When Freeport East launched in 2023, there was plenty of scepticism about whether the freeport model would deliver real economic benefits to places like Felixstowe or whether it would simply shuffle existing businesses around on a map. Two years on, the organisation is pointing to £250 million in inward investment as evidence that the model is working.
The figures were highlighted at the first Freeport East Board meeting of 2025, held in Ipswich in February. CEO Steve Beel described the Port of Felixstowe as a "unique asset" for attracting both domestic and international investment, citing the port's position as the UK's largest container port and its recent infrastructure upgrades. The Harwich Haven Authority has invested £130 million to deepen the harbour approach channel, strengthening Felixstowe's ability to accommodate the world's biggest vessels — ships that simply cannot berth at rival UK ports.
The headline project for 2025 is the 32-hectare Freeport East Felixstowe tax site, where preparatory groundwork is due to begin. When complete, the site will offer up to 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing and advanced logistics space, positioned just metres from where the largest container ships in the world unload their cargo. For businesses in international trade, that proximity is genuinely hard to replicate anywhere else in the UK.
Beyond the bricks and mortar, Freeport East is also pushing on transport and green energy. Scottish Power is progressing plans for a green hydrogen facility at Felixstowe, which would provide new fuel options for hauliers and shipping companies. There's also ongoing lobbying for investment at the Ely and Haughley Junction rail bottlenecks, which currently limit the number of freight trains that can leave the port each day. On average, 35 trains depart Felixstowe every weekday — a figure that could grow significantly with the right infrastructure in place.
For local people, the more immediate question is jobs. Freeport East has been working with Suffolk New College on a Skills Accelerator programme, and a Road to Logistics initiative has already identified its first cohort of local people to train as HGV drivers. The ambition is to ensure that the economic benefits of the freeport reach Felixstowe residents, not just the businesses that relocate here.
