Port operator ABP has pledged to have “a seat at the table” during talks about potential Hull dock expansion created by the £1.5bn Lagoon project.
The ambitious plan, which would see a four-lane road constructed out into the River Humber, could also create a new outer harbour and dock space at the Port of Hull.
ABP said it supported the ambition to reduce congestion, tackle flood risk, and create new jobs in the port sector.
And while the operator said more work needed to be done on the Lagoon vision for Hull, it was keen to “sit at the table and explore the idea.”
Dafydd Williams, regional head of communications at ABP Humber, said: “It is an interesting idea and is certainly worthy of further study.
“We are very keen to get them (Lagoon team) around the table to explore it. The concept of creating an outer harbour is something which ABP has done in other places.
“The space it would create in Hull could be used to build on the region’s offshore wind sector, or for other things as well.”
Just across the Humber in Immingham, a similar outer harbour project has already been completed.
The two-phase build was needed due to larger bulk vessels which could not fit into the existing port in North East Lincolnshire.
The £1.5bn Lagoon Hull vision, unveiled on Friday morning, proposes a similar project on the north side of the Humber.
The development would create a new outer harbour to expand the existing Port of Hull, providing new quayside space to support the Humber’s low carbon ambitions.
Watch: The £1.5bn Lagoon Hull proposal
It will do this by providing new dock space needed for the renewable energy sector to further develop the port infrastructure required for the next generation of offshore wind.
Existing port terminals and operations will continue to operate as before, but with improved road connections and more opportunities for growth and expansion.
Mr Williams said: “We completely get the idea of Lagoon, and we need a big idea for the Humber.
“This is a really interesting concept. There has also been talk about how the outer harbour could support the currently empty enterprise zone in Paull.
“The development of anything that grows the port also grows the feasibility of that site.”
Under the Lagoon plans, existing bulk and general cargo operations together with ship repairing in the west would relocate to expanded port facilities to the east.
They could move to the as yet undeveloped Enterprise Zone land between Saltend and Paull or the new-look eastern outer harbour.
The possible expansion of the port in Hull is one of the big business drivers behind Lagoon Hull.
Mark O’Reilly, CEO and chairman at Team Humber Marine Alliance, said: “The Humber’s already the busiest port in the UK and one of the busiest in Europe.
“There’s an increasing demand for containerisation especially as more traffic is diverted from congested southern ports.
“The Humber’s also in a fantastic position to benefit from the continued expansion of offshore wind farms in the North Sea.
“With these developments, and the infrastructure improvements on and around the ports that will result from Lagoon Hull, we are setting the region up for many years of economic growth.”
A website has been set-up to enable people to show support for the project. Visit www.lagoonhull.co.uk for more information.
