COLD storage services are set to be reintroduced at Britain's biggest port, it was announced today.

Richard Cornwell

COLD storage services are set to be reintroduced at Britain's biggest port, it was announced today.

It is ten years since the Port of Felixstowe had a commercial cold storage and handling service.

The new deal between port owners Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited and Seafast Logistics Plc will see the creation of a four-phase development called Celsius.

The venture is part of the continuing development of what are known as port-centric logistics services.

This has provided importers with the opportunity to hold their cargoes at Felixstowe, and then sort them at the port ready for distribution across the country - rather than sending goods from the port hundreds of miles to distribution centres, only to be repacked and often sent back in the direction from which they came.

Chris Lewis, chief executive officer of HPUK, said the system was already up and working for a large number of dry goods shippers and bulk commodities, and now the port was keen to extend this to the cold chain and temperature-controlled consignments.

David Halliday, managing director of Seafast Group, said: “We have been exploring the market for such a facility for some time.

“There is undoubtedly a significant requirement for an on-port solution offering a range of services to carriers, importers and cargo owners all seeking to reduce their supply chain costs and improve their overall efficiency at this time.”

Seafast Celsius is due to be operational by the end of June.