MILFORD HAVEN REPORTS STRONG 2002 SHIPPING PERFORMANCE

Milford Haven Port Authority has reported a strong performance in shipping activity for 2002, with calendar year-end figures showing that both gross tonnage and the number of ships using the port were up on the previous year.

The number of ships using the facilities of the West Wales deep-water port from January to December 2002 was up by nearly 3% at 3,445, whilst gross tonnages rose to just short of 48,360,000, an increase of 4.4%.

General manager Ted Sangster welcomed the figures, which he said were achieved even with a gradual decline over the year in ships discharging at the Petroplus refinery.

“We’ve been particularly pleased to see traffic to the TotalFinaElf and Chevron Texaco facilities increasing healthily over the year, generating 7% and 6% more in gross tonnage respectively in 2002,” he said.

“The Authority has pursued a rigorous policy in recent years of offering extremely high safety standards and service levels which we believe have played a significant part in our customers making increased use of Milford Haven.”

Recent innovations and investments at the Port include the routine active escorting of all vessels over 50,000 dwt, and the installation of a new £700,000 state-of-the-art vessel tracking system – an integrated radar, communications and information handling system that supports the Authority’s Port Control centre.

“Milford Haven prides itself on maintaining high standards in all its operations,” said Mr Sangster. “We look forward to seeing a continued increase in take up of our facilities by our customers in 2003, and to the continued economic property which this brings to West Wales.”