An Irish flagged cargoship, Arklow Fern with a cargo of wheat partly destined for the world-famous Scotch whisky industry, recently made a coastal passage between two ports operated by Associated British Ports.

On board the 2010 Spanish built Arklow Fern was 4,393 tonnes of wheat which was taken by sea, rather than road, a saving 61,535 lorry miles. According to ABP, this more sustainable form of transport, approximately equated to a reduction of 82 tonnes in carbon emissions.

The 89m long cargoship on 20th July, completed the sailing from the ABP's Port of Ipswich in south-east England to another ABP port, Ayr in south-west Scotland.

At both ends of this sustainable maritime supply chain, the stock of wheat cargo can be stored efficiently, at the quayside in the Suffolk Port of Ipswich, and in store at the Port of Ayr. The latter port in Ayrshire, specialises in handling dry bulks, including salt, animal feed, heavy lift and forest products.

Andrew Harston, Regional Director, ABP said, “ABP is keen to support our customers in creating more sustainable supply chains. This shipment of wheat is a great example of a collaborative approach to make a positive difference towards our shared sustainability goals and shows how shifting to shipping from road reduces carbon emissions significantly.”

Together with customers, ABP’s Scottish ports of Ayr and Troon contribute over £40 million to the UK economy every year, including £28 million locally.

In another development that took place earlier this year, ABP completed its investment of £2.2 million to upgrade all front-line machinery at its Port of Ayr, demonstrating its commitment to its customers and mission of keeping Britain trading.

Also along the Ayrshire coast is ABP’s Port of Troon, which is celebrating 21 years of running the TimberLINK service, which handles over 100,000 tonnes of timber each year and has reduced carbon emissions by more than 1,200 tonnes every year since 2000.

In both its Scottish ports, ABP maintains the region’s competitiveness, agility and resilience by continued investment in infrastructure, equipment and systems, while supporting its own sustainability goals as well as those of its customers.