Dryport is an Interreg North Sea project that aims at shifting the transport of freight from road to rail and inland waterways. Dryports are the extensions of gateway ports in the inland or in other words: vital functions are moved from a harbour to a more or less remote freight combi-terminal.

What is a dryport?

• A dryport is a hinterland intermodal freight transport hub. With effective planning and careful choice of location, dryports can significantly increase the capacity and efficiency of existing sea ports and provide them with vital support, while shifting traffic off the roads and on to rail or inland waterway wherever possible.
• A dryport provides valuable space for logistics and onward distribution activities. Many sea ports have little room left to expand or they are adjacent to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so land available for logistics activities is limited.
• The development of a dryport or combination of dryports helps local infrastructure to cope with increased demand as ports handle growing volumes of cargo.

The Dryport project

• Dryport is a three-year public/private sector European project with core partners drawn from the ports and logistics sector and from local authorities representing important logistics areas.
• The total funding for Dryport is €4,870,750. Of this, 50% is European funding and 50% is match funding from partners.
• The region of Västra Götaland, in Sweden, is the lead partner in Dryport. As well as the Haven Gateway and Babergh District Council, other core partners are: the Port of Gothenburg, Sweden; Falköping Kommun, Sweden; the Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium; the Edinburgh Gateway, Gemeente Emmen, the Netherlands; and the Province of Friesland, the Netherlands.

Why Dryport benefits the Haven Gateway

• Within the Dryport project, the Haven Gateway will be identifying suitable dryport sites. Road and rail links are being discussed, along with the possibility of setting up innovative short shuttle rail services to and from the port facilities.
• As well as helping port capacity, Dryport will look at better planning to reduce the number of trucks on the roads. The Haven Gateway believes that careful planning of logistics sites can promote "greener" transport solutions.

Status

As at 14/09/2008 - Dryports - A modal Shift in Practice

The opening conference of this new EU Dryport project was held in Gothenburg on 3^rd & 4^th September 2008, within which the Haven Gateway and Babergh District Council are partners. Other partners are the region of Västra Götaland, in Sweden, which is the lead partner in Dryport, the Port of Gothenburg, Sweden; Falköping Kommun, Sweden; the Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium; Gemeente Emmen, the Netherlands; and the Province of Friesland, the Netherlands.

The launch of "Dryport - a modal shift in practice" has important implications for Felixstowe and the rest of the Haven Gateway's ports, shipping, transport and logistics sector.

The project is in its early stages and within the UK a private sector steering group is being formed to help the public agencies ensure that Dryport will support private sector aims and objectives.