Work has started on the latest phase of expansion at the Port of Felxistowe, to help it continue berthing the world’s biggest container ships.

The port, part of Hutchison Ports (UK), is extending Berth Nine by 190metres to “further extend (its) advantage as the port of choice for deep-sea container ship operators”.

Clemence Cheng, Hutchison Ports (UK) chief executive, said: “The scale of operations at the Port of Felixstowe already gives us the ability to berth more container ships simultaneously than any other port in the UK.

“The new extension will increase the berthing permutations we can offer and continue to ensure that we turn our customers’ vessels around in the quickest possible time.”

VSBW Joint Venture, a consortium of VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster, the lead contractor on the project, has started dredging 1million cubic metres of material to enable a new quay wall to be built.

Ian Cussons, VSBW project manager, said: “We were delighted to secure the contract for the Berth Nine extension at Felixstowe and are ready to mobilise the necessary resources in the very near future.”

The construction is due to be completed in mid-2015.