The Inland Port at Riverlands in Marlborough. Photo: Supplied/QuayConnect
It's hoped a new inland port in Marlborough will speed up the region's ability to export New Zealand wine overseas.
The facility - located south of Blenheim at Riverlands - includes a 5,000 square metre warehouse, storage space for 350 20-foot containers and almost three additional hectares of land for expansion.
It's a partnership between Port Nelson, it's logistics arm QuayConnect and freight company Central Express.
Around 80 percent of New Zealand's wine is grown and produced in Marlborough and QuayConnect general manager Jaron McLeod said two thirds of that was shipped offshore through Port Nelson.
QuayConnect was established in 2016 to optimise logistics for the Marlborough wine industry.
New Zealand wine exports earned $2.1 billion in the year to last June, and in the month of January alone were the country's sixth biggest export earner, generating $189m in revenue.
QuayConnect general manager Jaron McLeod. Photo: Credit/Tim Cuff
McLeod said the current QuayConnect model utilised empty truck capacity to move empty bottles across to Marlborough for bottling and full of export wine back to Nelson.
He said the inland port would increase the capacity for bulk wine exports.
"Bulk wine needs to have an empty container go across to Marlborough and a full container come back to Port Nelson, it gives us to have that empty container stock sitting in the region so exporters can see it and touch it, and we can react really quickly to what the requirements are which is typically what the wine industry is doing, making quick decisions about how they export their product."
Port Nelson CEO Matt McDonald said the idea for an inland port in Marlborough had been around for nearly a decade.
"While we've worked through the details of it, we've had other premises in Marlborough that we've operated from so a long gestation period but one where we've worked really closely with industry partners WineWorks and Central Express to bring this dream to a reality."
The building is Green Star four rated. The air conditioning system is solar powered, rainwater is captured to flush toilets and water the garden and a fleet of zero-emission electric tugs, similar to the vehicles used to move aircraft, will be used to move stock between the adjacent WineWorks site and the inland port.
The facility is located next to the country's largest wine bottler, WineWorks.
Port Nelson CEO Matt McDonald. Photo: Supplied/Port Nelson
Chief executive Peter Crowe said WineWorks bottles, stores and distributes wine from wineries across the country and the inland port would allow for it to be packed on site then sent directly to Port Nelson, or other ports if required.
"Having the ability to transport goods from that facility into the bottling plant next door via an electric tug and trailer just helps with reducing our environmental impact."
Around six million cases of wine are shipped out of Port Nelson and around the world, each year.
"The US is the largest export destination for New Zealand wine, in particular sauvignon blanc, followed by the UK and Australia, those are the key markets but also right through Europe and up to 90 other countries around the world."
Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens said the new facility would streamline the export process for winemakers.
"There are many different companies involved, many wineries and many distribution points so bringing that all together is hopefully a game changer."
Central Express managing director Jason Millar said it had worked with Port Nelson for nearly a decade to optimise supply chain logistics in the top of the South Island.
"In the past we've had anything from dairy to other food products, obviously wine is the big one and it is not just Nelson, depending on where the supply chain exists, it could head in many directions and it gives the exporters and distributors a choice depending on what their supply chain requires."
He said the inland port would also add resilience to supply chains, enabling shipping from other ports during unforeseen state highway closures due to natural disasters or accidents.
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