As the UK’s biggest container port in 2024, the Port of Felixstowe attracts the world’s largest cargo vessels. A recent £130m of investment by the Harwich Haven Authority to deepen the harbour approach channel has strengthened Felixstowe’s unique ability amongst UK ports to accommodate the world’s biggest vessels. On average over 35 trains also leave the port every weekday for locations throughout the UK.
Using global connections to drive domestic and international investment
With £250m of inward investment attracted to Freeport East in the first two years of operation it has highlighted the unique attraction for major manufacturers and trade-based businesses offered by the combination of the Port of Felixstowe’s global connections and strategic road and rail links to the rest of the UK.
Capitalising on these benefits will be a focus for Freeport East in 2025 with a number of new developments planned.
Over 9 million sqft of new business and logistics space has been planned or delivered across the Freeport East area in recent years, giving investors and occupiers a range of options.
Preparatory work will commence soon on groundworks and utilities to support the 32 hectare Freeport East Felixstowe tax site development which, together with a package of dedicated investment incentives available to occupiers, will provide up to 1.4m sqft of uniquely connected manufacturing and advanced logistics space only metres from where some of the world’s largest container ships berth.
This will complement the 68 hectare, 2.4m sqft Gateway 14 freeport site at Stowmarket which has already seen new investments from the UK, Germany and Turkey and continues to have a strong pipeline of interest.
Steve Beel, CEO at Freeport East said: “Off the back of a strong 2024, Freeport East is looking forward to progressing new investments to deliver growth and new jobs in 2025. As the UK’s primary maritime gateway with wide-ranging global connections, the Port of Felixstowe is a unique asset to enable us to attract both domestic and international investment.
“This coming year we’ll see further developments progressing in and around Felixstowe which will offer the opportunity to those involved in international manufacturing, logistics and clean energy to take advantage of this uniquely strategic location.
“With our ongoing Green Freight Corridor initiative with East Midlands Freeport, we also want to be spearheading the greenest supply chain options across the East of England and wider UK, with Felixstowe, Ipswich and the A14 corridor at the heart of that vision.”
Delivering greener transport
In Felixstowe Scottish Power will also be progressing their green hydrogen plans, complementing the wider Freeport East green hydrogen hub and providing new fuels capacity to support the Freeport East-East Midlands Freeport “Green Freight Corridor”.
Freeport East are also leading work to identify the grid capacity necessary to deliver a significant increase in transport decarbonisation through the Felixstowe hub, with new investments expected in the coming year.
Enhanced road and rail investments
Ahead of the upcoming publication of a Freeport East Transport Masterplan, which seeks to prioritise transport interventions to support the area’s growth potential, and an Action Plan for the Green Freight Corridor, there was also support for ongoing regional partnerships to continue pushing Government on investment at Ely/Haughley Junction and to provide long-term resilience for the A14 at the Orwell Bridge. Both are seen as critical to delivering the full economic ambition of Freeport East.
Skills to support employment demands
The Board also reviewed new skills programmes in the area, including support for Suffolk New College to deliver their Freeport East Skills Accelerator in support of freeport priority sectors, including logistics and clean energy.
A separate programme and recent Freeport East Innovation and Skills Fund recipient, Road to Logistics, has already identified the first cohort of local people to be trained into logistics roles as HGV drivers – a sector in which there continue to be significant need for new employees.
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Hannah Larvin
Editor, International Trade Magazine
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