Bristol builds for the future

(Posted on 14/09/20)

Amid a decline in infrastructure investment during the COVID-19 crisis, Bristol Port was proud to buck the trend by

pressing ahead with the building of a multi-million-pound steel handling facility at Royal Portbury Dock.

The construction of the new 74,600 square ft facility, began in March, is specifically designed for the handling of high

quality steel coil, augmenting the existing infrastructure at the Port. With a high percentage of receivers based in the

Midlands and South Wales, Bristol boasts being the closest deep water Port to this important steel market, significantly

reducing delivery costs and reducing road transport emissions.

However, this is not the first time that Bristol Port and exclusive cargo partner GP Logistics have handled steel. James

Stangroom, Commercial Manager at the Port said “We have successfully handled steel coil imports since early 2017,

and receivers have been able to improve their productivity, thanks to the Ports close proximity to the M5 motorway.

Discussions with importers looking for deep sea capacity gave us the confidence to invest further in this trade. Our

current warehousing has been running at high capacity for the past couple of years and so we are pleased to be able

to boost this particular trade further at the Port.”

The new warehouse, which is only a 50m distance away from the unloading berth, features an overhead crane to allow

for higher storage density and more efficient picking and storing of coil, leading to improved service levels for the Port’s

David Pegg, Commercial Director at GP Logistics said “Shipping lines have made commitments to regular calls at Royal

Portbury Dock and we look forward to being of service to the wider steel community. GP Logistics are handling the

cargo as partners to The Bristol Port Company and are also offering customs clearance, road haulage and associated

services. With sister company GP Shipping acting as ships agent for the vessels, a smooth and efficient vessel arrival

and discharge is assured. We are confident that this new warehouse at Bristol Port, with its deep water berth, will offer

a superior service level to the steel trade.”

Earlier this month the Port welcomed its first shipment of steel on board MV Orient Dynasty to the Port, destined for

the new steel terminal. You can watch how the operation went here: https://youtu.be/u2aAlztO0FI

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