News

ANOTHER RECORD YEAR FOR ACTIVITY AT ABERDEEN HARBOUR

Cargo and shipping tonnages increase again

Aberdeen Harbour sustained record activity in 2007, with cargo handled topping 5 million tonnes for the second year in succession and a further rise in the tonnage of shipping.

Colin Parker, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Harbour Board, said: "The figures reflect yet another very busy year for port users across all the main sectors.

"There has also been a strong start to 2008 and the outlook is very positive. The continuing level of performance is backed by recent, current and future Board projects with capital investment of £57 million planned for the next five years, and main charges held in 2008 for the ninth time in 10 years."

A total of 5.13 million tonnes of imports and exports were shipped through the port in 2007, compared with 5.11 million tonnes in 2006 when the milestone tonnage was passed for the first time.

Shipping added up to 24.02 million gross tonnes, a record for the ninth year in succession, and up from 23.46 gross tonnes in 2006. There was also a small increase to 8,481 in the number of vessels calling.

General cargo increased to 2.39 million tonnes (2.36 million tonnes), with growing exports of logs to Europe - first introduced in 2006 - among the factors. Oil-related shipments in support of industry operations in UK waters and elsewhere held steady at 2.34 million tonnes (2006 - 2.36 million tonnes).

Shellfish landings increased by a third and landings of industrial fish increased slightly. Direct landings of white fish, however, reduced to almost a half of the total for 2006.

The port was used by 137,330 passengers, (2006 - 141,154) mostly on the ferries to Orkney and Shetland in a year when both NorthLink vessels were out of service temporarily for upgrading of accommodation capacity and there was increased competition from subsidised air fares.