Associated British Ports (ABP) owns and operates the Port of Plymouth along with 20 other ports in the United Kingdom. The Parliament established the British Transport Docks Board in 1962 and reconstituted it in 1983 as Associated British Ports, when the group was incorporated and ABP Holdings PLC (APBH) was floated on the London Stock Exchange. In 2006, ABPH was acquired by a consortium of private investors and de-listed from the stock exchange. Today, ABP Ports is a subsidiary of that consortium, ABP Jersey Ltd.

The Port of Plymouth benefits from its large natural harbor, Plymouth Sound. Its Milbay Docks contain a 13-hectare tidal basin and a 200-meter long berth and anchorage for vessels to 300 meters long. The Port of Plymouth’s popularity with ocean-going cruise lines, and it is base of England’s shortest ferry route to western France and the Iberian Peninsula.

The Port of Plymouth is fully-equipped with specialized facilities to handle passengers and freight. ABP created new facilities to serve Brittany Ferries carrying both freight and passengers to France and northern Spain. At Millbay Docks, a state-of-the-art passenger terminal facilitates the efficient flow of traffic.

The Port of Plymouth also has facilities that facilitate the movement of a variety of cargoes. The West Wharf can handle vessels to 200 meters long with 8.5 meters draft, and the Trinity Pier accommodates vessels to 120 meters long with 5 meters draft. The Port also offers 5.4 thousand square meters of covered storage and about 34 thousand square meters of open storage. The Port of Plymouth’s roll-on/roll-off ramp can accommodate ro-ro vessels with capacity to 180 tons. The first-class cruise and ro-ro facilities available at the Ferryport include a modern passenger terminal.

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