Torridge welcomes cargo ships to Appledore

Cargo ships are once again docking at Appledore, with three ships scheduled to arrive in October and November. Onlookers witnessed the 'Rix Sail', a ninety-one-metre bulk cargo ship, arrive at Newquay dock in Appledore on Friday 4^th October, after sailing from Klaipeda, Lithuania. The ship was carrying over 3,000 metric tons of animal feed pellets for Mole Valley Feed Solutions, destined for delivery to farms and their manufacturing sites in Devon.

The Rix Sail was the second ship to call at Newquay in Appledore. The shipyard and Torridge District Council, in partnership with other agencies, are exploring possibilities to reopen cargo passage by sea into Torridge.

The large ship was expertly guided into Appledore by Torridge District Council's Pilot, Paul Brown. The council through the Port of Bideford are the Competent Harbour Authority for the Taw and Torridge Estuary and are responsible for the safety of navigation and the provision of pilotage.

Typically, the animal feed cargo would originate from the east coast of the United Kingdom and then be transported by road to Devon. However, with the resurgence of the short sea passage directly from Lithuania and other parts of Europe to Devon, it is estimated that each ship direct into Appledore will remove between 110 to 120, articulated lorry journeys from the UK road network.

The combined efforts of multiple agencies have made it possible to reopen the River Torridge as a gateway to Devon. The third vessel, MV Greetje, arrived on her maiden voyage with the same cargo on Friday 18^th October. A fourth ship is scheduled to arrive in November.

Councillor Bob Hicks, Lead Member for Economy & Estates, said:

"We are delighted to witness the return of cargo ships to the Torridge Estuary. The choice to ship cargo into Torridge not only reduces the carbon footprint but also contributes to environmental sustainability. We are looking forward to welcoming more ships to the ports of Torridge, as the sight of these vessels is always a spectacular and well-received attraction for onlookers."

Frank Nickel, Head of Raw Material Supply Chain, Mole Valley Feed Solutions said:

"We are very pleased that we can work with Torridge District Council and Harland & Wolff at Appledore Shipyard in order to utilise existing infrastructure and equipment in the Torridge area.

"This allows us to bring our feed stuffs closer to the point of usage on farm and our manufacturing plants. The use of cargo vessels into Appledore allows us to supply North Devon in a sustainable and efficient manner. The benefits of this operation will hopefully be shared by all the stakeholders involved in our supply chain."