Associated British Ports (ABP) has officially opened its Vancouver Timber Terminal at the Port of Kings Lynn. Named after Captain George Vancouver, who originated from the town, the new facility provides 3,000 sq m of undercover storage.

Timber volumes at the port have seen a year-on-year uplift of 85% to keep pace with increased demand for use in construction, manufacturing and DIY in 2021.

ABP has invested over £1.4m in the new Dutch Barn undercover storage facility which is 130m by 25m and could accommodate 120 stacked double decker buses. Now that works are complete, it is expected that the facility will be full to the brim in less than two weeks.

Building and civil engineering company Britcon completed the works at the port. Construction took over five months and supported 20 jobs.

James Wild, MP for North West Norfolk, said: “This investment in new facilities to support high demand from construction and other sectors is a vote of confidence in Norfolk. As the economy continues to bounce back, ABP King’s Lynn’s crucial trading links are playing an important role in driving growth across the country.”

Andrew Harston, Director of Wales and Short Sea Ports for ABP, said: “I am delighted to see this facility open and ready to meet our growing demand. ABP King’s Lynn has handled increased volumes of timber this last year and we expect that this trend will continue.”

The 39-hectare (97 acre) Port of King’s Lynn handles around 500,000 tonnes of goods each year comprising dry bulks, forest products, steel and other metals.

Working tirelessly towards ABP’s mission of ‘Keeping Britain Trading’, the port continues its commitment to support the recovery of the UK economy, and the variety of industries in which ABP’s customers are involved.

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