In a ceremony on board his company’s PCTC (pure car and truck carrier), MS MANON, Bjorn O Tonsberg, President Region Europe, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, signed an agreement with ABP represented by Andrew Kent, Port Director for Southampton, to start work on a GBP3 million (US $4.3 million dollars) car-handling terminal in Southampton’s Eastern Docks.

The new multi-deck facility at Berth 34 will occupy a footprint of approximately one hectare, providing almost five hectares (11.75 acres) of storage on five levels. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year and provide storage for up to 3,120 cars that, together with existing storage areas, will increase Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s car-handling capacity from 205,000 to 357,000 vehicles per annum. Four of the decks will be covered to afford greater protection for vehicles from the elements, a spokesperson for the carrier said.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen expects to handle up to 130,000 units through the new facility in its first year of operation, of which 20,000 will be imports. Car makers will have online access to information about their vehicle shipments.

As part of the deal a dedicated terminal for cars and a separate high and heavy RoRo area is provided in the Eastern Docks for Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s use.

Bjorn O Tonsberg said: Our agreement with Associated British Ports will help ensure that our automotive customers gain access to the latest car-handling solutions in Europe. The new terminal in Southampton represents a major development for Wallenius Wilhelmsen in the UK, one of our most important markets in Europe, for the import and export of cars.

Andrew Kent remarked: As the largest automotive port in the UK, Southampton has continually kept ahead of customer needs for quality and efficiency. This latest facility – a first in the UK – underlines ABP’s commitment to handling growth in business expected over the next decade.

Craig Jasienski, Managing Director for Wallenius Wilhelmsen UK, said: The new facility will provide us with enough terminal capacity to cater for the growth of our customers’ export programmes well into the next decade.

The terminal will incorporate the latest car-handling safety features and computer technologies, such as a bar-coding system that will scan cars as they enter the terminal and help offer tighter controls over inventory. Padded stanchions, high-grade lighting and a one-way traffic flow system will be incorporated into the terminal’s design to minimise the risk of damage to vehicles and enable Wallenius Wilhelmsen to maintain the exacting global car-handling standards required by today’s automotive industry.

During the construction of the facility, Wallenius Wilhelmsen will be using alternative storage areas that are far-removed from the construction area. This move will ensure the safe handling of vehicles while maintaining an efficient terminal operation in the port area, which currently handles up to seven Wallenius Wilhelmsen vessels a week.

The major customers at the UK South Coast port of Wallenius Wilhelmsen include Land Rover, MG Rover, Jaguar and Gefco (Peugeot) cars, which are

exported to the US, Asia and Australia, while BMW and Ford are imported through Southampton.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen is the world’s largest provider of vehicle and RoRo transportation services. The company transports 1.8 million vehicles by sea and 1.4 million vehicles by land annually. It operates around 65 modern ships carrying up to 6,050 cars each on 14 trade routes.