 2016   //   ]

The Port of Felixstowe has launched a year of celebration to mark its 50th anniversary as the UK’s first operational container terminal.

Originally known as the New South Quay, the first dedicated container terminal opened in July 1967, initially with just 500ft of quay and a single Paceco Vickers portainer crane.

Current chief executive Clemence Cheng, says: “From a single-berth operation with one crane we now have nine berths providing over 3,000 metres of deep-water container quay serviced by 33 ship-to-shore gantry cranes. The operation today bears no real resemblance to those early years. The scale and level of technical innovation have grown beyond recognition.

“But not everything has changed. Felixstowe was chosen in 1967 because of its proximity to the main shipping lanes and the main ports of Northern Europe. That remains a key differentiator but the position today has been improved by the development of road and rail links that are second to none.”

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