Thames Freeport today announced that it was open to do business with new customers, hours after the Government announced that it would be one of eight new freeports in England.

Thames Freeport is a digitally linked economic zone connecting Ford’s world-class Dagenham engine plant, the global ports at London Gateway and Tilbury, and many communities in urgent need of ‘levelling-up’. Businesses looking to expand are being urged to take advantage of the tax benefits of relocating to the Freeport and being part of a customs zone, which makes it easier and cheaper to move goods into and out of the country.

The other benefits of Thames Freeport include:

• £5.1 billion additional GVA
• Over £4.5 billion in new public and private investment
• 25,000+ new jobs with many more across supply chains, with significant investment in training and skills
• 1,700 acres of development land – much with planning consent
• £400 million port investment into some of the most deprived areas
• 20% of the UK’s most deprived communities are in London and the South East
• Freeports are in our DNA – DP World began as a free trade zone in Jebel Ali, while Tilbury was a freeport until 2012.

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer at Forth Ports (owner of the Port of Tilbury), said: “This is fantastic news and we are ready to hit the ground running. The freeport builds upon the successful completion of our new port, Tilbury2 and provides the platform for further expansion. The freeport policy’s special economic measures will turbocharge the best of the private sector, attracting value add manufacturing activity to the ports, the Thames Estuary and the wider South East, alongside supporting key infrastructure projects in the coming years. The Thames Freeport will be that catalyst to level up the left behind communities along the estuary.”

Dr Graham Hoare OBE, Chairman and Executive Director, Business Transformation, Ford of Britain, added: “The Thames Freeport will be a new centre of excellence for the country as we electrify, automate and digitise our future. The freeport provides Ford with a great opportunity as a test bed for a variety of customer-focused mobility technologies and other business opportunities at Ford Dagenham in the future.”

Alan Shaoul, Chief Financial Officer at DP World in the UK (owner of the port and logistics park, London Gateway), commented: “We are open for business and would urge anyone looking to expand to get in touch to find out more about the benefits of locating at Thames Freeport. Our London Gateway site alone has almost 10m square feet of land that has planning consent, and the capacity to expand materially its operational area and therefore attract new foreign direct investment within the lifetime of this parliament.”

Working with the Port of London Authority, Thurrock Council, Barking and Dagenham Council, the South East LEP, the Thames Estuary Growth Board and other key stakeholders we will continue to develop key Thames Freeport programmes, including the proposed hydrogen fuel production, storage and fuelling project.

See the Thames Freeport website / Twitter / LinkedIn pages for more information.

-ends-

Contact details:

For more information about the Thames Freeport bid, contact John Stevenson on john@ti-communications.co.uk or 07824 621756

As part of Scottish Apprentice Week, we talk to one of our Year 1 Electrical Engineering Modern Apprentices at the Port of Dundee, Connor Deuchars about his journey so far:

What made you decide to take on an apprenticeship?

I decided to take on this Electrical Engineering apprenticeship because I feel it is a really good ‘hands on’ opportunity to develop skills in my chosen career path.

How did you go about finding your apprenticeship?

A family member informed me there was a position available and I approached the Port and asked for a tour around before applying for the position online via the Forth Ports website.

What was the recruitment process like?

The recruitment process was very good.  I was given a good tour around the port and got a good understanding of what was going to be involved with the apprenticeship. I then had to submit my CV and go through various online aptitude tests.

I then had an online interview – it was a bit different from your usual interview but the interviewers made it seem a lot more normal like it was a face-to-face interview. They gave me information on what the apprenticeship involves such as pay, holidays, what to expect from the job and they asked a few questions about me.

As part of the online interview I had to do a ‘show and tell’ so I showed something I made in college. I explained the process on how it was made, what was needed to carry the task out then reflected on what I could have done better to gain more knowledge and understanding on how to improve next time.

I then got down to the final two candidates and we both had a face-to-face informal walk around the Port.

Overall the virtual recruitment process was very good, safe and easy to follow.

How is your modern apprenticeship structured?  

The apprenticeship is 4 years long and I am on block release which is 4 weeks at college then 4 weeks in the workplace.

What is your day to day job like?

I get to work about 07:45 and get changed into my PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). I get to the workshop for 08:00 and have a morning meeting with the department about the jobs for the day. We then carry out the jobs we have been given until a break at 10:00. We then carry on with the job we were on before break until 12:00 then have our lunch then carry out jobs until 5:00. There are a big range of jobs we carry out such as installation jobs, repairs, breakdowns and maintenance.

Is this an area of work you’ve always wanted to go into?

Yes I have always wanted to be in the electrical engineering area of work from a young age because my uncle inspired me to choose this career path.

How would you describe your role in 5 words?

Essential, practical, prominent, understanding and reliable

Did you have concerns about doing an apprenticeship?

I would say the only concern I had would be in case I didn’t fit in with my colleagues in the workplace but everyone was very welcoming and we can have a good laugh also they would help or give me any advice to the best of their knowledge if I needed any.

What advice would you give someone considering applying for an apprenticeship?

I would highly recommend anyone considering applying for an apprenticeship to go for one that they would enjoy and they actually want to go down that career path.

I would also tell them they will need to put in the effort in learning and taking everything on board they are getting taught.

To find out more about careers at Forth Ports go to: https://forthports.co.uk/careers/

Port of Tilbury, London’s fastest growing port, has reached the final of the prestigious annual Logistics Awards. The port has been shortlisted in the ‘New Facility’ category for their recently opened terminal, Tilbury2.

Tilbury2 opened in May 2020 and is the UK’s most modern and largest unaccompanied freight ferry terminal offering a multimodal (rail, road, sea, river), lower carbon route to the biggest consumer market in Europe and largest industrial bases in Britain, London and the South East.

Despite the challenges around the global pandemic restrictions, the freight ferry and rail terminals opened on schedule to support high volumes and market-leading turnaround times, with the rest of the new port – including the country’s largest construction materials processing hub – due to complete in Q3 2021.

Utilising the port’s AEO accreditation, Tilbury2’s IT-backed operation is Brexit-ready and based on a state-of-the-art container terminal solution from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) already deployed at the Group’s facilities at London Container Terminal, Tilbury, and in Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest container port.

Commenting on reaching the final, Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director at the Port of Tilbury, said: “This shortlisting is great recognition for the years of planning and carefully executed delivery by our dedicated in-house team, ably supported by an array of expert consultants.

 “Tilbury2 is a strategic national infrastructure asset that offers the best-in-class operation. This is the latest chapter in Forth Ports’ 25 year investment story at Tilbury.”

 He added: “Such as it is in lockdown, we look forward to the virtual awards next month and wish everyone nominated good luck on the night.”

 The Logistics Awards, the annual celebration of excellence in the logistics and supply chain sectors, has announced the finalist shortlist for this year’s awards. The award winner will be announced on 3 March. For more information on the awards click here: https://app.shdlogistics.com/2021/01/18/the-logistics-awards-shortlist/content.html

17 February 2021                              – ends –

As part of the annual National Apprenticeship Week (8-12 Feb) The Port of Tilbury, London’s fastest growing port, announces the appointment of a further 10 young apprentices in full time roles across the port following the completion of a successful two-year programme.

The Warehouse and Supply Chain Operative Apprenticeship programme has been running since 2016 with 26 apprentices (aged between 18 – 24) now having successfully completed this apprenticeship. The apprentices developed their skills over a 2-year period and every one of the apprentices including the 10 young apprentices who have completed this year, have been kept on in full times roles across the port.

As key workers, the Port of Tilbury has operated throughout the pandemic lockdown restrictions and has played a vital role in the smooth flow of food, medicines and constructions materials for the UK. At the same time, they have also maintained a focus on training and development to ensure that their programmes continue to support the current and future workforce of the port.

Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director at The Port of Tilbury said: “We are extremely proud of our apprenticeship programmes at The Port of Tilbury and I am very pleased to welcome the 10 young apprentices who join us in full time employment.

We have a long history of investing in our people to ensure that we have the skills for our business in the future and there are a lot of opportunities here at our busy port as we rapidly expand our facilities. Many of our apprentices go on to have long careers with us in roles including engineering, operations and finance.”

The apprenticeship programmes are delivered through their 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.

The Port of Tilbury, in partnership with the PLA, announced last week (1 February) that it was offering over 30 unemployed young people the opportunity to join the Port of Tilbury and Port of London Authority (PLA) in Gravesend for paid six-month traineeships this spring, as part of the Government’s £2.4 billion Kickstart work programme. The opportunities available range from administration through to operations, will give 16 to 24-year olds a chance to gain important experience in a real working environment.

9 February 2021                               – ends-

The bid consortium promoting the Thames Freeport has lodged their comprehensive bid with the Government for a digitally-linked economic zone connecting Ford’s world-class Dagenham engine plant, the global ports at London Gateway and Tilbury, large development employment areas and many river communities in need of regeneration.

Alongside the bid document, the team has unveiled a film outlining the vision for a Thames Freeport: https://thamesfreeport.com/thames-freeport-britains-trading-future/

The vision was endorsed by the Government’s Estuary Envoy and Chair of the Thames Estuary Growth Board (TEGB), Kate Willard OBE: “The Thames Estuary will play a major role in the UK’s post-Covid, post-transition recovery – and a freeport is at the heart of our plans. It would galvanise green growth and help to level-up some of the UK’s most deprived areas. It would ensure the Estuary is able to capitalise on its existing strength as a magnet for growth through commerce, creativity and prosperity. It would bolster our ambition to create the greenest estuary in the world and help achieve national net zero targets. We fully support the Thames Freeport bid and we’re confident that our partners will deliver an irresistible pitch to Government.”

The TEGB is to send a letter of support to the Chancellor pressing the case for a Thames Freeport on behalf of a coalition of industrial, business and political interests from across the Thames Estuary. A ministerial decision on the successful bidders is due in the spring.

The bid headlines:

• £5.1 billion additional GVA
• Over £4.5 billion in new public and private investment
• 25,000+ new jobs with many more across supply chains, with significant investment in training and skills
• 1,700 acres of development land – much with planning consent
• £400 million port investment into some of the most deprived areas
• 20% of the UK’s most deprived communities are in London and the South East
• Freeports in our DNA – DP World began as a free trade zone in Jebel Ali, while Tilbury was a freeport until 2012.

“The Government is committed to tackling deprivation wherever it occurs. Thurrock is the ports capital of the UK, but it’s also among the country’s top 25 most skills-deprived areas. The freeport will unleash the best of the private sector to turbocharge the river communities with new and better jobs fit for the 21st century”, commented Thurrock MP, Jackie Doyle-Price.

Jon Cruddas, MP for Dagenham and Rainham, added: “The freeport will act as a catalyst for green growth, with Dagenham at its centre. I wholeheartedly support Ford’s impressive plans for their site, alongside the greater use of the river for intra-port movements to reshape urban logistics by removing vehicles from the roads.”

Alan Shaoul, Chief Financial Officer at DP World in the UK, said: “Freeports will be an effective way of underpinning Britain’s economy post-Brexit and post-Covid by further enabling trade with the rest of the world and creating zones which act as catalysts for commerce, creativity and prosperity. We have global and domestic expertise in freeports, which are part of our DNA. We began as a free trade zone and free port in Dubai, Jebel Ali, and have successfully replicated the concept across the world.”

Dr Graham Hoare OBE, Chairman and Executive Director, Business Transformation, Ford of Britain, said: “The Thames Freeport provides Ford with a great opportunity as a test bed for a variety of customer-focused mobility technologies and promises to create a vibrant trading environment that will enable us to consider a range of other business opportunities on the Dagenham estate in the future.”

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer at Forth Ports (owner of the Port of Tilbury), added: “The Port of Tilbury has a track record of investing for the future – from building Britain’s newest port, Tilbury2, to a sustained focus on innovation, alongside the construction sector that allows us to build back better, green logistics and clean energy production.

 “Exporters will be able to take advantage of Thames Freeport’s connectivity to every continent, our proven track-and-trace technology system and modern training facilities to ensure the Thames Estuary remains a magnet for investment across the aerospace, automotive and the many complex manufacturing and processing businesses along this important industrial corridor.”

See the Thames Freeport website / Twitter / LinkedIn pages for more information.

-ends-

 Contact details:

 For more information about the Thames Freeport bid, contact John Stevenson on john@ti-

communications.co.uk or 07824 621756

Construction work has started on an innovative scheme to improve Tilbury’s flood defences with the installation of new dual function flood lock gates.

In a project of national importance, the existing port lock gates will be replaced with pioneering dual function lock gates, and the Environment Agency’s tidal barrier will be removed.

This is a major joint project between the Environment Agency and The Port of Tilbury that will safeguard thousands of homes and businesses in the local area.

Work started in January and is expected to last for 18 months with the new lock gates planned for installation in late 2021 / early 2022.

Once the work is completed it will ensure a high standard of flood protection for Tilbury and provide a new navigation lock for operations at the busy port.

Planning for this project has been underway with the Environment Agency and the Port of Tilbury for several years. With total scheme costs of around £34million, the Port of Tilbury London Ltd (PoTLL) is providing a multi-million-pound contribution to the project and will take responsibility for operation and maintenance of the new dual function structure. Funding has also been secured from the Anglian (Eastern) Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. Councillor Gerard Rice represents Thurrock Council on this Committee.

The Environment Agency’s Thames Estuary Asset Management 2100 Programme (TEAM2100) will deliver the works in partnership with a number of contractors including Jacobs and Balfour Beatty.

Sir James Bevan, Environment Agency Chief Executive said:

““We are investing £5.2billion in flood defences over the next 6 years. The Port of Tilbury is vital to our national economy. The new scheme is an important and exciting project that has both a flood protection and navigational purpose, and will help protect jobs and growth.

The Tilbury barrier will reduce flood risk for the Port, residents and business. It is a key part of the Environment Agency’s new Flood Strategy, which aims to make the country resilient to flooding and coastal change – today, tomorrow and to the year 2100.”

Charles Hammond OBE, Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports (owners of the Port of Tilbury) said:

“This is a vital strategic project for not only the port but to safeguard the local community from any flood threat. We have worked with the Environment Agency for a number of years to carefully plan this major project and it is through this successful collaboration that this innovative scheme will become a reality.”

Commenting on the project, Paul Dale, Port of Tilbury’s Asset & Site Director said:

“This is a very important project and an impressive engineering solution that will provide flood defences for homes and businesses in the area for decades to come while ensuring the smooth marine operations at The Port of Tilbury.”

Helena Henao Fernandez, Environment Agency Deputy Programme Director and Sam Stevens, TEAM2100 Delivery Partner Programme Director said:

“We are excited with TEAM2100 progressing the Tilbury Dual Function Lock Gate project into the final stage of construction. This is a complex project that has required extensive planning, complex design solutions and strong collaboration between the Environment Agency, Port of Tilbury and the TEAM2100 delivery team. We look forward to playing our part in bringing this project to a safe conclusion, so that it can provide critical flood protection to Tilbury and the local communities for many years to come.”

Paul Hayden Regional Flood and Coastal Committee chair said:

“This important project has been supported by the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee for many years.  It is excellent news that construction has started.”

This scheme is part of the Government’s long-term investment in flood and coastal defences. Since 2015 it has invested £2.6bn to better protect the country from flooding and coastal erosion and is on course to have better protected 300,000 homes by March 2021. Earlier this year, the Government announced a record £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal defences and the National FCRM Strategy will help build a better prepared and more resilient nation.

The original port lock gates were installed in 1928 and Tilbury Barrier was constructed in 1980-1981.

3 February 2021                                 – Ends –

London’s leading provider of river, road and rail freight solutions, Walsh, has signed a 20-year agreement with the Port of Tilbury to help to meet the capital’s demand for construction materials in the most sustainable way.

The deal enables Walsh to create two new freight hubs at the port – the first will be a logistics terminal with aggregates processing plant and the second will be a rail-linked freight facility. Transporting aggregates by river and rail significantly reduces road miles and traffic congestion and represents a fraction of the carbon emissions of road haulage.

Walsh will bring 400,000 tonnes of secondary aggregate into Tilbury by sea and river each year from china clay producer Imerys in Cornwall. This material – known as Cornish Granite – is a by-product of the china clay industry and is rated as one of the most sustainable aggregates available in the UK. Combined with transportation by marine freight, stent achieves a greener supply chain for built development in London and the South East.

Walsh and the Port of Tilbury have worked together for decades and share a goal to create more sustainable supply chain solutions for customers, particularly in the construction industry, by using the River Thames and expansion of rail freight. Both businesses are investing significantly in these two new operations at the port.

Walsh will move into 34 Berth at the port in March 2021 and will install a new multimillion pound processing plant to wash and grade the aggregate for supply to their customers across the South East. Products include rock armour stone, type 1 sub-base, single sized granite, coarse sand, fine mortar sand and 6F5 recycled aggregate.

Peter Ward, Commercial Director at The Port of Tilbury said: “Walsh are an important and long-standing customer and we are very pleased to be working with them on this strategic expansion and investment in their business. The Port of Tilbury has unrivalled multimodal transport connections and businesses located at the port which together create a Construction Hub that benefits everyone. This is a strong start to the year as we get underway with the economic recovery following the pandemic and Brexit impacts. This not only supports the UK Government’s ‘Build Back Better’ recovery strategy but also creates greener supply chains using water-borne and rail transport.”

Joe Gifford, Managing Director of WALSH said: “We’re delighted with this deal which further extends our river, rail and road network across the South East. It also puts Walsh in a unique position to meet London’s need for construction materials in the most sustainable way possible. With aggregate recycling at its maximum in the capital – a success story we’re also proud to be part of – our new partnership with the Port of Tilbury means we can bring in Cornish Granite that would otherwise be discarded and turn it into high-quality products to support London’s development and regeneration.”

Mark Faraway, Senior Commercial Manager from The Port of Tilbury said: “Our rapidly expanding bulks business at the Port of Tilbury provides the vital elements to ensure an efficient and greener supply chain for our customers. We have long relationship with Walsh and we are happy that we can continue this for the next two decades.”

27 January 2021                            -ends-

The Port of Tilbury and FM Conway today announce that they have extended their agreement for a further five years to load aggregate for FM Conway’s Theale facility.

FM Conway is the largest independent supplier of asphalt in the south east and driven by innovation and customer service, the new agreement will also see the doubling of rail freight using its rail service provider Freightliner to Theale with two trains leaving Tilbury each week from January.

The trains will leave the Thames based port each week on a Tuesday and a Friday taking over 3000 tonnes of aggregate by rail to Theale to be used on the UK’s highway network and other construction projects.

1000’s of tonnes of material is arriving by vessel into the port each month from Norway and then distributed by road and rail across the south east to keep at pace with demand.

Commenting on the increased service and agreement, Mark Faraway, Senior Commercial Manager from The Port of Tilbury said: “This is great news to start the year. Our bulks business at The Port of Tilbury is thriving as we have the key ingredients to ensure an efficient and greener supply chain for our customers. We have a good relationship with the team at FM Conway and we are pleased that we can continue this for the next five years.”

Tim Metcalf, FM Conway A&A business development director commented: “Working together with the Port of Tilbury and other supply chain partners such as Stema-Mibau and Freightliner allows us to significantly reduce carbon emissions and road traffic in the south east. We look forward to our continued successful working relationship with the Port of Tilbury.”

18 January 2021                            -ends-

Forth Ports Limited (“Forth Ports”) and Targe Towing Limited (“Targe”) jointly announce today (11^th January,2021) that Forth Ports has acquired the entire share capital of Targe.

Targe is a first class and extremely professional marine services business with an excellent reputation for servicing customers and safety in its operations led by an excellent management team.  Targe owns a fleet of nine vessels, including five tugs, which operate in waters throughout the East of Scotland, as well as managing a further three tugs which operate at the Hound Point marine terminal on the Firth of Forth. Forth Ports’ fleet numbers 10, including four tugs.

Targe has worked closely with Forth Ports’ towage subsidiary, Forth Estuary Towage, for a number of years and both companies believe the acquisition represents an opportunity to build on Targe’s reputation, to expand and take advantage of business opportunities in the towage and marine services area.

Targe’s day-to-day operations will remain the same, with both Tom Woolley, Managing Director, and Nick Dorman, Operations Director, continuing to lead the business, and the Targe name will be retained.

Alasdair Smith, Forth Ports’ Senior Marine Commercial Manager, will join the Targe team in a senior position which will bring the combined commercial expertise of Forth Ports’ Group businesses to deliver on its growth ambitions. The integration process and close collaboration between Forth Estuary Towage and Targe as part of Forth Ports will be led by Stuart Wallace, Forth Ports’ Chief Operating Officer. The consideration for the acquisition is not being disclosed.

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

“This is an important strategic move, establishing a commercial marine services business of scale. I am confident that, as part of Forth Ports, Targe will develop and grow at an even faster pace.”

Tom Woolley, Managing Director of Targe Towing, said:

“We have enjoyed a close working relationship with the Forth Ports team for years and it’s clear that there are opportunities that we can pursue together to further develop the business.”

Targe has received many awards for its work at the Hound Point marine terminal from BP and INEOS, both major customers of Forth Ports and Targe, and the company is recognised for providing a world class service in this operation.

Forth Ports and Targe have each made significant investments in their towage assets recently, with Forth Ports adding the Craigleith and the Inchcolm tugs to its fleet and the Kittiwake and Peterel joining Targe’s fleet.

Ends                                                                                                               11^th January, 2021