Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, said the new marine control centre would contribute to safety in the Humber Estuary.

Associated British Ports, the owner and operator of the port, paid for the new centre, which will regulate all shipping movements within the harbour.

John Fitzgerald, a director at ABP, said: "The Humber is the UK's busiest trading estuary and, because of its unrivalled location and the facilities at the Ports of Immingham, Grimsby, Hull and Goole, is growing steadily to meet the demands of industry.

"When you consider the size and environmentally sensitive cargo of a great many of the thousands of vessels that navigate the enclosed dock every year, it is clear why we have to be so vigilant about safety.

"The new Marine Control Centre, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and a 360-degree view of the port, is therefore a vital addition to Immingham – and, by extension, the Humber as a whole."

Mr Fitzpatrick said: "The maritime industry is vital to our nation and we rely on it for the majority of our foreign trade."

The port generates around 35 shipping movements a day, in addition to the 52 vessels that navigate the neighbouring deepwater channel en route to and from the other Humber ports.