PRESS RELEASE
14 January 2019
PORT OF ROSYTH WELCOMES NEW LIEBHERR HARBOUR MOBILE CRANE

The Port of Rosyth, Scotland’s best connected port, has welcomed their new Liebherr multimillion pound mobile harbour crane (model LHM 550) as part of a major investment programme at the port for bulk handling primarily for Cefetra.

Liebherr is one of the world’s leading port crane manufacturers and this new crane is a state of the art mobile harbour crane with a powerful transmission and advanced electronics for bulk handing.

The 439 tonne crane arrived on board the MV Meri over the festive period and was rolled off the specialist vessel directly onto the quayside during slack tide [NB: see images and timelapse video with this release]. The crane operators at the port have been fully trained and the crane is now in operation.

Derek Knox, Senior Port Manager, Rosyth, said: “This is a great start to the new year for the Port of Rosyth. The new Liebherr crane is supporting our growth plans for the port and will be used primarily for bulk handling for Cefetra who have chosen Rosyth as their Scottish argi-hub. We have many Liebherr machines across the business due to their excellent reputation in crane technology and proven track record of providing reliable equipment to meet the demands of our cargo operations.”

Link to timelapse video of crane being installed: https://vimeo.com/310590943/ce17a88602

Link to animation of the Cefetra animal feed facility being built: https://vimeo.com/303731072/8d2703330d

14 January 2019
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 22 November 2018
PORT OF GRANGEMOUTH DELIVERS FASTER SERVICE AS NEW CRANE GETS TO WORK

The Port of Grangemouth’s new multimillion pound crane gets to work this month at Scotland’s largest container terminal. At 45metres high, the new crane has changed the skyline at the port as it joins two other ship-to-shore container cranes (images and drone video clip attached with this release).

For the first time, a trio of Liebherr cranes, were able to work on the Andromeda J to unload and reload its container cargo before it sailed to Rotterdam.

This third container crane to join the Forth Ports’ fleet is part of a £10million investment programme at the port to increase handling capacity and service for customers by ensuring a faster turnaround time for cargo. More than £6 billion worth of goods passes through Grangemouth each year including food and drink, chemicals, timber, paper and equipment for the oil and gas industry.

As the busy pre-Christmas export season gets underway for food and drink, Grangemouth can service the current and future container volume growth for export and import cargoes both in European and International markets.

Derek Knox, Grangemouth’s Port Manager, said: “We are Scotland’s largest container port and we handle some of the country’s most valuable exports including food and drink. It is vital that we deliver fast turnaround times for our export and import customers and with this new crane, we can now unload and load a ship with a trio of cranes.

This is a huge benefit for our customers who need a reliable and efficient service at ports and the addition of the new crane increases our capability and flexibility to adapt to changing shipping demands. The new crane is also future proofed to enable taller straddle carriers to work underneath the crane legs, allowing the port to further increase its overall container storage capability in the future.”

The 45 metre high crane, which weighs 524 tonnes, arrived in large sections on board a heavy load carrier vessel in the summer after sailing from Liebherr’s state of the art facility in Killarney, South West Ireland, where the crane was designed and built. The crane was unloaded onto the quayside and constructed by the expert build team from Liebherr on site at the port.

As part of an ongoing major investment programme at Grangemouth, the port introduced three new ESC340 straddle carriers in 2017, increasing the fleet at the container terminal to 16. The port also added a new Hyster empty container handler to the fleet. The new straddles, empty container handler and the new Liebherr crane will increase the handling capacity for both conventional containers and reefers (refrigerated containers). A new terminal operating system and additional storage capacity have also been introduced in 2018.

Link to the time-lapse footage of the crane construction: https://vimeo.com/302069107

Link to the drone video of the crane in operation: https://vimeo.com/302065862

22 November
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PRESS RELEASE

21 November 2018

PORT OF TILBURY REACHES FINAL OF RAIL BUSINESS AWARDS

Port of Tilbury, London’s major port, has for the first time reached the final of the Rail Business Awards which is entering its 21st year. The port has been shortlisted in the Rail Freight & Logistics Excellence category along with two other companies. The award winner will be announced at a banquet dinner on 21 February 2019 in London.

Over the past two years, the port has reinvigorated its rail freight offering to introduce regular intermodal services to the Midlands and Scotland; create a dedicated bulk rail terminal, and is looking to establish a rail connection within their proposed new 152-acre deep-water port terminal, known as Tilbury2. With three rail terminals in the port and the Essex Thameside rail corridor already accounting for approximately 10% of the UK’s rail freight traffic, the port is well positioned to provide sustainable and cost effective logistic solutions for customers.

Commenting on reaching the final, Peter Ward, Commercial Director (Port of Tilbury) said: “We are thrilled to be shortlisted for the Rail Business Awards. Through rail services, goods can quickly and efficiently be transported from the port around the country. At Tilbury we have focused on our rail freight offering over the past few years with the investment in our new bulk terminal and securing new rail services to the north including the recently announced Eddie Stobart service with London Container Terminal and a new two-year agreement with FM Conway to move volume through the bulk railhead. We also have a long term agreement with URM, the UK’s leading glass recyclers to move glass cullet processed from their new recycling facility at the port by rail.

We are committed to providing sustainable and cost effective logistics solutions for our customers, aiding growth and competitiveness in the supply chain. We look forward to the award ceremony in February next year and wish everyone nominated good luck on the night.”

Link to Rail awards website: www.railbusinessawards.com/railbusinessawards2019/en/page/home

November 2018
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First Port Assistants embark on MA voyage

The first intake of ferry operator CalMac’s new Port Operations Modern Apprenticeship has cast off on their training voyage.

The company has joined forces with Forth Ports Limited to deliver the Modern Apprenticeship to a group of five trainee Port and Harbour Assistants, the first of its kind in the country.

CalMac manages 27 harbours and slipways across the West Coast, and apprentices will learn all aspects loading, unloading and securing cargo, mooring, passenger operations and workplace transport operations.

‘Providing training opportunities for young people in the communities we support is a key commitment within our operating plan, and I’m delighted to welcome these five new trainees to the company, Expanding our existing MA programme into port operations will ensure we have the right people in place for the future in what is a vital area of service delivery,’ said CalMac’s Managing Director, Robbie Drummond.

‘This new MA is the solid foundation for building a long term career in harbour management.’

Over the 15-month programme of on-the-job and classroom training MAs will qualify to SVQ level 2 in Port Operations along with an additional industry qualification in Plant and Health & Safety.

Training will be carried out at ports across the CalMac network and at Forth Ports’ new Skills and Business Centre in Grangemouth.

Jackie Anderson, Group HR Director for Forth Ports said: “It’s great to be working with CalMac to deliver the new MA course for their next generation of port workers. The trainees receive first class training and mentoring whilst gaining a professional qualification through tailored learning and development. Our new state of the art Skills and Business Centre in Grangemouth opens this month and we are looking forward to welcoming trainees as they undertake their MA with us.”

CalMac is the UK’s largest ferry company and last year transported more than 5.3 million passengers and 1.4 million vehicles across 27 island and remote mainland locations.

This year CalMac has recruited a total of 25 MAs: six Deck Ratings, four Engine Ratings, 10 Retail Ratings and five Port Assistants.

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Picture shows: (LtoR) Apprentices Calum Robertson (Armadale), Daniel Smith (Port Ellen), Adam Smith (Wemyss Bay/Largs) Ryan Bell (Brodick) and Duncan Turner (Oban) join Robbie Drummond Managing Director, CalMac Ferries (third from left) and Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer, Forth Ports at the launch of the new MA.

PRESS RELEASE
Tilbury Port to capitalise on opportunities to boost trade

Tilbury Port and the people that work there will play a major role in helping the UK to increase international trade after we leave the European Union.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox visited Tilbury Port today (Thursday 18 October) to meet with port workers and management, as well as members of the Tilbury on the Thames Trust.

Tilbury is the fastest growing port in the UK and a £1 billion investment programme will see the port employing 9,000 people by 2020, three times more than it did in 2012. One in five of the employed people in the local area of Thurrock will work at the port.

This investment will see the amount of trade passing through the port reach 32 million tonnes each year, equivalent to more than one tonne every second.

Dr Fox praised Tilbury for leading the way in delivering year-on-year growth that creates jobs in the local area and helps to deliver prosperity across the UK.

He met with staff to hear about plans to capitalise on opportunities to increase international trade with the rest of the world, which could help to create even more jobs at Tilbury.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said

“Tilbury Port has a strategic position on the Thames estuary, a skilled maritime workforce and a long history of international trade. Together with the developments at Thamesport, we are seeing great improvements in the capacity of the Thames as a gateway for international trade for the future.

“We are now forging our own independent trade policy for the first time in more than 40 years and Tilbury and other ports will play a major role in helping the whole of the UK to capitalise on the opportunities to increase our trade with the rest of the world.

“I applaud and respect the hard work of the port’s workers who are helping to ensure that Britain remains a great exporting, maritime nation.”

Robin Mortimer, PLA chief executive said:

“The substantially increased freight on the river in 2017 is tangible evidence of the success of the Thames in attracting investment and, through it, new trades. It’s work that is underpinned by our Investment Strategy to enhance commercial infrastructure up and down the river.”

Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports who own the Port of Tilbury said:

“It was great to welcome the Secretary of State to the port today. In the years ahead, Tilbury’s market position will be further strengthened by our proposed new port, Tilbury2.

“As we invest in our facilities to support global trade, we continue to press for road investment to keep pace through an enhanced motorway network connection. A direct link from the UK’s fastest growing port onto the country’s largest road scheme, the Lower Thames Crossing, is vital.”

Dr Fox saw Jaguars and Land Rovers ready to be shipped to West Africa and South America, as well as paper imported from Finland and Sweden, and grain that is traded with North America and Europe.

Our ports are fundamental to our global trading success as an island nation. They have a vital economic role in handling 95% of our imports and exports and they support 100,000 people around the country.

Ports directly generate £1.7 billion of trade every year, however their true value to the UK economy is worth more than three times that figure (£5.4 billion) when you include indirect impacts such as the port industry’s spending on vehicles, construction and business services.

NEWS RELEASE

12 October 2018

Innovative training suite opened for veterans at The Port of Tilbury

A state of the art technology suite was opened today by Jackie Doyle Price MP (12 October) at the Port of Tilbury. Located within the old railway station of the London Cruise Terminal, the Training and Technology Suite includes two training simulators as part of the facilities designed to support the veteran community with training in the logistics sector.

The suite’s two simulators – from CM labs and Tenstar – provide full simulation, including a 360 degree experience, of all the major crane and straddle operational equipment such as motion, cable and lifting systems, and lift apparatus providing operators with an enhanced learning environment featuring industrial controls and realistic working terminal scenarios.

The training suite is located within the Railway Station building at the London International Cruise Terminal, with the new training suite being a cornerstone of the planned renovation program that the Tilbury of the Thames trust are aiming to undertake to the building in conjunction with the Port of Tilbury; allowing much greater use of the building by the local community. The simulators were a hit at the recent Opportunity Thurrock event where over 2000 young people from the area came along to the London Cruise Terminal to investigate future career opportunities for them

The Port of Tilbury already has an established award winning Logistics Training Academy located within the port estate that offers training and support to the veteran community through the ‘Attention to Logistics’ training programme and bursary scheme which was launched last year. The programme has been created to specifically focus on the veteran community, helping ex-service men and women and their families back into work through the logistics sector. The programme is delivered by Tilbury on the Thames Trust in association with the Port of Tilbury Logistics Academy.

Liam Cordiner who took part in the course said: “What they have been running in Tilbury is exceptional. It is a stress free, relaxed and in a demilitarised environment. It is definitely something I would recommend attending if people are struggling with their career path after leaving the armed forces.”

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer of Forth Ports and Chair of Tilbury on the Thames Trust said: “This is an exciting day for the Tilbury on the Thames Trust, for the Port of Tilbury and for the area as a whole. The opening of this training suite will ensure that veterans have the skills to create real opportunities in the logistics sector. Our experience shows that military service makes people well suited for careers in Logistics. With all the development planned for the port and the Thames Gateway there will be a job opportunity increase in the area.”

Jackie Doyle-Price MP, said: “I am delighted to open the Training and Technology suite today at the Port of Tilbury. This is a great opportunity to deliver training and sustainable employment for veterans and their families as well as providing good, skilled staff to support the logistics industries locally. I am very proud to have played my part in making this happen. I am very grateful to the Port of Tilbury to both this training programme and to bringing the railway station into community use. We are lucky to have a major employer that makes such a strong contribution to the local community.”

12 October 2018
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For more information and contact details please go to: http://tott.org.uk/attention-to-logistics/

PRESS RELEASE
Issue date: immediate

Port of Tilbury continues call for direct road connection onto Lower Thames Crossing

As the 10-week statutory consultation for the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) development consent order begins (10th October 2018), Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of the Forth Ports Group (owner of the Port of Tilbury), said:

“As the fastest growing UK port, it is crucial that this project enhances Tilbury’s northbound and southbound connectivity.

“We remain committed to achieving a direct road connection off the proposed LTC Tilbury junction into the expanding port area.

“To that end, we will continue to play a full and constructive part in the development of the scheme as it is shaped over the coming months.”

Support for a Tilbury link road:

• Jackie Doyle-Price MP, Thurrock Council LTC Taskforce, the South East LEP, the CBI, the Essex Chamber of Commerce, London First, Unite-the-Union, the Port of London Authority (PLA) and global businesses like P&O Ferries and Frontier.
• Improved road connectivity to Tilbury is supported by the conclusions of the Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission, is cited as a case study in the DfT’s Port Connectivity Study, and in the PLA’s 2035 strategy document, the Thames Vision. The National Networks National Policy Statement is supportive of improved road links to international getaways and areas of economic need.

Port of Tilbury:

• Forth Ports Limited owns and operates Tilbury, alongside seven other commercial ports on the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay: Grangemouth, Dundee, Leith, Rosyth, Methil, Burntisland and Kirkcaldy.
• Tilbury is the fastest growing port in the UK and number one for forestry products, paper, grain, recyclables and warehousing space, with a strong presence in cars, containers, cruise and ro-ro.
• Since privatisation in 1995, the Port has invested nearly £2bn in its facilities. The Port and its tenants are in the middle of delivering a £1bn capital investment programme, 2012-20, which is set to deliver double business (32m tonnes) and triple direct employment (c9,000). 1 in 5 of the employed population of Thurrock. Further expansion to the 1,100 acre site is anticipated in the future.
• Port of Tilbury and the 130 businesses based at the site are well placed to support the British economy following Brexit. With Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status (customs and security) secure and new European-facing ferry capacity due to come on line in early 2020 through a new port terminal, Tilbury2, Tilbury anticipates growth through existing and new short-sea containerised and ferry services in the coming years.

10 October 2018
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REVISED DESIGN FRAMEWORK FOR WESTERN HARBOUR APPROVED BY EDINBURGH CITY COUNCIL TODAY

The Revised Design Framework (RDF)* for a major development at Western Harbour in Leith has today (10 October) been unanimously approved by the Development Management Sub Committee of the City of Edinburgh Council who were positive about the submission.

Cllr Maureen Childs, Vice Convener Planning Committee commented: “The work that has been done on this has been exemplary.”

Cllr Neil Gardiner, Convenor of Planning Committee also said in the meeting: “lots of good work gone in and it really does show the benefit of a spatial plan led system.”

Cllr Chas Booth also said “this is a good application…I welcome this application.”

The vision of Western Harbour is to create a vibrant waterfront community which acts as the catalyst for a wider regeneration of the waterfront. The development proposals will deliver a residential led, mixed-use community with a new park, a proposed new primary school, shops and a waterfront promenade.

Commenting on the decision today Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive said: “We are pleased with the decision today (10 October) by City of Edinburgh Council to approve our Revised Design Framework for Western Harbour in Leith. Forth Ports and Rettie & Co. have been working together for over two years on these proposals that will result in the delivery of a community of 1600 mid-market rental home and park which should also create the setting for the new primary school for the area.

“Through our other recently completed developments at Harbour Point and Harbour Gateway, we know there is a great deal of demand from people looking for these mid rent homes and an opportunity to create a community. Our proposal represents a major boost for the Leith economy and for Edinburgh as a whole and we now hope for a positive outcome from the Scottish Ministers on the possible loan funding for this project. Work is well underway preparing a full planning application in readiness for submission before the end of February 2019.”

Matthew Benson, Director at Rettie & Co who are acting as Development Managers on Western Harbour, said: “Today’s announcement marks a major milestone on the journey to create a managed Build to Rent community of critical mass in Scotland. This latest development could not have happened without close collaboration across the public and private sectors and we will now apply our collective energies to the implementation phase.”

*Link to Revised Design Framework here: Item 7.2: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/4552/development_management_sub-committee

Also a link to the video recording of the committee meeting: https://edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/372396

10 October 2018
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