Teesport

Teesport and the shipping industry

Teesport is one of the largest and busiest in the UK. It is an international port, importing and exporting to ports all over the world. Included in these destinations are all the major ports of Europe, Africa, Asia and America. In 2010 Teesport handled 35.5 million tonnes of cargo traffic, making it a UK leader within the industry. The port is well located for inland transportation of cargo. Situated on the East coast of England, Teesport is just 7 miles from the centre of Middlesborough.

The main transit routes away from the port are the A19 and A66 arterial roads. The A19 travels North and South from Teesport. Taking the Northern route along the A19 would carry cargo up to Sunderland (35 miles). From here the obvious route to travel further north is to join the A1, which would take cargo into Scotland and ultimately to Edinburgh (164 miles). Containers in transit taking the A19 south would find the major destinations being York (54 miles) and Doncaster (89 miles). From Doncaster transporters can then link with the M1 motorway and travel further south to the Midlands and beyond. Cargo leaving the port and taking the A66 arterial road would travel west towards the Lake District, where it could link up with the M6. This major road could then take cargo North to Carlisle (100 miles), and across the border into Scotland. Travelling south along the M6 would ultimately take any cargo into Manchester (182 miles).

Teesport also incorporates the port of Hartlepool, maximising its capacity to handle container and bulk cargo. Teesport is the 3rd largest in the UK, handling over 6,000 ships annually, it also boasts two dedicated container quays. The annual handling capacity for the Teesport quays is 235,000 container units, but with an investment programme in place, this is set to increase significantly. The planned increase will enable the port to handle 450,000 container units each year, which would cement its position as a leader within the UK and Europe.