#StoneRecord – One of Arklow Shipping's series of newest 'green' credential hull design newbuilds, Arklow Bay sailed from Belfast to deliver a record shipment of stone to a UK east coast port plant, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Arklow Bay, the second of the six 'green' or B class 8, 660dwt newbuilds which entered service a year ago having been launched Ferus Smit's Dutch yard, called recently to the Port of Ipswich.
The 119m long hull designed to improve operating efficiency and carry bulk-orientated cargoes had on this occasion discharged 8,229 tonnes of stone, the largest in the port's history.
The stone loaded on the Arklow Shipping Netherlands B.V. cargoship was for Lafarge Tarmac's asphalt plant at the ports Cliff Quay. The cargo delivery was welcomed by port owners, Associated British Ports as the stone total came close to a thousand tonnes more than a previous record of 7,371 tonnes.
Receiving aggregates on a vessel of this size was according to Lafarge Tarmac's Nigel Stephenson, Production Manager, "a great opportunity to contribute to a reduction in our carbon footprint and to help us provide the best possible solutions in a growing construction market."
Materials for the construction industry represented around 30% of Ipswich's total tonnage in 2014. Asides stone, materials include bricks, sand, gravel and cement which are vital raw materials for the region's construction industry.
In that year, during October, a sister of Arklow Bay, the third in the six-ship series, Arklow Beacon made her maiden voyage from the same Dutch yard at Westerbroek. The Dutch flagged vessel arrived in the port to load up to 7,000 tonnes of wheat while en-route to Lisbon.
Alastair MacFarlane, ABP Port Manager East Anglia said; "The Port of Ipswich is a key gateway to markets for the region's construction industry."
Nigel Stephenson, Production Manager Lafarge Tarmac said; ""Receiving aggregates on a vessel of this size is a great opportunity for Lafarge Tarmac to contribute to a reduction in our carbon footprint and to help us provide the best possible solutions in a growing construction market."
Together, ABP Ipswich supports 1,812 jobs locally and contributes £122 million to the regional economy.
