The Port of Tilbury (as part of the London Construction Hub), in conjunction with Essex Chambers of Commerce, welcomed several businesses involved within construction for a tour around their facilities. Attendees included Balfour Beatty & Indurent, who were impressed by the scale of the operations and the complete solutions that the London Construction Hub could provide to construction projects.

Denise Rossiter, CEO, Essex Chambers commented:

“During the tour, members were given an in-depth look at the hub’s cutting-edge services, including its streamlined supply chain operations, vast storage capabilities, and 24/7 resilient transport links. As a vital logistics hub on London’s doorstep, the Port of Tilbury demonstrated how it reduces material miles and carbon emissions with expertise in cargo handling and marine services whilst providing tailored solutions to meet the growing demands of construction projects across the region.”

Daniel Galvin, Commercial Manager, Port of Tilbury commented:

“The London Construction Hub, has a proven track record for providing logistics solutions to major construction projects. We can provide total solutions to projects in London and the South East, presenting them with an excellent opportunity to deliver their projects with the lowest of carbon footprints whilst saving valuable space on site by utilising our material stockpiling expertise, the low embodied carbon materials imported by on-site suppliers, and our excellent river, rail, and road connectivity.”

In conjunction with Essex Chamber of Commerce, the London Construction Hub will look to welcome further businesses to visit the facilities and view the opportunities surrounding low carbon project delivery and supply chain consolidation.

For more information on the London Construction Hub, and how they may assist a construction project, please visit https://www.londonconstructionhub.co.uk/

For more information on how you can become a member of the Essex Chamber of Commerce, please visit https://www.essexchambers.co.uk/

Tilbury on the Thames Trust in Partnership with The Port of Tilbury is celebrating the achievement of securing an incredible £4,478,310 in funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver its ambitious plans to fully refurbish Tilbury’s Grade II listed historic Riverside Railway Station to bring the historic landmark back to life as a vibrant community location.

The funding for the Back on Track* project marks a milestone in the Trust’s efforts over a number of years to secure major funding to transform the railway station into an exciting space for community events, studios for local artists, and a place to enjoy a cup of coffee in a new riverside café while watching the ships go by along the Thames. The transformation will celebrate the building’s rich heritage, from the arrival of the Empire Windrush to its legacy as a key stop for cruise liners today and from a bygone era.

To mark the funding award, a new video has been released today: https://vimeo.com/1017920540/e3f5fb3402?share=copy (please credit The Port of Tilbury if using this)

Commenting on the funding achievement, Paul Dale, Chair of Tilbury on the Thames Trust and COO of Forth Ports, said: “The Port of Tilbury is a gateway to the world along the River Thames, and we are proud of our maritime heritage and trade. The news that we have received National Heritage Lottery funding is very exciting, Tilbury on the Thames Trust have had a vision for the Tilbury Riverside Station in partnership with the Port for many years, and now this funding will bring the station back to life ensuring the local stories are told and preserving the rich history of the Riverside Station for generations to come.”

Scott Sullivan, co-founder of Tilbury on the Thames Trust, said: “Tilbury has literally won the Lottery! Back on Track shows how Lottery players really can make dreams come true, with this award enabling us to safeguard this remarkable building for the nation whilst also celebrating the personal stories and connections local people have. We hope our project demonstrates how residents and businesses can come together to realise something special for their community.”

 Lucy Emma Harris, Board member of Tilbury on the Thames Trust said: “Our successful application for the funding has been years in the making, driven by the dedication of the Tilbury on the Thames Trust, in close partnership with the Port of Tilbury. The Trust are extremely grateful to the many community stakeholders who rallied behind this project, including local schools Tilbury Towns Fund and local heritage groups. Their commitment to preserving this important local landmark along the River Thames highlights the station’s significance in our national story as a place of arrivals and departures, with countless stories woven into its past.

 “We look forward to welcoming the community back to Tilbury Riverside Station and invite everyone to be part of its exciting regeneration journey.”

 About the project

*Back on Track: Tilbury Riverside Station – £4,478,310 grant – Designed by Sir Edwin Cooper and built in the 1920s, Tilbury Riverside Station forms the core of the historic Port of Tilbury, a gateway to the world for almost 100 years, through which goods, people and their stories have passed to and from the UK. Most famously perhaps, this includes members of the British Caribbean Community who arrived with the SS Empire Windrush in 1948. Tilbury has also been interconnected with the River Thames and the defence of London for centuries made stark by Queen Elizabeth’s ‘heart and stomach of a king’ speech in the face of the Spanish Armada.

Back on Track is a partnership between local people and Forth Ports, which will place the building back at the heart of the local community. The restored Riverside Station will form part of the exciting redevelopment of the Tilbury waterfront, complementing Tilbury Town Fund developments, with a new café, event space, along with direct access to the River Thames. The former railway station will also include artist studios to support local business, education and investment, while permanent exhibition space will explore the history of Tilbury and its role in major national and international events. A four-year programme of engagement will explore personal histories through community research, exhibitions and events, bringing Tilbury’s rich and multi-faceted history to life.

The £4,478,310 in funding will revitalise Tilbury and create a thriving and vibrant community hub, boosting the local economy and reestablishing the town as a cultural destination. Funding will allow a full regeneration of the station building, creating 8 studio lets for local artists, a new café to offer a stop for thousands of travellers and open up the main ticket hall for community events. The project will facilitate training and learning opportunities within the community providing 6 volunteer roles, 302 volunteering opportunities and 9,000 volunteer hours, as well as almost 18,000 heritage engagement opportunities including exhibitions, community markets and workshops for locals and tourists.

‘Back on Track’ will be delivered by Tilbury on the Thames Trust in partnership with the Port of Tilbury as owners of the Riverside Station.  Both will be jointly accountable for the grant.

10 October 2024                              – ends –

At a special dedication ceremony at the Port of Leith this week, six tugs were given a traditional marine blessing with their godmothers present. They form part of the large fleet of tugs and work boats operated by Targe Towing Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Forth Ports Limited, which provide towage, emergency response and other services 24 hours a day principally on the Forth and Tay, two of the UK’s busiest waterways, the North East ports of Scotland and offshore.

The ceremony also marked, by the merged entities, 40 years of continuous towage operations at Braefoot Bay and 30 years of operations at Hound Point Marine Terminal both located on the River Forth. Bishop of Brechin, Rt Rev Andrew Swift, led the blessing of the tugs, which are named the Balmerino, Camperdown, Inchcolm, Kittiwake*, Peterel and Queensferry and, to follow the tradition of assigning a female godmother to a marine vessel, each tug had its godmother at the ceremony.

• MT BALMERINO – Godmother Carole Cran – Chief Commercial and Financial Officer at Forth Ports
• MT CAMPERDOWN – Godmother Lesley Dorman – Lesley is married to Captain Nick Dorman, MD of Targe Towing
• MT INCHCOLM – Godmother Tyne Reilly – FNGL Plant Manager at Shell
• MT KITTIWAKE* – Godmother Pamela Smyth – Chief Legal and Property Officer at Forth Ports
• MT PETEREL – Godmother Karen Wallace – Karen is married to Stuart Wallace, CEO of Forth Ports
• MT QUEENSFERRY – Godmother Angela Gardner – Angela is married to Andrew Gardner, CEO of INEOS Forties Pipeline Services, owner of the tug.

[*The Kittiwake was operating elsewhere and not present at the ceremony.]

Representatives from Damen Shipyard, Robert Allan Naval Architects and Sanmar Shipyard who designed and built the tugs, welcomed the ship’s godmothers with a gift exchange. The Tugs, crewed by expert mariners, are established work horses of the Targe Towing and INEOS FPS marine fleets and have a long life span which can last decades. These state-of-the-art vessels demonstrate the latest technology and significantly enhance the overall towage capability and emergency response for the region.

Stuart Wallace, Chief Executive of Forth Ports said; “This investment in enhanced marine services by Targe and INEOS FPS is a commitment to maintaining safe operations on the Forth, Tay and elsewhere as well as delivering excellent services to our customers. The Forth and Tay are two of the busiest waterways in the UK with thousands of vessels navigating the rivers including very large crude carriers (VLCC) to Hound Point, container vessels into Scotland’s largest container terminal at Grangemouth; jack up rigs into Dundee; cruise liners calling across our ports and deep water anchorages; and gas carriers to and from Braefoot Bay.” 

Captain Nick Dorman, Managing Director of Targe Towing said:  “These modern additions to our combined fleet will give us the flexibility and enhanced capability to future proof the growing maritime needs as the region transitions to alternative energy sources as well as maintaining the current demands.”

Andrew Gardner, CEO of INEOS FPS said: “We are delighted to be joining our partners on the Forth at this dedication ceremony and welcoming these modern and highly efficient tugs to support our Operations. In addition, I would like to mention and thank Targe Towing for 30 years of support and service on Hound Point and recognise their achievement in this time with a zero lost time safety record.”

 3 October 2024                                              -Ends-

Forth Ports has welcomed 22 new talented apprentices and graduates from across their UK wide business for a welcome day at the Port of Tilbury. The new intake brings a diverse range of skills and expertise and will be working across the business including operations, engineering, marine and finance.

Featuring a day of teambuilding activities designed to encourage collaboration and camaraderie for the new recruits, the welcome day at the Port of Tilbury included insightful discussions with leaders from across the Forth Ports Group, including CEO, Stuart Wallace, who offered a valuable perspective on the company’s vision, the important role that apprentices and graduates play in the future of the business and why Forth Ports is committed to investing in the future of the workforce.

The new group will be joining an existing community of 47 graduates and apprentices already working across the business in a wide range of roles. This latest addition of talent marks Forth Ports’ continued investment and commitment in nurturing and developing the new wave of upcoming talent for the port and logistics industry. The investment in talent is a key part of Forth Ports long-term strategy which aligns with the broader goals set by both the Scottish and UK Governments.

Stuart Wallace, CEO of Forth Ports said:

“We warmly welcome our new apprentices and graduates to our business and we wish them a successful career with us. Forth Ports is committed to investing in continuous learning and professional growth of all our people. We not only support an individual’s personal career journey but we also contribute to the UK’s broader economic and industrial goals. We aim to be at the heart of bringing talented individuals into the industry and look forward to supporting our apprentices and graduates on their career journey in the coming years.”

Harry Ford, Marine Apprentice at Forth Ports said:

“The welcome event was a great opportunity to bring together all areas of the business. I now understand how each area of the business operates, and how they work together as a whole. The event taught me how important it is to create healthy working relationships as I progress in my career.”

Forth Ports is to name its newly-constructed deep water riverside berth at the Port of Leith – designed to host the world’s largest offshore wind construction vessels – the Charles Hammond Berth, in honour of the company’s former Chief Executive who stepped down from the role in June, after 23 years at the helm.

The news was revealed to staff by his successor, Stuart Wallace, in an all-company video following a successful marine trial of the berth last week. It hosted the 88,500 tonne Carnival Legend cruise ship – the largest vessel ever to berth at the Port of Leith – in an exercise that was executed successfully.

Stuart Wallace, Forth Ports’ CEO, said:

“Since taking on the CEO role at the start of July this has been the easiest decision I’ve faced. 

“It was Charles’s vision to build the infrastructure, first in Dundee then here in Leith, to meet the needs of the offshore wind sector, ahead of the market. 

“This vision lives on, not just in his name but as we create Scotland’s largest renewable energy hub right here in Leith, helping Scotland and the UK achieve their net zero ambitions.”

Built to accommodate the world’s largest offshore renewables support vessels, Leith’s outer berth is scheduled to be completed and handed over later this month. The berth features a heavy lift capability of up to 100 tonnes per square metre (t/m²), backed up by 175 acres of adjacent land for associated renewables logistics, marshalling and manufacturing.

Leith will deliver Scotland’s largest renewable energy hub on a 175-acre site – supporting Scotland’s energy transition plans, boosting local supply chains, creating new, high quality green jobs and making a significant contribution to the country achieving its net zero carbon emissions targets.

The Leith Renewables Hub will be part of the Forth Green Freeport’s strategically located tax sites, which aim to reindustrialise central Scotland, generating thousands of high-quality green jobs by increasing trade and supporting the growth of businesses across the Firth of Forth.

There will be an official opening ceremony for the new berth in the coming months.

Forth Ports has submitted a Proposal of Application (PAN) to The City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) for phase two of Harbour 31, known as The Dry Dock at Harbour 31, an exciting new creative and commercial hub on land to the east of Edinburgh Dock within the Port of Leith (see outline map attached with this media release).

The PAN submitted is the next phase of the wider Harbour 31 development plans for the area and follows on from the Planning Permission in Principle (PPP) submitted in March this year for 337 new homes and approximately 244sqm of commercial space.

This PAN identifies specific opportunities including business, general industrial use, storage and distribution, training/education facilities, with retail, food and drink uses on a site situated to the east of Edinburgh Dock at the Port of Leith; integrating land at the port into the wider community in and around Leith.

As part of the consultation process to inform the submission of a detailed planning application later in the year, two public exhibitions will be held at Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6JJ. The first exhibition will be on Tuesday 30 July 2024 between 3pm and 7pm. The date of the second exhibition is still to be confirmed but will likely be in the month of September.

The redevelopment of this area of Leith represents an exciting opportunity to create a new neighbourhood while providing high quality architecture, landscaping and public space which will enhance the city’s connection to the waterfront.

Pamela Smyth, Chief Legal and Property Officer, of landowners Forth Ports Group, said: “This application is the next part of the Harbour 31 vision to create a vibrant new quarter for people to live, work in and enjoy as new green jobs come to Leith.

“Leith is quickly transitioning into a leading renewables hub and coupled with the benefits which can now be gained as the Forth Green Freeport, this will completely regenerate the area.”

The proposals have been designed by gfivethree architects.

Following a full refurbishment by Forth Ports, the Category A Listed Victoria Swing Bridge located at the Port of Leith, was officially reopened at the weekend with a walk over procession and a colourful community flag parade.

The six figure investment in the refurbishment of the 150 year old bridge, which is the largest counterweighted swing bridge in Scotland, was a programme of specialist works which ensures that the bridge is protected for the future. Repairs were made to the two pedestrian walkways and the central carriageway which included replacing the existing timber decking, steel work repairs and a full repair and repaint of the well-known blue bridge’s metalwork.

The procession included three new 6-metre Leith Flags which were commissioned by The Port of Leith and created in collaboration with Kinetika and the local community. Local Leith MSP Ben Macpherson, the Citadel Youth Centre and members of the Leith community all took part in the bridge walk at the weekend. The colourful flags encapsulate the rich history, the exciting present and ambitious future of Leith through artistic design which has been inspired by local stories, memories and aspirations from the local community.

The reopening of the bridge coincided with a weekend of events as part of the Leith Jazz and Blues Festival and included vintage bus tours around the Port of Leith which were led by the port team themselves.

Commenting on the reopening event, Stuart Wallace, Group Chief Executive Designate at Forth Ports, said: “It is fantastic to be at the reopening of the Victoria Swing Bridge which is an important landmark for the community in Leith. The bridge work is just one part of the exciting ongoing regeneration activity in Leith of which we are proud to be part of. The glorious Leith flags brought colour and creativity to the reopening bridge procession and we are excited to show these flags off to the community.

 “We are grateful to everyone who collaborated in the creation of the flags and I hope the local community enjoyed the vintage bus tours of the port. I know our team had a great time leading the tours and showing the dramatic, innovative redevelopment taking place as we build Scotland’s largest offshore renewables hub.”

The reopening of the Victoria Swing Bridge, coupled with the refurbishments and reopening of the Rennie’s Isle Bridge last year by Teuchters Landing, ensure that the people of Leith have better access around the local shore area. Further work will continue next year on the Victoria Swing Bridge with the refurbishment of the timber decked turning circles. This work will not impact on access for people crossing the bridge.

The Victoria Swing Bridge was designed by Alexander Rendel and opened in 1874 to provide an efficient road and railway route for the port following the completion of construction of Albert Dock in 1869. The bridge was originally B listed but was upgraded to an A listing in 2014. It is constructed of riveted wrought iron, timber and steel and originally carried a double rail track along its central deck (providing access for both trains and road vehicles) and features pedestrian walkways on either side.

10 June 2024                          – ends –

The busiest season ever for Forth Ports’ Capital Cruising business, kicks off this month. A record bursting 161 cruise calls are booked in this season calling across Scotland’s east coast, carrying an estimated 235,000 passengers who will be visiting Edinburgh, Fife and Dundee during 2024. This is further growth for the cruise business, which welcomed 149 vessels in 2023, where ships sail directly into the Port of Leith, Rosyth and Dundee’s cruise berth as well as deep water anchorages in the River Forth for Newhaven and South Queensferry.

The cruise season in Scotland traditionally runs between April and October bringing thousands of passengers who visit the attractions of Scotland including the capital city. Edinburgh is a globally popular destination and viewed by the cruise market as a “marquee” cruise destination with iconic attractions, events, heritage and culture and most importantly, the city is known for welcoming cruise lines and cruise passengers.

Dundee is enjoying further strong growth in cruise, with 16 calls booked for 2024. Their season starts on 27 April with the arrival of the Seaborne Venture. In 2023, the port welcomed 14 cruise ships and in 2022 it had four.

Commenting, Rob Mason, Head of Cruise at Forth Ports, said: “We are excited to have started our busiest ever cruise season. Cruise is an important contributor to our local and national economy. Over the past decade, there has been an incredible 93% growth in the attraction of cruise in Scotland with an expected 1 million passengers calling into Scotland’s ports, generating an incredible £130million for the country’s economy.

 “91% of cruise passengers repeat a cruise with 60% returning to a destination. We are working hard with the city, destination partners, communities and the wider cruise industry to meet the industries challenges and deliver another success cruise season. We look forward to giving a warm Scottish welcome to cruise passengers this year.” [*figures from Cruise Scotland].

The cruise industry is firmly committed to the sustainable future for cruise travel both at sea and onshore, as cruise lines embrace new technologies, innovations and the uptake of sustainable alternative fuels. Whilst significant work is also being undertaken to ensure Edinburgh is recognised as a sustainability driven destination. EZ Bike Tours located next to our port in Newhaven provides environmentally friendly electric bike tours of the city as a shore excursion option. The launch of the Edinburgh Trams extension last year will also allow passengers easy access to the City using the tram stops in Newhaven and also at the Port of Leith.

Forth Ports’ has set out its commitment to reducing its own carbon footprint with ambitious targets to be carbon neutral by 2032 and net zero by 2042. Action is already underway and last year the Port of Leith becoming the first large mainland commercial port in Scotland to provide a shore power connection which allows ships to switch off any diesel-powered generators or engines.

16 April 2024                                    – ends –