Archive (30.08.05)
INCREASE IN ACTIVITY CONTINUES AT ABERDEEN HARBOUR
New records set in busy half year
Aberdeen Harbour continued to attract increasing traffic in the first half of this year, following record levels of cargo and shipping in 2004.
A total of 2.3 million tonnes of cargo passed through the port in the six months to June, the highest half-year figure yet and compared with 2.2 million tonnes in the same period last year.
Harbour Board Chief Executive, Barclay Braithwaite, commented: "It is encouraging to see the overall increase continuing this year and that it is again coming from a wide range of traffic."
The offshore industry set a half-year record with 1.02 million tonnes, a rise of around 46,000 tonnes, while commercial traffic, at just over 1 million tonnes, also showed an increase, including for grain exports which were up more than 20,000 tonnes at almost 53,000 tonnes.
While the number of ships using the port fell slightly to 3,850, the trend towards larger vessels - which led to a record tonnage in 2004 for the sixth year in succession - was seen again, with shipping reaching the highest half-year figure yet, at over 9,987,000 tonnes, up from 9,975,000 tonnes.
The half-year tonnage of oil-related vessels using Aberdeen, the centre of offshore industry activity, passed 6 million tonnes for the first time.
The number of passengers continued to rise - up more than 6,000 to 61,328, due mainly to the increase on the daily roll-on/roll-off ferry between Aberdeen and Orkney and Shetland. Cruise ship passengers also use the port.
August 2005
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