DECEMBER has proved a remarkably successful month for Britain's newest port based in Thurrock.

Parent company Forth Ports has reported a 20 per cent increase in unaccompanied freight volumes between its new Tilbury2 roll-on, roll-off facility and Zeebrugge in December.

The route has been so successful that P&O Ferries has added an additional freight ferry vessel to the route to cope with immediate demand., some of which has been caused by the short term ban on accompanies vehicles travelling from Dover to France.

Forth Ports chief executive Charles Hammond said: "The coronavirus pandemic has brought the UK's vulnerabilities to the fore. However, breakdown presents an opportunity for breakthrough to create a more resilient UK.

"Having just completed the construction of a new £250 million Brexit-ready and COVID-19 compliant freight ferry terminal – Tilbury2 – the opportunities for unaccompanied freight are boundless.

"Breakdown of production lines, unpredictable industrial relations and increasing pan-European lorry driver shortages have led many in the logistics industry to examine the reliability of their current delivery options.

"With passengers largely disappearing from ferries across the North Sea, The Channel and the Irish Sea, the coronavirus epidemic has completely changed the dynamics of the logistics industry.

"In the absence of a cross-subsidy from passengers to freight units, greater exposure of the true end-to-end cost of moving goods is emerging. Combine this with the need to abate climate change, reduce road congestion, tackle poor air quality and level up the economies of the regions, the momentum for change is growing.

"By bringing goods closer to the point of consumption or production, we could and should see new ferry and container shipping routes springing up.

"Combine this positive with the greater use of rail for inward distribution, unaccompanied freight is the answer to a number of the questions of our time."

The year has ended with a number of local successes for Forth Ports.

Mr Hammond recently spoke up about its readiness for post-Brexit trade , following £260 million of investment across the three unitised terminals at Grangemouth, Tilbury and Tilbury2 and their rail connections.

In addition

• Despite strong pandemic headwinds, Forth Ports' trade routes have grown substantially.
• The Tilbury-Zeebrugge ro-ro route has recorded 7% annualised growth in the first six months of Tilbury2's operation.
• London Container Terminal at Tilbury has added five new routes in 2020 – stretching from north Africa to Norway – with a 35% increase in European trade this year alone.