www.truckandtrack.com Autumn 2022 Truck and Track 79 PORTS Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading ports group, has teamed up with The Excelsior Trust to host a one-off international smack race celebrating the centenary of Lowestoft’s own fishing vessel, the Excelsior LT472. Around 25 smacks took part in the race, including the 78ft Boy Leslie from Norway and the 68ft Swan from The Faroe Islands. A smack is the name given to traditional sailing vessels, usually with red sails, used off the coast of Britain and America for most of the 19th century. ABP has supported the historic race by providing free-of-charge berths at Lowestoft Haven Marina, sponsoring burgees for all competing vessels and providing a trophy for the winner of the small smack race, also known as the ‘Tosher’ vessel. John Wylson of the Excelsior Trust, commented: “Modern Lowestoft exists because of fishing, and the greatest period of expansion was driven by vessels like Excelsior. “As one of the last of the famous Lowestoft smacks to be built, she is today a living link with the town’s great entrepreneurial past. The Excelsior also provides young people with the opportunity to get to know and appreciate the sea, which is important because it takes up 200 degrees of Lowestoft’s hinterland. “The pandemic prevented us celebrating Excelsior’s centenary last year, so we are particularly grateful for the support of the historic vessels that have come out of ‘covid sleep’ to take part, and to ABP, without whom we would not have been able to put on this special event.” The winner of the race, Zulu RELY, was presented with their prize by Kate Moran, ABP Operations Coordinator in Lowestoft. Commenting on the race, Kate, said: “Seeing these historic vessels adorn the waters of Lowestoft was a truly unforgettable experience. So many of our ABP colleagues were involved in the organisation of the event, from our marina team to marine and operations. It is fantastic to see it become such a success and spread awareness of our important maritime heritage.” ABP Lowestoft hosts international heritage vessel race L to R: Tom Rashbrook, ABP Lowestoft General Purpose Marine Operative; Lucy Edmonds, ABP Marina Manager; Kate Moran, ABP Lowestoft Operations Coordinator; Tom Duit, ABP Lowestoft Operations Manager The Grimsby River Terminal (GRT) welcomed the first deep sea car carrier powered by a multi-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG)/ battery hybrid engine carrying a cargo of Kia vehicles. MV Auto Achieve, owned by United European Car Carriers (UECC), was built this year at the Jiangnan Shipyard, China, and is the second pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) vessel in its sustainable fleet. It is also the first Eukor vessel to come to the GRT, as these deep-sea carriers usually berth at the Port of Immingham’s Humber International Terminal (HIT). Simon Bird, Regional Director for the Humber Ports said: “We are delighted that Kia have chosen the Port of Grimsby to bring this car carrier to. This is a great opportunity to see how sustainable vessels can be and LNG fuelled ones are growing in popularity. We expect to see more of them in our ports as operators look to lower their carbon footprint.” Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK Ltd commented: “At Kia our vision is to become a truly sustainable, responsible and innovative mobility solutions leader, this is outlined in a clear and achievable strategy leading up to 2045 when we’ve committed to achieve carbon neutrality. Part of this plan focusses on collaboration with our supply chain partners to achieve lower emissions throughout our entire value chain. UECC’s MV Auto Achieve vessel is a great example of innovation to enhance emissions reduction and we’re proud to have our new electrified vehicles transported via one of the cleanest methods possible today.” Daniel Gent, Energy and Sustainability Manager, UECC, said: “We are delighted to welcome to Grimsby our vessel Auto Achieve, the greenest and most technologically advanced car carrier built to date. Powered by a multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid system, our customers benefit from a carbon reduction up to 40% whilst transporting their cargo onboard. “Additionally, the vessel’s unique design allows for improved air quality in the port and the local area. Grimsby is an important place that holds more than 30 years of history for our organisation, and we are immensely proud to see our newest vessel here today.” According to UECC, these multi-fuel engine vessels enable a carbon dioxide emissions reduction of around 25%, SOx and particulate matter by 90% and NOx by 85% from the use of LNG and are also adaptable for low-carbon fuels such as bio-LNG and synthetic fuels as these become available. Grimsby River Terminal welcomes first sustainable car carrier TRUCK & TRAILER SOLUTIONS WELCOME TO ALLPORTS GROUP allportsgroup.co.uk
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