Maritime Minister visits Port of Tilbury to see major expansion plans and Thames Freeport opportunities
Thursday 6th February 2025
The Port of Tilbury welcomed the Maritime Minister, Mike Kane MP today (6 February) for a briefing and tour of the UK’s fastest growing port, where, through significant private investment, the port is developing plans to further expand within the Thames Freeport land area to support their major markets.
The Port of Tilbury is working on plans on a 100 acres site to the east of the existing port at Tilbury2 to expand the port related activities on the back of market demand. To be called Tilbury3, the investment will create and sustain skilled jobs and support the current and future needs of its customers in renewables, recycling and logistics. Tilbury3 is within the Thames Freeport tax site land area.
The Minister also met with apprentices and graduates [see images] and was accompanied by Forth Ports’ Chief Executive, Stuart Wallace, Paul Dale, Chief Operating Officer and Peter Ward, Commercial Director, allowing the Minister to see for himself the skills and training opportunities offered throughout the Forth Ports Group as he toured the port’s state-of-the-art training simulator suite.
Maritime Minister, Mike Kane said: “It was fantastic to visit the Port of Tilbury today to see the sheer extent of their operations and to meet with their hardworking apprentices and graduate students. I very much welcome their expansion plans for Tilbury3, which will help strengthen trade links with other countries, boost economic growth and support the skills and jobs needed for the future.”
Stuart Wallace, CEO of Forth Ports, welcomed the Maritime Minister’s visit and commented on the latest major expansion to the Port of Tilbury – Tilbury3: “We were pleased to welcome the Minister to the port today to brief him on our future expansion plans and the offshore renewables opportunities on the horizon. The success and growth of the Port of Tilbury is intertwined with the growth of the green circular, South East and Greater London economies.
“The proposed expansion of our operations into Tilbury3, which is backed by substantial shareholder investment and Thames Freeport investment incentives, will support growing customer demand for new or expanded facilities – delivering more high quality employment to the local area.”
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Thursday 6th February 2025
The Port of Tilbury welcomed the Maritime Minister, Mike Kane MP today (6 February) for a briefing and tour of the UK’s fastest growing port, where, through significant private investment, the port is developing plans to further expand within the Thames Freeport land area to support their major markets. The Port of Tilbury is working on plans on a 100 …
The Port of Tilbury welcomed the Maritime Minister, Mike Kane MP today (6 February) for a briefing and tour of the UK’s fastest growing port, where, through significant private investment, the port is developing plans to further expand within the Thames Freeport land area to support their major markets.
The Port of Tilbury is working on plans on a 100 acres site to the east of the existing port at Tilbury2 to expand the port related activities on the back of market demand. To be called Tilbury3, the investment will create and sustain skilled jobs and support the current and future needs of its customers in renewables, recycling and logistics. Tilbury3 is within the Thames Freeport tax site land area.
The Minister also met with apprentices and graduates [see images] and was accompanied by Forth Ports’ Chief Executive, Stuart Wallace, Paul Dale, Chief Operating Officer and Peter Ward, Commercial Director, allowing the Minister to see for himself the skills and training opportunities offered throughout the Forth Ports Group as he toured the port’s state-of-the-art training simulator suite.
Maritime Minister, Mike Kane said: “It was fantastic to visit the Port of Tilbury today to see the sheer extent of their operations and to meet with their hardworking apprentices and graduate students. I very much welcome their expansion plans for Tilbury3, which will help strengthen trade links with other countries, boost economic growth and support the skills and jobs needed for the future.”
Stuart Wallace, CEO of Forth Ports, welcomed the Maritime Minister’s visit and commented on the latest major expansion to the Port of Tilbury – Tilbury3: “We were pleased to welcome the Minister to the port today to brief him on our future expansion plans and the offshore renewables opportunities on the horizon. The success and growth of the Port of Tilbury is intertwined with the growth of the green circular, South East and Greater London economies.
“The proposed expansion of our operations into Tilbury3, which is backed by substantial shareholder investment and Thames Freeport investment incentives, will support growing customer demand for new or expanded facilities – delivering more high quality employment to the local area.”
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Port of Tilbury invests in LHM 550 mobile harbour crane for operational expansion
Wednesday 29th January 2025
The Port of Tilbury has expanded its fleet with its third LHM 550 mobile harbour crane from Liebherr Great Britain. The multifunctional crane has been acquired to support the growing operations of London’s major Port, including Aggregate Industries’ new cement grinding manufacturing facility and import terminal.
The crane arrived on 18th January via the Baltic Sea fully assembled on the MV Meri heavy load vessel from Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock, Germany. With an outreach of 54 metres and 144-tonne configured lifting capacity, the LHM 550 is engineered for high-volume cargo throughput. The unloading of the crane was assisted by an LH 150 Port Litronic material handler which has been in operation at Tilbury since 2023.
Commenting on the arrival of the new mobile harbour crane, Paul Dale, Chief Operating Officer of Forth Ports said: “We have set out ambitious net zero targets across our business and are investing in greener technology to ensure that our operations are sustainable. The Liebherr LHM 550 joins our busy fleet in Tilbury and they will all support our growing bulks and heavy lift work across our port estate. We have a long-term relationship with Liebherr across the group and we are aligned in our commitment to greener operations.”
The LHM 550 crane has been specified with additional technology, including an over-pressure system to best aid future projects, including Aggregate Industries’ facility on the Port. Once it’s operational in 2026, the crane will handle granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) a low carbon alternative to conventional cement, unloading it from the vessel into the hopper of the plant. Due to the aggressive nature of GBFS, an over-pressure system has been fitted to force ventilate the slewing platform of the crane to prevent product ingress into the machine rooms. Furthermore, corrosion control of the mobile harbour crane is largely protected by the paint finish. Liebherr applies the same paint finish on the LHM crane range as it does for its offshore and ship cranes, ensuring that the quality exceeds most port standards.
Aggregate Industries’ new facility will allow the company to serve its customers 24/7 with conventional, low carbon and circular cementitious materials from five loading heads. In alignment with Forth Port’s objective to achieve net-zero emissions, the mobile harbour crane incorporates several of Liebherr’s green technologies. Firstly, the LieGEN energy recovery system captures and reuses energy, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing fuel consumption. The latest engine technology is fitted to comply with the most stringent emissions standards, setting new benchmarks for environmentally friendly port equipment. The crane can operate on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel, supporting the Port’s initiative to operate the crane on HVO from the delivery date, thereby reducing carbon emissions.
Finally, the crane’s electric-ready design allows for connection to an electrical power supply, facilitating the transition to zero emission operations in the future. These innovations underscore a commitment to sustainability and demonstrate a proactive approach to enhancing the ecological footprint of the Port’s operations.
Liebherr Great Britain’s Port Equipment and Maritime Cranes Sales Manager, Robert Alexander, comments: “Liebherr Great Britain is proud to continue supporting the Port of Tilbury, as it invests in cutting-edge equipment to enhance its operations. The addition of an LHM 550 Mobile Harbour Crane
marks another milestone in our strong partnership.
“This state-of-the-art crane joins two existing LHM 550s at Tilbury and a third at the Port of Rosyth, underscoring Forth Ports’ commitment to operational excellence.
“With advanced green technologies and future-ready design, the LHM 550 aligns perfectly with Forth Ports’ ambitious growth plans and sustainability objectives. We are honoured to support their leadership in efficient and environmentally responsible logistics.
“Our sincerest thanks to Forth Ports for its trust in Liebherr solutions and its collaboration in achieving this latest milestone.”
Kind-hearted Port of Tilbury employees donate over a hundred Christmas gifts to Changing Pathways charity
Friday 20th December 2024
Kind-hearted employees at the Port of Tilbury have made a generous donation of 136 gifts to the Changing Pathways charity, just in time for Christmas. The port has been supporting the local charity for over a decade with people from across the port buying and wrapping gifts for adults and children to open on Christmas day.
Changing Pathways has been providing support to adults and their children affected by domestic abuse in South Essex and Thurrock for over forty years. The charity provides free and confidential services for people who are currently experiencing or have previously experienced domestic abuse and other forms of inter-personal violence including stalking, harassment, ‘honour-based’ abuse and forced marriage. They focus on listening to survivors and together decide the support required to enable them to take their first step on a pathway to rebuilding their lives.
Paul Dale, Chief Operating Officer at Forth Ports (owners of the Port of Tilbury) said: “The team at the Port of Tilbury have once again shown their generosity to Changing Pathways with their gift donations. The festive season can be a tough time for a lot of people and we hope that the gifts will bring some cheer this Christmas.”
Port of Tilbury kicks off the summer with local performers at busy open day
Monday 13th May 2024
The Port of Tilbury’s community Open Day, held on Saturday 11th May was a great success with local performers, market stalls and red bus port tours. Hundreds of local people of all ages arrived at the sunny London Cruise Terminal for a day of events.
The event was organised by the Forth Ports team but was supported by volunteers from Thurrock and Tilbury. Over £600 was raised for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as they celebrated their 200th anniversary.
The free events throughout the day included a sold-out vintage bus port tour and a new makers market which proved to be a great addition to the open day. Families also enjoyed face painting, crafts, and a competitive penalty shoot-out!
Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director from The Port of Tilbury said: “We had a fantastic day on Saturday as we once again opened our port doors to the local community. The day was enjoyed by everyone involved including our very own teams and their families. We are so grateful to have such a supportive community around us and would like to thank everyone who attended.”
Labour Leader and Shadow Chancellor visit the Port of Tilbury
Thursday 23rd November 2023
Today (23 November), Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party and Rachel Reeves, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, toured the Port of Tilbury to see first-hand the importance of building infrastructure to generate growth in the UK.
During the overview of London’s major port and its expansion plans, both politicians also received a briefing on the supply chain demands across some of the country’s fast-developing sectors, including offshore wind, hydrogen and sustainable fuels.
The team discussed how government and industry can work in partnership to create sustainable, well-paid jobs across the country through a strong industrial strategy.
As well as hearing the business’ plans for the future, Starmer and Reeves also met a group of apprentices at the forefront of the port’s important work. The port’s ongoing apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship programmes aim to build the skills base to support rapidly growing business areas such as consumer goods, building materials and recyclables.
Forth Ports owns and operates The Port of Tilbury, alongside seven other commercial ports on the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay: Grangemouth, Dundee, Leith, Rosyth, Methil, Burntisland and Kirkcaldy. The Port of Tilbury is the number one UK port for forestry products, construction materials, paper, grain and recyclables. The port has a strong market presence in bulk commodities, containers / trailers, cars (import and export) and cruise vessels.
Welcoming Labour’s top team to Tilbury where Forth Ports outlined their net zero mission, Charles Hammond OBE, Chief Executive of Forth Ports Group (owner of the Port of Tilbury and Tilbury2), commented: “Ports are epicentres for the growing green economy. Our multi-million investment plan across our major ports – Tilbury, Burntisland, Leith, Grangemouth and Rosyth – will accelerate the nation’s path toward a decarbonised economy built upon low carbon logistics, low carbon fuels and low carbon power generation.”
Keir Starmer MP, Leader of the Labour Party, said: “Here at Tilbury Port, I was struck by the scale of the operations, the scale of the group’s green ambitions and their commitment to develop young people into the managers of tomorrow. Meeting the apprentices, it’s clear how investment into the area will smash the class ceiling and break down the barriers to opportunity for young people.
“My Labour government will share ambition like the one I’ve seen here today, driving growth and the next generation of jobs through investment in the infrastructure needed to deliver clean power. My mission-driven Labour government will get Britain building to create jobs, and deliver a prosperous economy.”
Port of Tilbury hosts The National Lottery to reveal HMT Empire Windrush sculpture
Wednesday 1st November 2023
On the 30th October we had the honour of hosting the National Lottery to showcase their new HMT Empire Windrush wireframe structure created to celebrate Black History Month and Windrush 75.
The National Lottery raises more than £30 million every week for great causes across the UK, and this year, awarded £1.2 million of this to 140 community groups commemorating Windrush 75. This month they celebrated with a showcase of a wireframe recreation of HMT Empire Windrush right where Windrush arrived at the Port of Tilbury.
The structure which is called ‘The Life We Hold’ was created by Liam Hopkins of Lazerian Studios, in collaboration with abstract artist and creative designer Jade Pearl. The design incorporates portraits of five individuals who have been able to do amazing things for the Windrush generation with funding from The National Lottery.
The team at The Port of Tilbury were privileged to host this event with singer and presenter Scarlette Douglas revealing the amazing structure on our docks, alongside representatives from the various beneficiaries of the National Lottery Funding.
This year we have pulled out all the stops to recongise the 75th anniversary of Windrush and we continue to support anyone who wishes to do so.
