why use water?

With 1,072 miles of coastline and 2,000 miles of inland waterways in the UK, there is ample opportunity for increasing the amount of freight moved along the water. Currently, water accounts for only 9 percent of goods moved (excluding North Sea oil and sea-dredged aggregates). If this figure were to be significantly increased, the UK would reap a number of economic, environmental and social benefits.  In essence, water-freight transportation:

• Reduces congestion on UK roads
• Reduces demand to widen existing motorways or to build new trunk roads
• Provides a cost-savings for business supply chains
• Uses less fossil fuel than other transport modes
• Reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by approximately 80 percent
• Reduces the amount of nitrogen oxide released into the atmosphere by approximately 35 percent

Given these countless benefits, water proves an effective and useful alternative to road transport.  

For more information or to request a factsheet on water-freight transportation, contact Sea and Water staff.