(02.02.06)

ABERDEEN HARBOUR SETS NEW RECORDS FOR CARGO AND SHIPPING

Aberdeen Harbour's strengths as a regional resource and global gateway have been demonstrated again, with both the tonnage of cargo and shipping in 2005 reaching record levels.

Imports and exports totalled 4.85 million tonnes, compared with the previous record of 4.56 million tonnes in 2004. The main factors were increased shipments for the oil and gas industry in UK waters and further afield, including West Africa, and growth within various sectors of general cargo.

The port had trading links with more than 30 countries, in Europe, Africa, North and South America, Middle-east and Far-east.

Grain exports reached a new high at 72,999 tonnes, an increase of more than 30,000 tonnes on the previous year and more than 10 times the figure in 2002. Growth has been encouraged by the Board making a transit shed available as buffer storage ahead of shipment and by the port's capacity to handle larger vessels. New records were also set during the year for the volume of grain loaded in a day.

The shipment of animal feedstuffs - principally salmon feed to Shetland - almost doubled to around 53,000 tonnes.

Landings of white fish, industrial fish and shellfish totalled 23,561 tonnes, up from 22,214 tonnes, due to higher landings of industrial fish.

The closure of one of the region's paper mills was reflected in a decrease in the export of finished products, more than halved to under 23,000 tonnes.

While vessel arrivals held steady at 8,335, the gross tonnage of shipping was a new record for the seventh year in succession - at 21.7 million gross tonnes, compared with 21.1 million in 2004. In recent years, the Board have created 20 deep-water berths to accommodate larger vessels.

The port twice set records for the busiest week's shipping - the second time, vessels reaching 519,045 gross tonnes in a single week in November, compared with 497,000 gross tonnes in one week in 2004.

There was further increase, of over 8,500, in the number of passengers using the port, with most of the 140,952 sailing on the roll-on/roll-off ferries serving Orkney and Shetland and others on the 10 cruise ships which called in 2005, compared with seven in 2004.

Harbour Board Chief Executive, Barclay Braithwaite, said: "The figures highlight the port's existing capacity to handle increasing traffic and bigger ships at a time when further projects are underway or in planning to ensure that there are the facilities for even more activity in the future.

"The port has enjoyed a busy start to 2006 across various sectors, albeit any negative impact of the Government's increased oil tax is a cause for concern."

As a Trust Port, the Harbour Board reinvests all profits. Since the 1970s, more than £150 million has been spent on development and maintenance and the current five-year plan has a budget of around £44 million.

The figures were announced following the January board meeting at which members re-elected David Paton as Chairman and Keith Allan as Vice Chairman for 2006.

Note: the Board's financial results will be released at the end of the first quarter.

2nd February 2006