In response to the announcement by the UK and Scottish governments that they have agreed to issue a joint applicant prospectus to establish two Green Freeports in Scotland, Forth Ports – which owns and operates seven ports on Scotland’s East coast and the Port of Tilbury, which is part of the recently-announced Thames Freeport  – has issued the following statement.

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer at Forth Ports, said:

 “We welcome the announcement by the UK and Scottish governments of the forthcoming bid process for two Green Freeports in Scotland and confirm that we plan to participate in this process. 

 “A Firth of Forth Green Freeport will catalyse the decarbonisation of Scotland’s major industrial cluster, creating 50,000 new, high-quality jobs in renewable energy, manufacturing, sustainable fuels and construction.

 “Building on our first-hand experience of freeports, we plan to create an ambitious set of programmes to harness the regeneration benefits of this economic policy.  The legacy of our green freeport will be the creation of large-scale green manufacturing industries with significant export potential and a sustainable fuel cluster, alongside major upgrades to infrastructure and skills development among young adults to ensure a Team Scotland approach as the UK transitions to a decarbonised future.”

14 February 2022

As part of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week (7-11 Feb) The Port of Tilbury, the UK’s fastest growing port, awarded ten apprentices with their Level 2 Warehousing & Distribution Apprenticeship certificates following the successful completion of a two-year course.

All ten apprentices worked hard throughout the pandemic restrictions to play their part in ensuring the uninterrupted flow of food, medicines and constructions materials.

The Warehouse and Supply Chain Operative Apprenticeship programme has been running since 2016 with 70 apprentices (aged between 18 – 24) now having successfully completed this apprenticeship. There are currently 18 apprentices on the programme undertaking their Level 2 apprenticeship qualification.

The apprentices develop their skills over a 2-year period and every one of the apprentices have been kept on in full times roles across the port.

Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director at The Port of Tilbury said: “Our apprentices are our future and at The Port of Tilbury, we are very proud of our programmes which ensure people have the skills and experience to go on to have long careers with us in a variety of roles. Presenting the certificates to our seven successful apprentices this week, we recognise their hard work during the challenging two years and also we celebrate their achievement as all of them exceeded 75%. My congratulations to you all.”

 The apprenticeship programmes are delivered through The Port of Tilbury’s bespoke award-winning Logistics Academy located at the port which has access to a state-of-the-art Technology Suite housing two simulators that are used to develop plant operation skills for example, container handling.

9 February 2022                               – ends-

Forth Ports Limited (“Forth Ports”) and OM Heavy Lift (“OMHL”) are pleased to announce today (9 February 2022) Forth Ports’ acquisition of OMHL.

This acquisition further enhances Forth Ports’ ability to offer an attractive, full-service package for offshore renewables projects, providing marine services; quayside infrastructure and land; and now, with OMHL, heavy lift plant and logistics solutions.

OMHL is a well-established, professional project engineering company that has worked closely with Forth Ports on a number of large-scale projects in the renewables and decommissioning sectors. Based in Dundee, OMHL’s wide range of experience and unrivalled fleet of specialist heavy lift plant – including the UK’s largest permanent quayside crane – will work across Forth Ports’ Scottish operations, including the ports of Leith, Grangemouth, Rosyth and Dundee.

OMHL will continue to be led by Managing Director, Alex Fyfe, who will work directly with David Webster, as the newly appointed Director of Energy for Forth Ports.

Charles Hammond OBE, Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports, said:

“Today’s news is another important strategic move for Forth Ports as we secure our place in the offshore renewables sector, following the recent announcement of the ScotWind leasing round. We are investing significantly in Dundee and Leith to create an attractive offering for offshore renewables which will support the country’s transition to net zero. The acquisition of OMHL, coupled with that of Targe Towing, places Forth Ports in a strong position to play a leading role in supporting Scotland’s offshore renewables future.”

Alex Fyfe, Managing Director of OMHL, said: “This is an exciting new chapter for OMHL as we combine our skills and expertise with the broader Forth Ports business. We have a strong relationship with the Forth Ports team that we look forward to developing further in the fast-growing offshore renewables market.”

David Webster, Director of Energy for Forth Ports said: “With the OMHL team coming on board, we can now offer a complete, integrated service solution for offshore renewables customers, anywhere within our ports business in Scotland, from marine towage right through to quayside cranage and laydown land.”

Ends                                                                                                               9 February 2022

The Port of Dundee welcomed the arrival of the 177-metre long deep sea vessel the Ha Long Bay with her cargo of 12,000 packs of plywood on board (see image with this release).

The large cargo vessel sailed up the Tay direct from the far east (China) and is one of the largest cargo vessels to be handled at the busy port. The 12,000 packs of plywood were discharged in record time by the expert port team who completed the job in just 15 days.

The large shipment of plywood is destined for UK construction projects around the country.

Commenting on the project, David Webster, Director of Energy for Forth Ports said: “We are used to seeing large rigs in The Port of Dundee, but it is unusual for the port to handle such a large vessel direct from the far east. Vessels like the Ha Long Bay are normally frequent arrivals at large London ports however with the Tay’s deep water, our upgraded quayside facilities and available land, we were able to berth and discharge the ship in record time.”

1 February 2022                               – ends –

The Port of Tilbury welcomed Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP to the UK’s newest port today [31 January] to officially open Tilbury2.

Visiting the Thames-based port, the Prime Minister was given a tour of the country’s largest freight ferry terminal, the site of what will become Britain’s biggest construction processing terminal and new border infrastructure, alongside meeting the port’s key workers, apprentices and customers like P&O Ferries and Tarmac.

On the two year anniversary of the UK leaving the EU, the Prime Minister was given an overview of the technology-backed systems that streamline clearing the border, such as number plate recognition, and the 12-bay Border Control Post, which will house government agencies making physical checks.

Built and operational during the height of the pandemic, the port terminal handles containers and trailers with exports and imported goods, including food, drink and medical supplies to and from continental Europe on P&O Ferries’ busy Tilbury-Zeebrugge freight route. The site also handles Tesco’s new refrigerated train service to Scotland’s premier freight hub at the Port of Grangemouth.

Tilbury2 is a £250m investment by Forth Ports Group on a former power station site spanning 160-acres. When fully operational in two months’ time, Tarmac’s construction materials terminal (CMAT) will use a bespoke 2km long aggregates conveyor system and a railhead capable of taking the longest freight trains at 775m, meaning construction materials can be delivered efficiently from vessel to the terminal for processing before moving onto building projects and public infrastructure schemes like HS2 without the use of heavy road haulage.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said: “It was an honour to officially open Tilbury2, the UK’s newest port, and meet with key workers and apprentices on site.

 “Freeports are driving trade, investment and jobs right across the country and helping to capitalise on our newfound Brexit freedoms.

 “It is hugely welcome to see the Port of Tilbury going from strength to strength, benefiting not only businesses and workers but also the wider Thames Gateway region”.

 Commenting on the visit and official opening of Tilbury2, Charles Hammond OBE, Chief Executive of Forth Ports, said: “Tilbury2 is a national success story. British financed and British built for a rapidly growing British company and delivered during the height of the pandemic.

 “The burgeoning logistics cluster at Tilbury has been boosted by Thames Freeport status and is primed to be part of global Britain’s future as we look to drive forward sustainable growth, with manufacturing, next generation logistics and clean energy generation at its heart.”

                                               -ends-

Forth Ports, which owns and operates eight commercial ports in the UK and is the country’s third largest port operator, has announced three new leadership roles as it restructures its senior team to reflect the increasing importance of its ports in the offshore renewables sector and the general supply chain.

David Webster has been appointed as Director of Energy.  David will be responsible for integrating Forth Ports’ energy team in Scotland with a view to building on Forth Ports’ strong market position in the energy sector, and in particular, offshore renewables. David will report directly to CEO, Charles Hammond, and will retain his existing responsibilities as Senior Port Manager responsible for the ports of Dundee and Leith, where Forth Ports is currently constructing a £40m offshore renewables hub.

Ross McKissock has been appointed as Director of Unitised, responsible for integrating the commercial team on unitised container and trailer cargo across the Group and growing volume. Ross will retain his responsibilities for running London Container Terminal and will continue to report to Paul Dale, Asset & Site Director at the Port of Tilbury.

Derek Knox has been appointed as Head of Operations Scottish Ports. Derek will have strategic and operational responsibility for delivering quality performance and maximum efficiency across Forth Ports’ Scottish Ports. He will retain his specific responsibilities as Senior Port Manager at the Port of Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest container port, and Forth Ports’ Fife ports, including the Port of Rosyth. Derek will continue to report to Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer.

Commenting on the new senior roles, Charles Hammond OBE, Chief Executive of Forth Ports, said: “These new senior positions come at a key time when we are focusing our business on the important areas of offshore renewables, containerised cargo and a resilient supply chain. As a group we are investing significantly across the business in these areas including our bespoke renewables hubs in Leith and Dundee and our freeport freight hub in the Thames.

 I have worked with David, Ross and Derek for a number of years, and I am confident they will make an even stronger contribution to the continued development of Forth Ports in their new roles.”

 27 January 2022                                          – Ends –

Tesco has moved its rail operation to the Port of Tilbury as part of its drive to find greener and more resilient delivery options. The new ‘chill’ train service comes hot on the heels after the UK’s largest retailer committed to increase its use of trains to distribute products by almost 40%, in an effort to keep its supermarket shelves stocked

The new seven-day-a week service rolls out of the Port of Tilbury twice each day heading to Coatbridge in Scotland with its cargo of chilled Christmas food destined for Tesco’s Scottish supermarkets.

The 32 refrigerated containers onboard contain thousands of UK grown onions, potatoes, carrots, sprouts and broccoli which are in high demand at this time of year throughout the festive season.

The daily service will take at least 17,000 containers off the road each year, saving 7.3 million road miles and nearly 9,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions

The service safely delivers chilled food products for onward distribution to stores and with pressures on the supply chain at this busy time of year, rail is a reliable and low carbon delivery option, particularly for vital goods like food and drink.

The Port of Tilbury has had a 10-fold increase in its rail freight traffic during 2021 with further growth expected in the years to come. The port has invested significantly in the creation of new and enhanced rail terminals creating capability to load / unload the longest trains on the national network, with trains operating to south Wales, the North West, The Midlands and Scotland supporting the retail, e-commerce, food and drink markets. The port also has two dedicated bulk rail terminals for movements of construction materials.

Commenting on the new chill train service for Tesco, Charles Hammond OBE, chief executive of Forth Ports (owners of the Port of Tilbury and Tilbury2), said:  “Moving goods by rail is the solution to greening logistics in the UK. This new chilled goods train will help Tesco deliver their aspiration to move more goods by rail in the coming years, with Tilbury as a central supply chain partner.

“Rail traffic at our ports has increased tenfold this year alone and we are expecting annual growth in rail to continue to 2030. At Tilbury, in the last two years, we’ve enhanced our rail capability considerably by building new rail terminals and barge loading facilities across the port to enhance our customers’ low carbon delivery options.”

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and ROI CEO said: “We’ve been using rail to transport our goods since 2008 and this new service reflects our continuing commitment to rail which has clear advantages for our business, our customers and the planet. Our rail service will be an important part of our efforts to deliver a fantastic Christmas for our customers but the journey doesn’t stop here as we continue to increase the number of containers we transport by rail as part of our commitment to reach net zero emissions in our operations by 2035.”

– ends –

The Tilbury on the Thames Trust, supported by The Port of Tilbury, in partnership with Thurrock CVS, The Royal Opera House, Thurrock Lifestyle Solutions CIC and Thurrock Council have successfully secured a massive £1million on behalf of Thurrock as part of the Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places National Portfolio 2022-25 programme.

The partners will be the custodians of the £1million funding and over the next three years will support local people in Thurrock to kickstart exciting arts and culture programmes across the borough.

The application was a team effort and this success is due to the commitment and hard work shown by the partners and all stakeholders who have engaged with the development of the proposal since 2018. The planning for the three-year programme, which will draw on the local area’s rich, diverse culture, will begin in April 2022 with the first activities expected to be delivered in Autumn next year.

As part of this planning, the partners will be looking for residents passionate about arts and culture to become ‘Kickstarters’, developing ideas and making decisions on creative projects that bring Thurrock to life. Watch this space!

Creative activities could include outdoor arts; dance, theatre and music; a celebration of people; riverside heritage; industry and international connections.  These will happen across Thurrock landmarks, landscape and localities.

The Thurrock Creative People and Places Consortium said: “We are thrilled that this funding has been secured for Thurrock creating opportunities for all. Thurrock has an engaged creative and cultural sector and we are all looking forward to working with them to get local people taking part in brilliant art experiences in the places where they live.”

 2 December 2021                                    -ends-

The Port of Tilbury, London’s fastest growing port welcomed keen career seekers from the local area to their recruitment day last week at the London Cruise Terminal.

The growing port has many career opportunities currently available including apprentices; straddle carrier drivers; and engineers. All of these roles and more were showcased along with the skills development opportunities the business has available across the port for adults of all ages.

Many people took the opportunity to use the training simulator and have a go at moving containers virtually, while other potential candidates had the chance to visit the container terminal and undertake a height test which is an essential element for anyone thinking of a career as a straddle carrier operator* working with these tall machines.

Paul Dale, Asset & Site Director said: “Tilbury is growing fast with lots of exciting career opportunities for people right now. Recruiting has never been so important for us as a business and also for the country as we continue to recovery from the economic impact of the global pandemic. If you are keen on a career with us, please get in touch or come along to our next event in January”

 The port is very keen to encourage anyone with an interest in a career whether it is starting with an apprenticeship or applying for the various skilled engineering roles, to get in touch or come along to the next recruitment day, at the London Cruise Terminal on the 25th January 2022 from 11am-8pm, and have a conversation with the port’s recruitment specialists about the career opportunities.

Michelle Primrose, Group HR Manager at Forth Ports said: “This was our second recruitment event for local people and it was great to chat to people of all ages who are considering a career with us. Conversations ranged from young people considering apprenticeships to older adults looking to retrain in logistics.

Don’t worry if you missed the event this time, we are starting 2022 with another event on the 25th January so I’d encourage people to come along then and see if the new year is right for starting a new career with the Port of Tilbury.”

For more about careers at Forth Ports and current vacancies, click here: https://forthports.co.uk/careers/

*See the straddle carrier video issued previously https://vimeo.com/637041350/a88ba4ecf8

30 December 2021                                                  – ends-

Major building works at the UK’s largest grain terminal at the Port of Tilbury reaches a milestone with the construction of ten new giant metal grain silos. The works got underway earlier this year following a fire* in 2020 which damaged part of the concrete silo.

Building of the ten silos, at a height of 30 metres, and a total combined capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes, was completed this month. The industry leading design has been constructed to the highest health and safety standards and with an independent transfer and reclaim system also now being constructed, these silos will be back in operation for the 2022 harvest.

Demolition of the damaged concrete silos at the terminal is also now complete and the port will shortly appoint a contractor to replace these concrete silos for a return to full operations in 2023, restoring the original storage capacity.

Peter Ward, Commercial Director at The Port of Tilbury said: “The sight of the completed ten new grain silos at the grain terminal is great to see. The terminal is a key facility in the South-East of England and an essential part of the UK agricultural supply chain for imports and exports. 

These new metal silos will be ready for the 2022 harvest and once the concrete silo is rebuilt, the terminal will be back to full capacity on one site. Although there has been no interruption to our service throughout the rebuild, we would like to thank our customers for supporting us during this difficult period as we rebuild the facility.”

The Tilbury Grain terminal has been in operation for over 50 years and is a key strategic facility in the South-East of the UK for the grain import and export markets handling over 2million tonnes of product from around the world. Grain is a key commodity in the UK food supply chain for a number of uses, most notably within the flour milling and bakery industries.

Throughout the works there has been no interruption to customer service as the terminal remains fully open for import and exports and once complete, the terminal will be restored to its full storage capacity of 135,000 m/t and continue to benefit from the full multimodal services at the port including river barge transportation into central London.

The terminal also operates a monthly coastal shipping service from Tilbury to its sister port in Kirkcaldy, Scotland for Carr’s Milling.

*The fire at the grain terminal was in July 2020 and damaged the silo tower and some other equipment. No one was injured.

29 November 2021                        -ends-