The Port of Felixstowe and Danish ferry operator DFDS are planning a significant increase in roll-on/roll-off capacity at the Suffolk port amidst growing interest from shippers in ro/ro and short sea container links as they seek to avoid risks to their supply chains from Brexit.

The plan agreed involves increasing ro/ro capacity at Felixstowe by over 40 per cent through investment in a new linkspan, tractor units and additional trailer parking facilities. Clemence Cheng, CEO of the port’s owner Hutchison Ports, said: “This investment is driven by our long-term confidence in the ro/ro route between Felixstowe and Rotterdam. We are seeing increasing interest in both ro/ro and short sea container connections at all three of our UK ports as shippers seek to minimise risks to their supply chains resulting from Brexit.”

Demand on DFDS’s service to Rotterdam has grown steadily in recent years and the ferry operator has agreed a new contract for the service at Felixstowe for another 15 years. “The new contract includes a significant investment by Hutchison Ports replacing one of our existing ro/ro bridges with a modern floating linkspan capable of handling the latest generation of ro/ro vessels and creating over 300 additional trailer spaces for unaccompanied ro/ro traffic, ” said Clement Cheng.