Portland Port opens deep-water berth
Portland Port in Dorset, UK has officially opened a new deep-water berth as part of a record £26m development project, according to Ship Technology.
The port says that redevelopment of the deep water quays at the port has improved its cruise and cargo handling operations as well as its service provision for vessels, including those from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Portland Port says that the new deep-water berth means it can meet higher demand and keep ahead of the growing sizes of cruise ships. The new berth has the capacity for liners of up to 350 metres in length.
The £26m investment is the largest in the port’s 27-year history and comes as it prepares to welcome a record 130,000 passengers over the coming cruise season.
In addition, the project delivered a 75-metre extension to the port’s Outer Coaling Pier (OCP), used for the handling of dry bulk cargo and also used as a cruise berth, to a length of 250 metres and 11-metre water depth alongside.
Overall, the project has provided 16,000 square metres of additional quayside space, which means the port can handle two 350-metre long cruise ships alongside at the same time.
The deep water berth became operational when the MSC Virtuosa visited in April but it has now become officially open following final works.
