At a special dedication ceremony at the Port of Dundee today, the new Tay Discovery pilot boat was given a traditional marine blessing for its service on the River Tay.

With the Dundee Heritage Trust (DHT) and National Oceanography Centre (NOC) present, the pilot boat has been named Tay Discovery which highlights the important role the port plays in the City of Discovery. The naming also coincides with the centenary of the original Discovery ship receiving its Royal Research designation.

The Chaplain, the Reverend Gordon Campbell from the Dundee Sea Cadets, led the traditional marine blessing of the pilot boat, while the Tay Discovery’s new godmother, Mrs Alisson McPherson, who is married to Forth Ports’ Chief Harbourmaster for Scotland, performed the tradition of dousing the bow of the new boat with champagne. [Note: no glass was broken during this ceremony].

The pilot boat was designed in Scotland by Camarc Design and built by Holyhead Marine in Wales. It is 16.6 metres long and one of the most advanced pilot boats in operation with an updated hull design and engines offering increased efficiency. [**NB: further tech specification is listed below]

For the first time this week, three generations of Discovery-named vessels – the original RRS Discovery; the current RRS Discovery and the new pilot boat, the Tay Discovery – were in Dundee marking 100 years of marine science, exploration and innovation since the original RRS Discovery was designated the UK’s first Royal Research Ship. The current RRS Discovery research vessel is berthed in Dundee for a series of events this weekend at both Discovery Point and aboard the 2012 RRS Discovery herself.

Alan McPherson, Chief Harbour Master for Forth Ports’ Scottish operations, said: “The RRS Discovery is an icon of the City of Dundee and it is very appropriate to name our new pilot vessel Tay Discovery. We are honoured to have the current RRS Discovery in our port in the shadow of the original ship at Discovery Point in its centenary year.

“The pilot boat is a significant investment in our marine fleet which delivers the best service for river users and, at the same time, decarbonises our vessels using the very latest engine technology. The Tay is one of the busiest waterways in the UK with hundreds of vessels navigating the river including large offshore wind installation vessels; oil & gas jack up rigs; cruise liners and cargo ships all calling into Dundee.”

 Chris Oliver, Executive Director at Dundee Heritage Trust, said: “Dundee Heritage Trust are delighted to be present at today’s blessing of the Tay Discovery. We are proud of our links with Dundee’s past, present and future, and the conversation that our beloved ship RRS Discovery continues to provoke. Discovery has become a powerful name in the city and is seen in a diverse range of businesses and buildings. The name helped spark the resurgence of the city in the nineties and continues to be a beacon for hope and progress. It is wonderful to see Tay Discovery join the family and help fly the flag for the City of Dundee.”  

Stewart Mackay, Captain of the current RRS Discovery, said: “It is a special moment for us all, to have what is essentially three generations of Discovery vessels here in Dundee. The Tay Discovery pilot vessel continues the name and will provide a vital service to the marine industry. We are proud of our links to Dundee, the home of the first RRS Discovery, which was officially designated a Royal Research Ship 100 years ago. We are delighted to be back, celebrating this important centenary as well as the blessing of Tay Discovery. I wish her fair winds and following seas throughout her years of service.”

Pilot boats are important vessels on the river as they transport maritime pilots to the ships that need guided safely to a berth at a quayside in Dundee or back out of the Estuary to the open sea. As the statutory river authority for the Forth and Tay, Forth Ports’ marine team operates over an area of 280 square miles of navigable waters.

 Tay Discovery forms part of the large fleet of tugs and work boats operated by Targe Towing, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Forth Ports, which provide towage, emergency response and other services 24 hours a day principally on the Tay and the Forth, two of the UK’s busiest waterways, in addition to the other North-East ports of Scotland and offshore.

Forth Ports hosted celebration events in Scotland and in Tilbury to recognise the achievements of their talented apprentices, recognising the value they contribute to the business, and acknowledge the skills they have developed throughout their journey.

The events celebrated and awarded 11 apprentices across the group who successfully completed their apprenticeships in the past year and who have now transitioned into permanent positions, adding to the business’s 95% apprentice retention record.

For the first time this year, two individual apprentices received a prestigious Apprentice of the Year award, an accolade that will now be given each year.

In Scotland, Callum Carr, 19, a former Falkirk High student, was named Apprentice of the Year. Callum began his journey with Forth Ports in 2023 as an Electrical Engineering Apprentice, working toward his qualification through Forth Valley College, which he is expected to complete in 2027. Callum exemplifies the core values of Forth Ports, consistently striving for success and serving as an excellent role model for his peers and future apprentices.

In Tilbury, Rebekah Inniss, 22, a former student of The Ockendon Academy, was awarded Apprentice of the Year. She began her career on the government’s Kickstart initiative working in the port’s reception in 2021. In 2023, she was offered a full-time position as a clerical assistant in Conventional and enrolled in a Business Administration Apprenticeship, which she aims to complete by June this year. Her hard work has made her an instrumental part of the team, exemplifying how the skills gained through these programmes can significantly advance your career.

Commenting on the apprenticeship programme Natalie Dalgleish, Head of Learning & Development said: “At Forth Ports, we recognise the transformative power of apprenticeships in unlocking potential, developing lifelong skills, and creating opportunities for growth. During our recent awards ceremony, we emphasised the crucial role that apprenticeships play in shaping careers and driving innovation within our business.

Apprenticeships are not exclusively for young people embarking on their careers; they serve as a valuable tool for individuals at any stage of their professional journey to upskill, reskill, and explore new opportunities.

At Forth Ports, we remain dedicated to nurturing talent through initiatives that equip individuals with the skills necessary not only for career success but also for personal development, contributing to the success of our business and the wider communities we serve.” 

Forth Ports has also launched its early careers campaign at an exciting time for the business as it continues to grow following a period of significant investment across the UK. The business needs a talented workforce and has 17 exciting early career roles available across their UK ports. This is their largest ever intake of Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) and despite a reported 31% decline in apprenticeship opportunities in the UK (source: CIPD*), Forth Ports remains committed to building its future workforce and upskilling the current team.

Forth Ports is seeking 17 Modern Apprenticeships and one graduate to fill roles which will provide skills for life to individuals working across their Scottish and Tilbury operations. There are a variety of roles including a newly create MA role in procurement. The MA roles available are:

• Port of Tilbury (12 roles) in operations, health & safety, procurement, marine and engineering.
• In Scotland, there are four MA engineering roles in Grangemouth, Leith and Dundee.
• The business also requires one Graduate to join the essential IT team in Scotland.

Closing date for applying is 10 March 2025. For more about careers at Forth Ports and the current vacancies, go to: https://www.forthports.co.uk/careers/

Forth Ports, the UK’s third largest port operator, announces today (12 December 2024) a £50 million private investment in infrastructure at the Port of Leith having secured its largest ever offshore wind contract, the delivery of the 1.1 gigawatt (GW) Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm.

This latest investment in infrastructure at the Port of Leith will enhance the port’s marine access, infrastructure and vessel assets and includes plant and equipment that will be used to deliver Inch Cape. It will also create up to 50 new and upskilled green energy jobs to support the project.

Forth Ports’ agreement with Inch Cape, to be sited off the Angus coast, will utilise the port operator’s bespoke facilities and expertise at newly created renewable energy hubs at both the Port of Leith and Port of Dundee.

Visiting the Port of Leith today, Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, said: “Investment in key sectors such as Scotland’s ports can reap rewards. This is why the Scottish Budget commits £150 million to the offshore wind infrastructure and supply – to attract private investment such as this announcement from Forth Ports.

“Supported by Forth Green Freeport incentives, the Leith Renewables Hub will bring well-paid green jobs and ensure Scotland is best placed to develop a world leading renewables sector while progressing to net zero.

“The Scottish Government’s Green Industrial Strategy identifies how we can work better, smarter and quicker to create an investor-friendly environment and seize the many opportunities for green growth which lie ahead. This is a great example of how this has been achieved.”

Today’s Leith announcement follows a decade of private investment, during which time Forth Ports has created the land, quayside and skills capacity, which has not previously existed in Scotland, to deliver very large offshore wind contracts.

Stuart Wallace, Chief Executive Officer, Forth Ports said: “Inch Cape represents a very significant milestone for Forth Ports as it is the largest offshore wind contract ever to be awarded to our business. When it goes live, Inch Cape will have a significant impact on Scotland’s energy transition as the country drives to achieve net zero carbon emissions.

“Our strategy is to create and build the renewables hubs ahead of market demand and we have achieved this in Dundee and Leith. Coupled with other specialist facilities delivered by Forth Projects, this creates an unrivalled prime position for Forth Ports to deliver large offshore wind projects.

“We have a clear vision and today we commit to investing a further £50million in Leith, from our own resources, to support Inch Cape and future renewables projects.”

David Webster, Commercial Director at Forth Ports, said: “Today’s announcement is a gamechanger for Forth Ports and the Scottish offshore wind market. We have created world class renewables hubs in Dundee and Leith and solved the challenge of local content by locating at ports near the construction sites, creating high quality local green jobs and local supply chains while securing work for future generations.”

Forth Projects – Forth Ports’ in-house logistics division – will handle Inch Cape’s monopile and jacket foundations at the Port of Leith. The specialist pre-assembly and marshalling of the wind farm’s 72 turbines – comprising 72 nacelles, 216 blades and 72 towers – will be undertaken by Vestas in the Port of Dundee (Dundee was previously announced as a hub for Inch Cape in 2022).

John Hill, Inch Cape Project Director, said: “Through our substantial contract with Forth Ports, Inch Cape is pleased to be the catalyst for a major infrastructure investment that will not only benefit our own project but also those Scottish projects that are to follow. The utilisation of these two east coast ports – Leith and Dundee – for our offshore construction, will also facilitate significant opportunities with our Tier 1 contractors for the wider Scottish supply chain.”

Leith and Dundee were chosen after a competitive selection process due to their proximity to the project site off the Angus coast, coupled with the first-class storage and assembly capacity and purpose-built offshore renewables quayside facilities. 

The £50 million investment is the second phase of delivery of the vision behind the 175-acre Leith Renewables Hub which also forms part of one of the strategically located tax sites within the Forth Green Freeport.

Once completed in 2027, Inch Cape – one of Scotland’s largest offshore wind farms – will generate enough green energy to power half of Scotland’s homes. It will feature state-of-the-art Vestas 15 megawatt (MW) turbines, the tallest ever deployed in Scottish waters at a height of 274m (20m taller than Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh) and a new onshore substation now under construction on the brownfield site of the former Cockenzie Power Station, East Lothian.

Forth Ports’ Group Chief Executive, Charles Hammond OBE, has decided to step down from his role leading the UK’s third largest ports group at the end of June 2024. His successor will be Stuart Wallace, who is currently the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

Charles will work closely with Stuart over the next six months to ensure a smooth transition prior to Charles stepping down from the company. Stuart, who is already a member of the Forth Ports board, will take up his appointment on 1 July 2024.

Most recently, the company set out its ambitious plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2042 and carbon neutrality by 2032. Forth Ports is also a major partner in both the Thames Freeport and the Forth Green Freeport, which last month submitted its Outline Business Case to the Scottish and UK Governments.

The company is also a major player in the renewable energy sector. A private investment programme, totalling £150 million, has already provided crucial support to offshore wind development with the creation of bespoke renewables hubs in Dundee – currently supporting the construction of the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm –and in Leith. There are also early plans to develop a floating wind hub across the River Forth at Burntisland.

Commenting on his decision to step down as Group CEO of Forth Ports, Charles Hammond OBE, said:

“It has been the privilege of my career to lead Forth Ports. From the significant growth of the business both sides of the border to the challenges of the Covid pandemic and Brexit, I have been fortunate enough to have been supported by the best team in the industry.

“The most consistent feature of my time at Forth Ports has been the stability that we have sought to create and, while I step down at the most exciting of times, I do so with the confidence that I will leave behind a business that is in great hands and very well positioned to continue to flourish.”

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer and Group Chief Executive Elect, said:

“I am proud and honoured to have been asked to lead this fantastic organisation as we face the challenges and opportunities of a just transition to net zero and the significant expansion of Scotland’s renewable energy sector.

“With the great team that we have built right across the business, I am confident that Forth Ports will continue to thrive. I am immensely grateful to Charles for steering the business into such a strong position and for his mentorship and support for me personally. I look forward to the next chapter in the Forth Ports story with relish.”

Patrick Samson, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Real Assets Investments at PSP Investments, Forth Ports’ principal shareholder, said:

“Charles will have been CEO at Forth Ports for more than 23 years when he steps down and we are grateful for his exceptional leadership and his contributions to the company over the last 12 years of our ownership.

“As we look to the future, we are excited to see Stuart succeed Charles as CEO. With his extensive operational experience and strategic mindset, we are confident in Stuart’s ability to lead Forth Ports through the next stage of its growth. We wish Charles all the best in this next phase of his career and look forward to continuing to work with Stuart and the broader management team.”

Charles was awarded an OBE in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to the UK ports industry and to Scottish business and last month stood down from his role as Chair of the UK Major Ports Group after 10 years at the helm.

A qualified lawyer, Charles, who will be 63 when he steps down, joined Forth Ports when it was a publicly run ports and river authority in 1989 as Company Secretary.

He was appointed Chief Executive in 2001 and has overseen Forth Ports’ expansion to a point today when the company owns and operates eight commercial ports, including Tilbury on the Thames, six ports on the Firth of Forth and Dundee on the Firth of Tay. He also oversaw the company’s move from a publicly listed PLC to private ownership in 2011.

A qualified Chartered Accountant, Stuart Wallace (53) joined Forth Ports in 2002, initially as Financial Controller for its Scottish region, prior to being seconded to the Port of Tilbury to run general port operations and the London Container Terminal. He returned to Scotland in 2013 having been appointed Divisional Director for the company’s Scottish operations.

He was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2017, joining the board at that point, and is responsible for all operational activities of the Group. Stuart is also a non-executive director of Business Stream, one of the top three water retailers in the UK and a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Water.