Aberdeen Harbour has today announced figures showing increases across vessel and cargo tonnage, arrivals and passengers.
The growing port saw a 5% rise in vessel tonnage in 2018 compared to 2017, with cargo tonnage and supply tonnage increasing by 3% and 6% respectively during the same period.
Dive support vessel (DSV) tonnage also grew by 26% last year.
Matt North, commercial director at Aberdeen Harbour Board, said: “We are very pleased to see our hard work rewarded in 2018. We embarked upon our ‘bring it back home’ initiative at the start of last year, with the intention of bringing DSV and other core oil and gas activity back into Aberdeen where the extensive supply chain and service network are based, and this has proved to be very successful.”
The port saw its passenger numbers grow in 2018.
Serco Northlink ferry passengers to and from the Northern Isles increased by 5% to over 151,000 passengers in 2018, whilst cruise passenger numbers went up by 71% during the year.
John McGuigan, port operations Manager, added: “In 2018 we experienced our highest number of cruise vessel passengers ever, with the port welcoming just under three-and-a-half thousand passengers.
“These results further indicate that Aberdeen is growing in popularity as a cruise and tourism destination. We are expecting similar levels of cruise activity in 2019 and, combined with the dozen cruise vessel bookings we already have for South Harbour in 2020, it is becoming clear to us that our cruise activity projections for the future will be realised, if not exceeded.”
