The Port of Tilbury hosted the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP, and the Home Secretary, the Rt. Hon. Priti Patel MP, today for an overview of its expanding operations – including a new port terminal, Tilbury2 – and its contingency planning for the UK’s departure from the European Union.

Construction at Tilbury2 by Graham Construction is underway on a site which was part of the former Tilbury Power Station. Once operational, in spring 2020, Tilbury2 will be home to the UK’s largest unaccompanied ferry port, operated by P&O Ferries, and the country’s biggest construction processing hub, with “Authorised Economic Operator” trusted trader status.

Tilbury has doubled the size of its business in the past 10 years and is projected to double the volume across the quay (from 16 million to 32 million tonnes) and triple the direct employment (from 3,500 to 12,000 jobs) over the next 10-15 years.

This growth is underpinned by the Port of Tilbury’s £1 billion investment programme, 2012-20, of which Tilbury2 is a central part. Tilbury2 will include a new rail and road connection, deep water jetty and pontoon, at a projected cost in excess of £200 million.

Expansion is needed to cope with rising demand for construction materials and aggregates from the UK’s building sector, imported and exported cars, as well as an increase in ferry traffic, which carries food, drink, finished products and other goods between Europe and the UK.

Sajid Javid MP, Chancellor, said: “Great to visit the Port of Tilbury with the Home Secretary and see how they’re preparing for Brexit. The £2.1bn no-deal funding I’ve announced today will accelerate preparations at the border, support business readiness and ensure the supply of critical medicines.”

“Tilbury2 will add much-needed European-facing ferry capacity at a crucial time for the UK economy,” commented Carole Cran, Chief Financial Officer of Forth Ports Group (owner of the Port of Tilbury), after hosting the Chancellor and the Home Secretary.

“In addition, our existing port infrastructure and experienced staff stand ready to flex in order to provide greater resilience to vital pan-European supply chains in preparation for the UK’s departure from the European Union, utilising the latest technology and streamlined border processes in support of continued market demand created by business growth.

“Tilbury2 is a significant part of the Port’s £1 billion investment strategy as we look to provide the next generation of logistics facilities to equip Britain to take advantage of new business opportunities and cement existing trading relationships.”

Ashley Nicholson from Forth Ports has been appointed Vice-President of the UK Harbour Masters Association. Ashley is the first female harbour master to hold the title and she is also the youngest certificated Harbour Master in the UK to hold the VP role with the UKMHA.

The UK Harbour Masters Association consists of harbour masters from ports across the UK, both publicly and privately owned and represents a unique source of relevant, experience in a range of port and marine operations. The main objective of the association, which was formed in 1993, is to encourage the safe and efficient conduct of marine operations in ports.

Ashley has worked for Forth Ports for nearly 12 years starting her career with the port group as VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) Operator and since 2017 she has been the Senior Harbour Master based in Leith. Ashley is the youngest certified Harbour Master in the UK. In 2016, Ashley won the prestigious Scottish Engineering / Incorporation of Hammermen of Glasgow Award for the role she played in managing the marine operations during the construction of the new Queensferry Crossing in the River Forth.

Commenting on her appointment, Ashley said: “I am honoured to have been voted in as Vice-President of the UKHMA. The association is well respected in the industry with its views being widely sought. I am looking forward to my playing my part at an important time for marine organisations.”

Martin Willis AFNI, Executive Officer of the UKHMA said: “We congratulate Ashley on her advancement to the position of Vice President of The United Kingdom Harbour Masters Association, a position fully achieved on merit and on appointment by her peers within the association. Ashley has proved to be a very capable individual who, for a number of years, has actively contributed to the executive council of the association and represents the association both regionally and nationally across the UK. We wish her all success in her new role.”

9 July 2019

The FPSO vessel the Curlew arrived into Dundee on 22 June where she will undergo cleaning and waste disposal in preparation for being fully decommissioned. The vessel is owned by Shell UK and the contractor is being undertaken by Augean North Sea Services located at the Port of Dundee.

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer at Forth Ports said: “We welcome the Shell Curlew into Dundee for the start of her decommissioning. This is a significant project for Augean and the port and clearly demonstrates the unrivalled capability of our infrastructure and the supply chain that we have developed in Dundee to take on these large-scale projects. Augean’s on site class leading waste management facility, coupled with our new heavy lift quayside and marine capability, is an attractive offering to the North Sea oil & gas decommissioning sector. The proximity to the skills base in Dundee along with our available land space and quayside makes Dundee the port of choice for large scale decommissioning in Scotland.”

The concrete pour of the first slab of the Tilbury2 roll on /roll off terminal took place this week by main contractor GRAHAM civils and Gill Civil Engineering supporting with the concrete project.

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.

Tilbury2 will act as a satellite of the main port and will comprise a:
• roll on/roll off ferry terminal for importing and exporting containers and trailers
• facility for importing, processing, manufacturing and distributing construction materials
• storage area for a variety of goods, including exported and imported cars
• new national strategic rail and road connection into the site.

For more information about Tilbury2 go to www.tilbury2.co.uk

Forth Ports in partnership with Eddie Stobart and Direct Rail Services today (18 June) announce a new weekend service linking, for the first time by rail, the ports of Tilbury and Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest port.

The new two-way rail service will commence on Friday 28th June and has been launched on the back of customer demand to open up the rail link between the South of England with Central Scotland. The first train will leave Tilbury on a Friday via Daventry and travel overnight arriving into Grangemouth on a Saturday.

The service which uses the DRS state-of-the-art locomotives and wagon fleet has a capacity to travel with 36 Containers and will be managed by Eddie Stobart working closely with both Forth Ports and DRS. The containers will carry cargo to Scotland from the South East including retail goods, food and drink. The return journey from Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest port, will support the country’s export market with the movement of spirits, chemicals and fresh food including potatoes.

Rail continues to be a key focus due to the reduced carbon emissions and this new service will connect ports in Southern England to central Scotland without using the already congested UK road network.

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer, Forth Ports said: “Linking our ports in the South East and Scotland by rail has been a priority for us and we are pleased to partner with Eddie Stobart and DRS on this new service. The service comes on the back of an increase in business at our busy container terminals and underpins our commitment to provide sustainable and cost-effective logistics solutions for our customers, aiding growth and competitiveness in the supply chain. This is the first time that a rail service truly links our ports in Tilbury and Grangemouth which opens up a number of import and export opportunities for our business and customers.”

John Clark, Sector Director at Eddie Stobart said: “Eddie Stobart Logistics remains one of the only UK operators to offer genuine modal choice for customers, and we’re delighted to be able to extend our rail offering through our new partnership with Direct Rail Services and Forth Ports. Unlike many rail operators, our services are built in direct response to customer requirements – that’s why we’re introducing a new service that will link the Port of Tilbury to Grangemouth for the first time. We believe this will help to provide our customers with a cost effective and sustainable means of moving goods between Southern England and Central Scotland.”

Chris Connelly, Chief Operating Officer at DRS commented: “The DRS team are incredibly proud and excited to be working with Forth Ports and Eddie Stobart on this innovative project utilising our state-of-the-art locomotives and wagon fleet. Through partnerships such as these many more road miles can be saved and huge environment benefits will continue to be delivered by rail.”

18 June 2019

Investment in Forth Port’s busy container terminals in Grangemouth and London continues with a multimillion-pound order of eleven new Kalmar straddle carriers across the group.

London Container Terminal (LCT) took delivery of six new Kalmar machines this week (see images) and Grangemouth will receive five new machines in early 2020.

In London, three of the six new straddles are part of LCT’s equipment replacement programme, with the other three going into service to meet the increase in container business at the terminal. The current fleet at the terminal is now 36 straddles. London Container Terminal handles a diverse range of conventional and reefer containers with cargos ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables to bricks and steel.

In Grangemouth the purchase of the five new straddles is part of a major investment programme at Scotland’s container terminal to increase its capacity for storing both conventional containers and reefers (refrigerated containers). The new straddle carriers will replace five of the existing fleet of 16 and commence the transition to four high straddles from the current three high straddles. The port also welcomed a new Liebherr ship to shore container crane last year which is already delivering faster turnaround times. Grangemouth handles some of Scotland’s most valuable exports, such as fine foods and drinks, with more than £6 billion worth of goods passes through the port each year including steel plate, timber, paper and equipment for the oil and gas industry.

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer at Forth Ports said: “We are investing across the group and with these 11 new Kalmar straddles for our busy container terminals in London and Grangemouth, we secure their position as key shipping and distribution locations offering some of the most efficient landside operations in the industry. At LCT we have the capacity to handle in excess of half a million containers each year and it is the only UK port truly servicing both deep sea and short sea customers. Customers of LCT also benefit from access to Europe’s largest portside chill store sitting on the doorstep of the largest consumption market in the UK.

Grangemouth is Scotland’s largest container terminal and handles some of the country’s most important exports including food and drink to Europe and beyond. These new straddles build on the significant investment we have made in Grangemouth over the past 5 years to ensure an efficient service for our customers.”

Forth Ports will be at Multimodal 18-20 June, NEC Stand 3010

17June 2019

Forth Ports, one of the largest Port Groups in the UK, has rolled out Reactec’s innovative wearable system which monitors the vibration exposure experienced by power tool users to reduce the risk of developing the incurable HAVS* condition.

The investment of around 100 HAVwear watches, to upgrade their existing Reactec HAV management technology, demonstrates Forth Ports’ continued high level of commitment to Health and Safety across their business. HAVwear, is a wearable wrist worn device that determines in real time an individual’s exposure to vibration during every day use of power tools which are used at the ports.

Forth Ports own and operate eight commercial ports in the UK – Tilbury (London), Grangemouth, Dundee, Leith, Rosyth, Methil, Burntisland and Kirkcaldy – and implements a ‘Safety F1rst’ culture at all levels across the business to protect employees, customers and visitors.

Forth Ports has its own in house engineering teams who maintain port equipment including very large container cranes, straddles carriers and fork lift trucks. The Reactec team supported the implementation of the HAVwear watches and provided onsite train the trainer sessions to allow instructions to be disseminated across the group. The tools used across the business range from small battery screwdrivers to impact wrenches, with grinders, hammer drills and many other tools in between.

Dr Derek McGlashan, Group Health, Safety & Environment Manager for Forth Ports said: “As a major employer across the UK, the health and safety of our workforce is at the core of our values with safety being our top priority. We have worked with Reactec for a number of years, reviewing and commenting on their scientific studies and have been impressed with their commitment to seeking innovative ways to reduce the risk that over exposure to vibration can cause people in the workplace. Our roll out of HAVwear is now complete and the feedback from our engineering teams has been positive.

Sadly, all too often in Safety we focus on events that have occurred, this is one of a number of pro-active actions we continue to invest in to ensure the health and wellbeing of our employees to prevent them being injured at work. This system fits neatly into our Safety Management System and our existing Occupational Health Surveillance Programme. Where employees are potentially exposed to vibration, all organisations should take vibration management and monitoring seriously, as the impact of poor vibration management can have life changing consequences for tool users.”

Jacqui McLaughlin, Chief Executive of Reactec said: “It’s great to work with Forth Ports who have a strong safety culture across their ports. With HAVwear Forth Ports can now confidently determine real time vibration exposure which will ultimately help reduce the risk of their workforce being exposed to HAV and developing the incurable HAVS condition. We designed and launched HAVwear three years ago to ease the assessment of HAV exposure and help employers reduce the risk faced by a workforce using vibrating tools and in recent published research in the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics** our data has been independently validated.” (**see notes to editors for more).

Launched in 2016, HAVwear is a wearable wrist device that monitors in real time an individual’s exposure to vibration when using power tools. Reactec’s analytical platform provides cloud-based reporting which allows dynamic risk assessment and exposure reduction. HAVwear has enjoyed significant sales since its launch and is in use by a number of leading companies in the UK, including British Airways, Murphy Group, Morgan Sindall, Balfour Beatty, the Environment Agency, Siemens and Babcock. Reactec is also targeting other industry sectors both in the UK and internationally.

* Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), which is also known as Vibration White Finger, is one of the most common industrial diseases in the UK. The condition is usually caused by the prolonged use of power hand tools, whose vibrations can damage the blood vessels, nerves, muscles and joints of the hand, wrist and arm. 300,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition, for which there is no known cure, only prevention.

14 June 2019

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.