Sphere No.43 (Oct 2017)

SPHERE #43 2017 16 PORTS FOCUS aymond Bull, Stevedore andWharf Superintendent, 1959–1976, recalls “I remember the first container being unloaded ... The very first container wot come to the dock.” With that, Felixstowe became Britain’s leader in a revolution that would make modern society possible. Global trade today would be the barest hint of the massive force it has become. The adoption of the standard container, a steel box that can be quickly transferred from train and lorry to ships, very soon did away with the millennia-old practice of packing ships willy-nilly. Felixstowe embraced the modern era of logistics on 1 July 1967, when Raymond Bull was a much younger dockworker. The single ship-to-shore crane stood on the New South Quay – now known as the Landguard Container Terminal – and only 152mwas dedicated to this new-fangled technology. Fifty years of development has led to today’s Felixstowe boasting nine berths, over R CELEBRATION 3,000m of deep-water quays and 31 ship-to- shore cranes. Expansion of all parts of the port, from rail development to new berths to accommodate the biggest mega vessels, will see a modern Felixstowe that is faster, cleaner and more vital to the future of Britain and global trade. THE REVOLUTION While container-type arrangements had been used in the past, it was the standardisation that drove efficiencies which made global transport cheaper and more efficient. An American businessman, Malcolm McLean, fought governments, unions and other vested interests to create the first dedicated container ship. He believed in the efficiencies to be gained in packing more cargo into a ship and reducing time at ports, meaning the asset could be at sea earning money. He was, of course, right. Those efficiencies lowered the cost of everything moved by ship. The Undercover Economist, Tim Harford, explains that a study of a standard cargo ship from 1954 showed that it cost about USD420 in today’s currency to ship a tonne of goods. Today, that number is about USD50 – or less. The “Box” drove an explosion of global trade. Loading and unloading times were slashed. Sealed containers meant that theft plummeted. Safety increased dramatically. Containers were more stable, so shifting and breakage were reduced. Shipping of goods that previously took months could now be executed in weeks. The Port of Felixstowe celebrates 50 years of containerised shipping, which launched its growth and defined its character. THINKING INSIDE THE BOX