Busy harbour

LERWICK Port Authority is benefiting from the upsurge in oil and gas exploration work as well as a record breaking cruise liner season.

The port’s deputy chief executive Victor Sandison said this week that tonnage of vessels handled at the harbour during the first nine months of 2012 was already matching the annual total for 2010.

“The tonnage rise has been generated by the increasing use of the harbour by larger oil-related and cruise industry vessels in particular, a catalyst for which has been the continuing development of deep-water infrastructure.

“It also reflects a busy time for our harbour pilots, with 1,046 pilotage movements for the period, up 14 per cent, with 7.7 million gross tonnes of vessels piloted, up 28 per cent, compared to the same nine months in 2011,” he said.

With 484 oil-related arrivals, up 13.6 per cent, and the tonnage of vessels up 50 per cent at 2.2 million gross tonnes, the sector handled 52 per cent more cargo, at 107,427 tonnes.

Total cargo across Lerwick’s quays to the end of September 2012 rose 15.3 per cent to 745,900 tonnes.

Meanwhile, the number of passengers arriving on board cruise liners increased by 22 per cent to 37,572. However, ferry passengers decreased by 5.4 per cent to 100,867.