Bristol Port Company

The Bristol Port Company has invested heavily in container handling equipment at both Royal Portbury and the Avonmouth Terminal. Both terminals now have the capacity to handle significant container traffic. In providing marine services, stevedoring and quayside operations, Bristol is able to offer a complete package to both deep-sea and short-sea container operators using its permanently employed workforce.

Bristol is rapidly gaining favour with container shippers because of its central UK location and low haulage rates. Bristol prides itself on fast vessel and road haulage turnaround.

The Portbury Container Terminal

The Portbury container terminal has a quay length of 600 metres and can accommodate vessels of up to 14.5 metres draft. The berth is served by three quay cranes; one Panamax, two Post-Panamax. The latest Post-Panamax was delivered in September 2006 and can service vessels up to 17 containers across.

Containers are transferred to and from the container yard by Mafi trailer sprung chassis where they are handled by a combination of RTGs and reach stackers.

The yard has a capacity of 3,000 teu and has plug in points for up to 100 reefer containers.

Portbury has over 1.2 million sq ft of modern warehousing adjacent to the container storage area and offers competitive transhipment and warehousing opportunities within the Port.

MSC operates a weekly feeder between Bristol and Antwerp that connects with all of MSC's worldwide services, which all issue Bristol Bills of Lading.

Grimaldi operate a weekly service to and from Mediterranean; weekly service to Wallhamn, Sweden and Esbjerg, Denmark; weekly service to Cork, Ireland.

The Avonmouth Container Terminal

The Avonmouth Container Terminal provides a service as a local railhead for both marine and domestic containers. The terminal has a quay length of 450 metres and can accommodate vessels of up to 11 metres draft. The berth is served by two gantry cranes. The quay is rail connected.

Containers are stacked in an integral yard and all handling is by the rail mounted gantries which deliver directly to both road and rail.

The yard has a capacity of 3,500 teu including reefer stacks.

Avonmouth has a transhipment facility as well as adjacent warehousing.

Presently DSL (DFDS Suardiaz Line) and MacAndrews operate a joint weekly service linking Bilbao and Bristol.

Container Control and Customs Clearances

The Port has a fully integrated container control system with real time access for lines and operators. The container system is directly linked with HM Customs & Excise allowing shippers to obtain paperless clearances remotely and shipping lines to control container/transport release through a secure PIN number.

Contacts

For further information, please call
James Stangroom on +44 (0)117 982 0000