The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is an island nation with several influential cities in different fields such as sports, culture and finance. The UK also has some of the most influential ports in the world.
Britain's five main ports
1. Felixstowe Port
Located in Suffolk, the port is also the busiest port handling 48% of the country's container trade. It happens to be the eighth busiest port in Europe, handling 3.8 million TEUs of container traffic. The port is located on the southeast coast of the United Kingdom and has access to major ports on and around the northwest coast of continental Europe.
The Port of Felixstowe is the UK's first purpose-built container handling port, serving the world's largest container ships. Due to its water depth, it can comfortably accommodate large ships, especially in the 8th and 9th berths dedicated to large container ships. The port also has three rail lines promoting intermodal rail freight, making it the largest rail transport facility in the UK. Strengthening the rail link to the port will allow 47 freight trains to pass through the port every day.
2. Port of Southampton
The Port of Southampton is a popular passenger port, but it also handles a lot of cargo. Located on the south coast of the country, it is centrally located in the region and is directly connected to the rail and road system. This means that passenger movement through the port is efficient, as is the movement of goods in and out of the port. Excellent road and rail transport is critical, as the port receives approximately 1.7 million passengers annually from cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Saga Cruises and Fred. Olsen Cruise line and local Cunard Line and P&O Cruises.
The port handles vehicular freight volumes of up to 820,000 vehicles per year. It is equipped with 80 hectares of facilities dedicated to vehicle storage and five multi-storey car parks dedicated to car parks to handle the storage of these vehicles. The port is home to the UK's second largest container terminal, handling more than 1.5 million TEUs a year. It clears 23 containers a day to and from major cargo producing regions such as the Midlands, Scotland, the East Coast and the country's north-west.
3. Port of London
Partly on the Thames and the North Sea, this port is the gateway to the UK's financial capital. At some point this was the largest port in the world, but now it is the second largest in the UK. In 2018, trade through the port reached 51.2 million tonnes, the highest level the port reached a decade ago. By 2035, the port expects cargo flow on its river routes to increase to 80 million tons.
The Port of London claims to have some of the best rail, road and sea connections to the rest of the UK. All cargo facilities found within this port are privately owned and operated. They handle everything from containers to dangerous goods and food, people and machinery.
4. Port Immingham
The common name for this port is Immingham Wharf, and it is one of the main ports on the east coast. Back in 2012, it became one of the UK's largest ports. It remains the UK's largest port by tonnage capacity, handling 55 million tonnes of the country's cargo each year. The port plays a vital role in facilitating the IK supply chain, ensuring sustainable power generation in the country. This is because the port will be connected to the rest of the country by the Humber River, which is largely considered to be the mouth of the UK's energy estuary.
The Port of Immingham handles 10 million tonnes of coal and 20 million tonnes of oil, cementing the port's position as access to the country's energy. Their ro-ro service serves the Scandinavian, Nordic and Baltic markets as the port is less than 24 hours away from these markets.
5. Port of Liverpool
This port is the most central port in the UK. This makes it versatile in handling all types of cargo, including agricultural bulk, container, automotive, dry bulk, forest products, energy products, metals, ro-ro, liquid bulk and project cargo.
The port has a large $400 million shipping terminal that welcomes large ships. But the port itself is also a tourist attraction. It is home to some of the country's timeless classic buildings, known as Liverpool's three charms. Arranged along the waterfront, they stand in the splendor of Edwardian Baroque architecture.
