Maritime Transport Ltd (Maritime) have now opened their new rail connected distribution terminal at the Port of Tilbury. Maritime have been on site at Tilbury for 15 years and have relocated to a new facility with rail connectivity near London Container Terminal.

Handling mostly steel for distribution to Europe and rest of the world, Maritime will use an existing terminal railhead which has been converted to allow both straddle carriers and reach stackers to operate simultaneously which will double the handling capacity of the terminal. The terminal will handle both intermodal and specialised steel wagons from the first day of operation.

A 55,000 Sq ft Rubb shed was relocated from another part of the port to the site to provide rail connected undercover storage. Maritime can accommodate both domestic and International / EU trade in the new terminal.

Commenting on the new facility, Peter Ward, Commercial Director at the Port of Tilbury said: “It’s great to see this new facility for Maritime open. We have worked with them for a long time and it was important that the port invested in this new facility for their growing business. Maritime’s terminal provides a bespoke facility with easy access to our rail connections. The site that Maritime were previously located on the port will now become part of the Tilbury2 development area”

‘We’re delighted with the new site and are confident that our relocation will benefit our customers,’ said Dave Boomer, Chief Executive Officer, Maritime Transport Ltd. ‘Being rail connected is essential for us, as we maintain current customer relationships and look to grow our intermodal business, which launched earlier this year, to help improve both ours and our customers eco credentials.’

13 June 2019

Harbour Gateway, the latest phase of the Western Harbour managed rent community being promoted by Forth Ports, wel-comes its final residents at the end of May in the largest Built to Rent (BTR) project of its kind in Scotland, made possible by innovative National Hous-ing Trust funding provided by City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Fu-tures Trust on behalf of the Scottish Government.

The vision has introduced a number of key innovations, as the project team seeks to deliver the best possible outcomes for residents. Rents for residents go up by no more than CPI and a deposit-free option is being trialed, as is a dedicated residents’ portal for communicating on community issues.

In another first for Scotland, residents can take advantage of a new app being pioneered by Rettie & Co. that enables them to get enhanced credit ratings from paying rents. Currently, only mortgage payments qualify with credit referencing agencies.

Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports said: “I am pleased that the first phase of Western Harbour has been completed, bringing much needed affordable homes to Leith and the city more broad-ly. I would like to thank everyone that has supported the project and hope we can add a further 1,000 homes in time.”

Matthew Benson, Director, Development Services at Rettie & Co, said: “We are delighted to have reached a key milestone in this ambitious project and are looking forward to the next phase. These homes bring the total num-ber of Build to Rent properties with which Rettie & co. has been involved to 785. The vast oversubscription for homes at Harbour Gateway illustrates the level of demand for this kind of high quality housing in Edinburgh against a backdrop of chronic undersupply. Harbour Gateway also sets the standard for the collaborative way in which public and private sector fi-nancing deals can be combined to the satisfaction of clients and investors, while delivering high quality homes for residents.”

Harbour Gateway resident Natalie Barrett said: “With the cost of moving al-ready being high, it’s really helpful to be able to rent deposit-free, and we are also looking forward to having the opportunity to buy in 5 years and feel supported to do so. Previous private rental or mid-market rental with housing associations have made me feel that we are lucky to be renting their property – but at Harbour Gateway they make you feel like they are pleased to have you.”

29 May 2019

Construction of the new £200million port for London, Tilbury2, is underway and the Port of Tilbury has issued a CGI video which shows for the first time the facilities which will be ready in 2020.

Tilbury2 received development consent from the Secretary of State for Transport in February to build Tilbury2 – a new multimillion-pound port terminal adjacent to the current 930 acre site in Thurrock, on the outskirts of Greater London. GRAHAM are underway with the construction which include a new rail and road connection, deep water jetty and pontoon. It will be the UK’s largest unaccompanied ferry port and the country’s biggest construction processing hub. The video also shows how the team are focussing on protecting the natural habitat for water voles and invertebrates.

Commenting on the video, Peter Ward, Commercial Director at the Port of Tilbury said: “Construction of Tilbury2 is well underway and by issuing this CGI video we can see how accessible the new port is to London and how the port will operate when it opens next year (2020). We are excited about this development which has been driven by demand from our customers and we are grateful to the local community for their support during this construction phase.”

Tilbury2 will comprise:

• A roll on/roll off ferry terminal for importing and exporting containers and trailers to northern Europe, in partnership with P&O Ferries
• A facility for importing, processing, manufacturing and distributing construction materials
• A strategic rail terminal which can accommodate the longest freight trains of 775m
• Storage areas for a variety of goods, including exported and imported cars.

Tilbury2 is central to the Port of Tilbury’s £1billion investment programme during 2012-20. Tilbury has doubled the size of its business in the past 10 years and is projected to double the volume of cargo across the quay (from 16 million to 32 million tonnes) and increase direct employment (from 3,500 to 12,000 jobs) over the next 10-15 years.

The Port of Tilbury, London’s major port, announces today a long-term agreement with leading industrial gas company Nippon Gases Europe to import CO2 to the Thames port. The agreement will see weekly shipments arriving at the port, with Nippon Gases Europe investing in a permanent storage terminal at the port which became operational this year.

The shipments into Tilbury of carbon dioxide are carried on Nippon Gases’ dedicated ships in refrigerated liquid form and are intended primarily for the UK’s beverage and food markets. Nippon Gases Europe produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and speciality gases. Their products, services and technologies aim to make the planet more productive by bringing efficiency and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, primary metals and many others.

Commenting on the agreement, Peter Ward, Commercial Director from The Port of Tilbury said: “We are thrilled that Nippon Gases Europe has chosen the Port of Tilbury as the Southern UK hub for their essential products. Nippon Gases Europe will benefit from our strong logistical connections and ideal location for their market place. This is our first bulk liquid customer in Tilbury, but we have areas of expertise across the Forth Ports group.”

Nippon Gases Europe’s Director of Operations Colin Trundley stated “We have supplied the Southern UK via the Port of London for almost 30 years. This latest investment in a new terminal in Tilbury demonstrates Nippon Gases Europe’s commitment to our UK customers whose businesses are dependent upon a reliable supply chain. We are very pleased with the support and co-operation offered by the Port of Tilbury and we look forward to a long and successful partnership that will benefit both our customers and our partners.”

23 May 2019

Forth Ports, one of the UK’s largest port groups, has achieved the new ISO 45001 standard in Occupational Health & Safety Management making them the first port group to be awarded this tough new international standard.

The new ISO 45001 standard, which sets a single benchmark for the management of occupational health and safety, replaces the existing OHSAS 18001 health and safety standard and has been achieved by all eight port operations across the UK including Tilbury on the Thames, Grangemouth, Leith, Rosyth and Dundee.

To achieve the Standard, the management and operation of cargo handling were audited in detail across two weeks. The audit was a mix of office based review of administration, quayside inspection and interviews with port employees of all levels. Forth Ports handle a diverse range of commodities cross the quayside including bulk cargos, unitised cargos, timber and paper products, trade cars, containers and project work.

The achievement of this standard demonstrates Forth Ports high level of commitment to Health and Safety across their business. The port group continues to implement a ‘Safety F1rst’ culture at all levels across the business, which aims to protect employees, customers and visitors.

Commenting on the standard, Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer for Forth Ports said: “This is significant news for our ports as we are the first port group to be awarded this new ISO health & safety standard. H&S is at the core of our values with safety being our top priority. We strive to provide safe and secure processes at our ports and this Standard gives our employees and customers the reassurance that we have robust processes in place. We could not have achieved this without the support of all our employees and we are committed to the continuous improvement that the standard requires.”

30 April 2019                               -ends-

Forth Ports New Crane Rosyth
For more details see press release
Pic Peter Devlin

Work on our new port Tilbury2, gets underway and GRAHAM the principal contractor for the major project has produced the first construction newsletter. Peter Ward, Commercial Director, Port of Tilbury said: “It’s exciting to see work underway at the Tilbury2 site following our Development Consent Ordering being achieved in February. We are keen to share the progress of this project through these regular newsletters and our project website. GRAHAM are working on both the land and marine construction of the new port which will operational in 2020. We appreciate the local community’s support as we create this new port which will secure the future of the port, stimulate economic growth and employment for the area.”

http://www.tilbury2.co.uk/large-downloads/Tilbury2-NewsletterUpdate-Issue1-April_19.pdf

for more information on the project please go to www.tilbury2.co.uk

Port of Tilbury, London’s major port, has completed its new major storage expansion at the port’s Grain Terminal as part of the growth strategy. The new flat store increases the capacity by an additional 16,000 metric tonnes of both import and export wheat.

The grain terminal is one of the UK’s largest and celebrates its 50^th year of operation in June this year. The terminal handles over 1.4million tonnes annually of combinable crops for both for the export and UK markets. With this new flat store in operation, the terminal now has a current storage capacity of 136,000 tonnes to support its key customers including Frontier and also Millford Grain who have taken a long-term commitment to store their grains at the terminal.

This flat storage facility is 36m x 66m and 6 metres in height. It is built adjacent to the existing grain terminal and utilises the mill gallery conveyor system with overhead conveyors feeding the new storage unit automatically. It has a capacity of auto inload of 500 tonnes per hour.

Peter Ward, Commercial Director at The Port of Tilbury said: “As we celebrate the grain terminal’s 50^th year, this new flat store provides us with more capacity to support our customer’s growing volumes. We are one of the UK’s largest grain stores with over 35million tonnes of product handled over the past 50 years and we hope to continue to play a significant part in the sector in the next half century. Our flexibility, capacity and quality accreditations, including AIB, TASCC and Organic Certified, allows us to deal with any changing trade patterns.”

Commenting on the expansion, Alistair Groves from Millford Grain said: “The addition of this new flat store facility considerably helps Millford Grain as a business, and our customer’s requirements. It also underlines the Port’s commitment to long term investment for our sector”.

The Tilbury Grain terminal is the key strategic facility in the South East of the UK for the grain import and export markets handling grain from around the world. The grain terminal has over 200 silo’s ranging in size from 60mt to over 2000 metric tonnes, supporting the flour and ingredient market for the southeast, London and up to the Midlands. The terminal also operates a monthly coastal shipping service from Tilbury to its sister port in Kirkcaldy, Scotland for Carr’s Milling.

28 March 2019                                          -Ends-

LEADING BUSINESSES JOIN FORCES TO DELIVER A ONE-STOP

DECOM HUB AND POTENTIAL NEW VIRTUAL DEEP WATER QUAYSIDE

A new alliance of leading businesses in the North Sea Oil & Gas decommissioning sector, has been formed and launched today in Dundee (18 March). Named Forth and Tay Decommissioning, the alliance of businesses has been created with a shared vision to position Dundee as the UK Hub for North Sea oil and gas decommissioning.

Forth and Tay Decommissioning (F&TD) offers an entire supply chain including ABB, Augean North Sea Services, COES Caledonian, Forth Ports, John Lawrie Group, Offshore Decommissioning Services and Well-Safe Solutions which can deliver an integrated, end-to-end service for North Sea Oil & Gas decommissioning. F&TD will manage every step of the decommissioning process from a single, strategically positioned hub at the Port of Dundee. From well abandonment and making safe, through topside and subsea removal, to onshore recycling and monitoring – each stage adheres to a rigorous planning process, with seamless project and facilities management ensuring reliable and environmentally robust delivery and value.

In the Firth of Forth, F&TD will consider utilising Scotland’s natural resources by taking the quayside to the deep water through the creation a new virtual deep water port at a deep water anchorage. A feasibility study has been commissioned and is being carried out by Bureau Veritas to look into the viability of the creation of the floating deep water quayside capable of accommodating the very largest decommissioning projects.

Commenting on the new alliance, Callum Falconer, Chief Executive of Dundeecom, said: “Today is an exciting day as we launch Forth and Tay Decommissioning. This is the natural evolution of Dundeecom, which was started two years ago with the vision of creating a decommissioning hub in Dundee. This vision is now being realised.

“F&TD will create the framework for a sustainable, profitable and low cost decommissioning industry in Dundee, and better serve the future needs of our industry in Scotland. We are supporting and aligning with the UK Government and industry regulators through our new model for decommissioning. I am confident that the feasibility study, also announced toda,y for a virtual deep water quayside will demonstrate that there is an opportunity to take an alternative approach by taking the quayside to the deep water thus capitalising on the natural deep water in the Forth.”

One of the founding partners, Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports (owners of the Port of Dundee), said: “Through significant private investment and strong partnerships, Dundee now offers a full service for the North Sea Oil and Gas decommissioning sector.  The proximity to the skills base in Dundee, along with unrivaled land space and heavy lift quayside, makes Dundee the logical choice for large scale decommissioning in Scotland. The study into a virtual deep water quay will ensure that we take advantage of the deep water in the Forth to accommodate the largest of decom projects.”

By establishing a permanent UK base for end-to-end service delivery, Forth and Tay Decommissioning will successfully eliminate the high cost, effort and risk of relocating talent and equipment for traditional project-based decommissioning. Dundee in particular offers a highly-skilled local workforce, with access to major transport links for easy commuting and streamlined logistics, while the Port of Dundee’s strategic location, ample dockside, and portcentric infrastructure make it the ideal domestic hub for decommissioning

18 March 2019                                   -ends-

Forth Ports scooped an award at the inaugural CeeD (Centre for Engineering Education and Development) Industry Awards 2019 last night at the Hilton in Glasgow (28 February).

The port group, which operates eight ports across the UK and employs over 1100 people, won the Skills Development Award for the first time. These inaugural awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of some of the best established businesses in Scotland, along with the rising stars in the industry.

The judges were impressed with the commitment that Forth Ports places on the development and the investment in its people. Through a bespoke Logistics Academy in Tilbury and a newly built Skills and Business Centre in Grangemouth, the company delivers an end to end employment lifecycle of training and skills development opportunities for its employees.

Forth Ports has embraced Modern Apprenticeships across a full suite of disciplines and is the only recognised provider for the Port Operations Modern Apprenticeship in Scotland recently partnering with CalMac ferries to support the training of their new Port Operator apprentices.

The business also focuses on opportunities for young people through Schools Discovery Weeks and placements that are recognised at Scottish National 4/5 level within the curriculum along with undergraduate internship programmes. These provide opportunities for young people to explore the world of work and develop the skills, understanding and confidence to support their ongoing career choices and development.

The company also supports skills and training within the community to promote the logistics industry and enable wider local skills development through the Department of Works and Pensions, focusing on tailor made Work Ready Programmes. In Tilbury they now have a Technology Suite housing two simulators that are used to re-skill or up-skill veterans into work through the Tilbury on the Thames Trust and develop in-house plant operation skills.

Over the last three years Forth Ports has invested significantly in developing the leadership capacity and capability to support the growth of their leadership community. A top down approach was adopted to ensure that the leadership capability was in place to support a cascade of ethos, approach and skills to enable the business agenda for growth.

Celebrating the CeeD award success, Jackie Anderson, Group HR Manager said: “We are thrilled to win this CeeD award for the first time. We are committed to the learning and development of all our employees, to help them succeed in their current roles and achieve the personal and professional growth to help maximise their potential’.

Employee development is key to the way we do our business through ensuring our organisation has the long-term skills, professional competence, and leadership necessary to achieve our ambitions for the future. This award testament to the hard work of many people across the business and my thanks go to the training teams who have contributed to this success.”

1 March 2019                         -ends-

The Port of Tilbury, the UK’s fastest growing port, has appointed GRAHAM to deliver their new multimillion pound port terminal, Tilbury2. The port received development consent from the Secretary of State for Transport to build the new port last week (20 February) and will now work with GRAHAM to begin construction of the port immediately.

The contract will involve the creation of a new port terminal and associated facilities on land at the former Tilbury Power Station on the north bank of the River Thames at Tilbury. When operational in Spring 2020, Tilbury2 will be the UK’s largest unaccompanied freight ferry port, the country’s biggest construction processing hub and the creation of a new significantly larger rail head which can accommodate the longest freight trains of 775m.

GRAHAM has been awarded the contract for both the Terrestrial and the Marine Package. The Terrestrial contract incorporates a Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo), highway works, the relocation of the existing railhead, and a fixed structural steel bridge to the linkspan. The Marine contract includes works within the tidal estuary beyond the existing sea wall/flood defences, including a floating pontoon, link-span/articulated bridge, associated pilings and river bed preparation for the berth.

Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports Group (owners of the Port of Tilbury) said: “Tilbury2 is a significant project for our business and our customers. We are very pleased to have the expertise of GRAHAM to help us create this new port for London and the south east. GRAHAM are experts in what they do and have demonstrated this in their recent maritime projects in Hull, Grimsby and in Folkestone. There is a great deal to do over the next 12months and we look forward to opening our new port in 2020.”

Commenting on Tilbury2 Michael Graham, GRAHAM Executive Chairman: “The Tilbury2 project is a complex scheme that will facilitate the expansion of the Port of Tilbury and support its continued local, regional and national economic growth. We look forward to working collaboratively with The Port of Tilbury and local stakeholders to deliver this transformational scheme.

At GRAHAM, we are committed to delivering lasting impact and the Tilbury2 project is an example of a development programme that will not just enhance the Port’s offering to importers and exporters but will deliver long-term regeneration and create significant new employment opportunities.”

Tilbury2 is central to the Port of Tilbury’s £1 billion investment programme during 2012-20. Tilbury has doubled the size of its business in the past 10 years and is projected to double the volume of cargo across the quay (from 16 million to 32 million tonnes) and increase direct employment (from 3,500 to 12,000 jobs) over the next 10-15 years.

25 February 2019                                                   – ends-