Bigger ships and more passengers will soon be welcomed at the Port of Southampton thanks to a £12million upgrade, part of the city's £1billion 5 year investment programme. In addition to catering for the growing demand for cruise ships to dock here in Southampton, the programme will also enable the city to become the proud home to the very first British LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) powered vessel.

The 180,000 ton ship, which has been named Iona, will feature 4 swimming pools, 17 restaurants and will be able to accommodate up to 5200 guests. The use of LNG as opposed to diesel makes the vessel more environmentally friendly than previous cruise ships and marks a positive move towards less polluting vessels.

The Southampton Hackney and Private Hire Association support the use of this alternative fuel in our city and look forward to seeing the continual growth and development of our city port which is northern Europe's leading cruise port.

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