Dunkerque-Port wishes to clarify certain points following the article which appeared in the Dunkirk edition of La Voix du Nord on Sunday 15 January.
"The statements that cross-Channel links would be affected by the operation of the future LNG terminal are inaccurate," says the Management of Dunkerque-Port.
The ferry operator DFDS Seaways, which provides regular crossings between the ports of Dunkirk and Dover, has been closely associated with the plans for the building of an LNG terminal since the beginning of the public consultation.
Contrary to what was stated in Sunday's article, the many simulations carried out have shown that cross-Channel traffic would not be affected by LNG carriers entering and leaving the port.
Furthermore, as concerns the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, DFDS Seaways is particularly interested in having a supply of liquefied natural gas for refuelling in the immediate vicinity, and sees the construction of an LNG terminal as an opportunity and not a threat.
The cross-Channel operator and Dunkerque-Port have been involved in a dynamic of development for more than ten years.
RoRo traffic rose 5% to 11.8 MT in 2011. Freight traffic, with more than 500,000 trucks and trailers, ended the year with an increase of 4%. Passengers and tourist traffic also performed well, with a record number of 2.6 million passengers and 850,000 cars.