NEW CONTRACT WON FOR ABP TROON’S ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TIMBERLINK SERVICE
Associated British Ports (ABP) – which owns and operates the Scottish ports of Ayr and Troon – has been awarded a new contract to continue its timberLINK service, the environmentally friendly initiative that transports timber by sea rather than via the congested road network.
The timberLINK operation ships around 100,000 tonnes of timber a year, from the four ports of Ardrishaig, Campbeltown, Portavadie and Sandbank, to ABP’s Port of Troon, where the timber is then forwarded to local wood-processing plants. The service prevents some 8,000 lorry journeys – which would otherwise snarl up the roads between Argyll and Ayrshire – from taking place.
Stuart Cresswell, ABP Port Manager, Troon, said: “timberLINK has been an incredible success since it started in 2000 and is now one of the Port of Troon’s most important business ventures. As well as benefiting the environment by taking lorries off the road, we are also glad to be in a position to facilitate and, therefore, support this fundamental Scottish industry.”
Derek Nelson of Forestry Commission Scotland said: “The timberLINK initiative helps reduce the number of lorries travelling on fragile rural roads and has been very successful since its introduction. It has provided a valuable solution for the transportation of timber and we are glad to award this new contract to ABP.”
Matt Jukes, ABP Port Director, Short-Sea Ports, said: “ABP controls a network of strategically placed short-sea ports all around the coast of the UK. Wherever possible, we are keen to promote the waterborne transit of freight between such ports, rather than by road. The timberLINK initiative is a perfect example of how short-sea shipping, through tailored logistics solutions, can benefit a wide range of different parties.”
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