A booming timber trade in South Wales has prompted Associated British Ports (ABP) to invest more than £0.5m at its Port of Cardiff.
Around £200,000 will be spent on creating a new four-acre timber terminal at Roath Dock to handle increased volumes of forest products for Timbermart UK, Western Log Group and to service the requirements of CM Willie’s fortnightly service from the Baltic states.
A further £320,000 will help Cardiff Stevedoring extend “H Shed”, also at Roath Dock, to cater for increased volumes of forest products and steel.
Clive Thomas, ABP deputy port manager, South Wales, said: “We saw last year, over the year before, an increase of about 50% in volume of forest products.”
He said the volume is made up of carcassing and pallet woods plus fencing poles and leisure timber products.
Initially the new terminal will be for open storage, but Mr Thomas said it is being created next to a large transit shed and it is envisaged that when the extension to that is built, one of the bays will be allocated to timber.
The terminal land is owned by the port authority and money is being spent on a tarmac surface, lighting and drainage. Mr Thomas said: “It is part of a 12 acre plot so we have plenty of room for expansion.”
Western Log Group managing director Robert James said: “We are seeing quite an upturn in the sales of agricultural fencing, landscaping products and furniture and our log cabin sales have gone from nothing to £800,000 in two years.
“This investment by ABP is very welcome as the extra space will make it easier for us to move material around.”
