Swedish shipping line Ahlmark Lines AB has appointed the Port of Shoreham as its new southern terminal operator.
The first Ahlmark vessels are due in to Shoreham during February. Vessels will load cargoes at Kristinehamn on Lake Vänern and the east cost ports of Skelleftehamn and Iggesund.
Ahlmark UK managing director Tim Hollands told TTJ that the company was looking to ship at least 100,000m³ of sawn timber into the port in 2011.
“The feedback we were getting back from our customers was that their preferred port in the south was Shoreham,” he said.
Mr Hollands also said the port offered the benefits of providing a full turnkey package, rather than Ahlmark having to agree a series of separate agreements.
Shoreham Port chief executive Rodney Lunn said the port had invested significantly in its infrastructure over the last five years, with facilities now including 42,000m² of warehousing, 30 forklifts and three Sennebogen hydraulic cranes for discharging.
Alan Motterham, Shoreham Port’s general manager, said the agreement with Ahlmark should increase annual timber volumes at the port to more than 350,000m³ (2010: 250,000m³).
“All of our sheds have got timber in except one small one,” he said. “Hopefully we can build on the business.”
Mr Motterham said he recently met up with timber importers and Swedish sawmill representatives, who told him they were hoping for an upturn during the middle of the year.
The port is paving another four acres of land and plans to build a further shed.
Ahlmark UK’s previous southern terminal operation was at the Port of Rochester.
