Associated British Ports (ABP) has continued its investment in the Port of Ipswich with the purchase of a new fleet of forklift trucks.

East Anglian Daily Times: The new Hansa Bulk Terminal at the Port of King's Lynn. Picture: Stephen Waller - www.stephenwaller.comThe new Hansa Bulk Terminal at the Port of King's Lynn. Picture: Stephen Waller - www.stephenwaller.com (Image: © Stephen Waller)

ABP committed to a total spend of £5.4m on facilities Ipswich during 2016, including a new £2.2m, 40,000sq ft bulk store which opened in April this year, when the group also announced a further £1.1m investment in a new Mantsinen hydraulic crane.

The new Linde forklift trucks, which include air conditioning and the latest in fuel-efficient engines, represent a spend of £170,000.

Andy Constable, head of operations at Ipswich, said: “We maintain a close focus on efficiency across all our processes to ensure cost-effectiveness, safety and operational improvements across all our ports. The new models we have acquired will provide unprecedented levels of reliability and reduced cost of operation, helping us to deliver significant operational savings for our customers.

“As we continue to build up our fleet of forklift trucks, we are looking to achieve optimum levels of reliability and performance together with advanced technology for reduced wear and tear and improved ergonomics for our operators.”

The Port of Ipswich handled 2.6m tonnes of cargo last year, a 13% increase compared with 2015, and the figure is expected to show substantial growth again this year as the full benefit of recent investments starts to appear.

Elsewhere in East Anglia, ABP’s Port of Lowestoft continues to be boosted by a range of work, including cargo, survey and supply vessels along with tug boats, and the group’s Port of King’s Lynn has just celebrated the official opening of a new £2.2m bulk store terminal.