By Richard Morton, Projects Director, Haven Gateway

The Haven Gateway has played a core role in the EU Dryport project since its formation two years ago – and this September we will proudly take ‘centre stage’ when we host Dryport’s annual general meeting and conference.

We are looking forward to welcoming Dryport partners and colleagues from across Europe for two days of discussions and operational visits.

It’s an event that promises some thought-provoking presentations and discussions – because we are taking on the challenge of bringing together the worlds of politics and business. Of course, the Haven Gateway’s earliest foundations were built on close cooperation and communication across and between public and private sectors. The Dryport meeting is an ideal opportunity to compare and contrast difference experiences in the project partners’ own regions.

Day one of the conference will provide a forum for politicians to discuss how infrastructure, such as dryports, is developed in different countries, and the variations in approach, national support and available funding options.  This will be followed by an evening reception with businesses from around the Haven Gateway and other Dryport partners’ regions.

On day two, the focus will be on operational matters. Working with Hutchison Ports (UK) at the Port of Felixstowe, the core group of Dryport managers will take a detailed look at a range of operational areas, including rail management, rail infrastructure, IT, vessel loading, and the systems required to handle very large volumes of containers on a day-to-day basis. Felixstowe is by far the UK’s largest container port, and it is also one of Europe’s biggest, so there will be plenty of interest for the visitors – who will also be able to view the newly built deepwater development, Berths 8 & 9.

The past few months have been busy ones for the Dryport partners, will activities ranging from an official opening at Falköping, Sweden, to a joint seminar held with the EU Food Port project in Bruges, Belgium, to discuss the challenges of intermodalism, seaports and inland logistics in the European context.

One of our own key projects, as joint Dryport partners with Babergh District Council, has been the development of a unique Containerised Cargo Carbon Calculator.

The Carbon Calculator enables users to compare road, rail and water transport options, to help them make the right choices for moving freight, while considering carbon emissions. This study has implications beyond the Haven Gateway, with the possibility to expand it to cover the whole of Europe.

In another Dryport project, our Destination and Origin Study is progressing well. We are looking to establish real evidence of container flows to and from the Haven Ports and the result should be a really valuable set of data and analysis. The study will also predict future trends, which will help to provide a robust evidence base for further port and logistics-related developments in the subregion.

With the two new deepwater berths at Felixstowe, major plans for expansion at Harwich and the projected substantial long-term growth in container traffic, it is crucial that we understand these traffic flows as we plan future infrastructure investments.