Generous employees at the Port of Tilbury have donated around 100 gifts to Changing Pathways, just in time for Christmas. The port has been supporting the local charity for over a decade with people from across the busy port providing gifts for adults and their children to open on Christmas day.

Changing Pathways is a charity who work across the areas of Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Rochford, Thurrock, Harlow and Epping Forest.  The charity’s two refuges provide safe accommodation to adults and their children who are experiencing domestic abuse and are unable to stay in their own homes or access alternative safe accommodation. Changing Pathways provides refuge accommodation for up to 46 adults and their children, including 16 self-contained flats for adults and their children who are ready to move on from the refuge, who have older children or have a level of need which requires self-contained accommodation.

Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director at the Port of Tilbury said: “The team at the port have once again shown their kindness and generosity to Changing Pathways and I want to thank everyone who donated a gift this year. This is always a tough time of year for a lot of people and we hope that the gifts will bring a little festive cheer.”

21 December 2023                                         -Ends-

Port of Tilbury and Frontier Agriculture announce the extension of a long term strategic partnership with a new 5 year agreement which will see the continuation of significant volumes of grain being exported through the port’s busy agricultural hub.

Frontier is the UK’s leading crop inputs and grain marketing business and is renowned for its close relationships with UK farmers and grain consumers and, coupled with the location and expertise at the Port of Tilbury, this agreement will bring significant opportunities to grain farmers in the south east.

The agricultural hub at The Port of Tilbury is one of the UK’s largest, handling combinable crops each year both for export and UK markets. Commenting on the partnership, Peter Ward, Commercial Director at The Port of Tilbury said: “This is an important announcement as we agree a long term agreement with Frontier. Our relationship with the team at Frontier spans well over 40 years and this new agreement further strengthens our agricultural hub’s position for the south east of England.”

Simon Christensen, grain director of Frontier Agriculture said: “We have a long and collaborative working relationship with the Port and we’re delighted to share this announcement. This extension to our partnership is good news for our farmer customers in the South East of England as it gives further confidence in the long term availability of access to export marketing options for their produce.”

18 December 2023                                     -Ends-

BUILDING MATERIALS SUPPLIER AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES, A MEMBER OF THE HOLCIM GROUP, IS FURTHER STRENGTHENING ITS SUSTAINABLE CEMENT OFFERING FOR LONDON AND THE SOUTH EAST AS IT BREAKS GROUND ON A NINE-ACRE FACILITY IN A PRIME LOCATION ON THE RIVER THAMES.

Located at the Port of Tilbury in the Essex borough of Thurrock, the manufacturing facility will allow Aggregate Industries to supply customers 24 hours a day with conventional, low carbon and circular cementitious materials from five loading heads.

The primary objective in this strategic investment is to fulfil the increasing demands for sustainable building materials within an evolving market. As well as providing an import hub, this major investment includes new plant equipment for manufacturing blended cements and lower carbon cement components, including GGBS and alternative raw materials from construction demolition materials.

Dragan Maksimovic, CEO of Aggregate Industries, comments: “This important investment will further strengthen our position in the market, allowing us to drive our sustainability ambitions and lead the way in low carbon and circular building materials. The London and South East construction market has major regional projects on the horizon and we are primed and ready to meet the region’s rising demand for sustainable solutions.”

Steve Curley, Managing Director Cement at Aggregate Industries, comments: “Already, our ECOPact range of low-carbon concrete delivers significantly lower CO2 emissions than standard concrete and our ECOPlanet range of green cement was recently added to our green offering. By investing in this impressive facility within the Port of Tilbury, we will truly boost our sustainable offering and be more agile and efficient in the way we manufacture, transport and supply our products across this region.”

Peter Ward, Commercial Director for The Port of Tilbury, adds: “The Aggregate Industries new low carbon manufacturing facility benefits from The Port of Tilbury’s unrivalled position as the best port for construction materials, fuelling the market growth in London and the South East. This is a significant strategic investment by both the port and Aggregate Industries which will satisfy the increasing demand for low carbon and sustainable constructions materials.”

Charles Hammond OBE, Group Chief Executive for Forth Ports said: “This is great news for Aggregate Industries as they get the go ahead to build a low carbon manufacturing facility at The Port of Tilbury. We have invested significantly in infrastructure and handling solutions at the port to support this important development. AI UK is a long-standing customer of our business and this new low carbon operation fits perfectly with our own carbon reduction targets across the group.”

The Port of Tilbury is the principal port for London, the largest multimodal port in the South East and the third largest port in the UK. Investing in this high end new manufacturing facility will allow Aggregate Industries to better serve regional customers in terms of both meeting increased demand for materials, as well as through streamlined logistics.

Demand for low carbon sustainable products has and will continue to increase dramatically, particularly supported by Government initiatives plus privately funded infrastructure schemes. The new plant at Tilbury will support the global drive for low carbon and circular construction materials and accelerate decarbonisation in the UK market.

12 December 2023                                                                                                 – ends –

Forth Ports’ Group Chief Executive, Charles Hammond OBE, has decided to step down from his role leading the UK’s third largest ports group at the end of June 2024. His successor will be Stuart Wallace, who is currently the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

Charles will work closely with Stuart over the next six months to ensure a smooth transition prior to Charles stepping down from the company. Stuart, who is already a member of the Forth Ports board, will take up his appointment on 1 July 2024.

Most recently, the company set out its ambitious plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2042 and carbon neutrality by 2032. Forth Ports is also a major partner in both the Thames Freeport and the Forth Green Freeport, which last month submitted its Outline Business Case to the Scottish and UK Governments.

The company is also a major player in the renewable energy sector. A private investment programme, totalling £150 million, has already provided crucial support to offshore wind development with the creation of bespoke renewables hubs in Dundee – currently supporting the construction of the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm –and in Leith. There are also early plans to develop a floating wind hub across the River Forth at Burntisland.

Commenting on his decision to step down as Group CEO of Forth Ports, Charles Hammond OBE, said:

“It has been the privilege of my career to lead Forth Ports. From the significant growth of the business both sides of the border to the challenges of the Covid pandemic and Brexit, I have been fortunate enough to have been supported by the best team in the industry.

“The most consistent feature of my time at Forth Ports has been the stability that we have sought to create and, while I step down at the most exciting of times, I do so with the confidence that I will leave behind a business that is in great hands and very well positioned to continue to flourish.”

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer and Group Chief Executive Elect, said:

“I am proud and honoured to have been asked to lead this fantastic organisation as we face the challenges and opportunities of a just transition to net zero and the significant expansion of Scotland’s renewable energy sector.

“With the great team that we have built right across the business, I am confident that Forth Ports will continue to thrive. I am immensely grateful to Charles for steering the business into such a strong position and for his mentorship and support for me personally. I look forward to the next chapter in the Forth Ports story with relish.”

Patrick Samson, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Real Assets Investments at PSP Investments, Forth Ports’ principal shareholder, said:

“Charles will have been CEO at Forth Ports for more than 23 years when he steps down and we are grateful for his exceptional leadership and his contributions to the company over the last 12 years of our ownership.

“As we look to the future, we are excited to see Stuart succeed Charles as CEO. With his extensive operational experience and strategic mindset, we are confident in Stuart’s ability to lead Forth Ports through the next stage of its growth. We wish Charles all the best in this next phase of his career and look forward to continuing to work with Stuart and the broader management team.”

Charles was awarded an OBE in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to the UK ports industry and to Scottish business and last month stood down from his role as Chair of the UK Major Ports Group after 10 years at the helm.

A qualified lawyer, Charles, who will be 63 when he steps down, joined Forth Ports when it was a publicly run ports and river authority in 1989 as Company Secretary.

He was appointed Chief Executive in 2001 and has overseen Forth Ports’ expansion to a point today when the company owns and operates eight commercial ports, including Tilbury on the Thames, six ports on the Firth of Forth and Dundee on the Firth of Tay. He also oversaw the company’s move from a publicly listed PLC to private ownership in 2011.

A qualified Chartered Accountant, Stuart Wallace (53) joined Forth Ports in 2002, initially as Financial Controller for its Scottish region, prior to being seconded to the Port of Tilbury to run general port operations and the London Container Terminal. He returned to Scotland in 2013 having been appointed Divisional Director for the company’s Scottish operations.

He was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2017, joining the board at that point, and is responsible for all operational activities of the Group. Stuart is also a non-executive director of Business Stream, one of the top three water retailers in the UK and a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Water.

The consortium behind the Forth Green Freeport has submitted its Outline Business Case (OBC) to the Scottish and UK Governments following its successful shortlisting earlier this year.

Submission of the OBC is an important step in the process towards securing green freeport status as the team refines its visionary bid for Scotland. At the heart of the Forth Green Freeport’s vision, which will be delivered by the public and private sector consortium*, is the re-industrialisation of Scotland, the creation of large-scale economic regeneration, well paid high skilled green jobs and a just transition to net zero that benefits the wider Green Freeport approved area.

The Forth Green Freeport’s economic impact assessment forecasts that this will drive up to £7bn of private and public investment over the next decade, delivering Gross Value Added (GVA) of £8.4bn. The Forth Green Freeport will be the catalyst for creating up to 38,350 jobs, with almost 19,000 of these being direct gross jobs linked to the target sectors. The target sectors of the Forth Green Freeport will require a higher paid, more skilled workforce as well as creating other jobs across the supply chains.

The OBC focuses on three strategically located tax sites and a number of potential customs sites, which span 552 hectares in Grangemouth, Leith, Rosyth, Burntisland and Edinburgh Airport. This is a refinement of the overall area following the inclusion of land owned by the Royal Navy in Rosyth (HMS Caledonia) and the joining of the Burntisland site to the Leith site to create the Mid-Forth tax site.

As a result of the increased economic activity associated with the Forth Green Freeport, the consortium remains committed to ensuring that the communities in and around the tax sites benefit from the inward investment.  The governing board and the three local authorities aim to deliver ongoing investment in economic related infrastructure that creates and develops a wider sense of place linked to the Forth Green Freeport.

Significant investment is needed over the next decade to reduce industrial carbon emissions across the country through innovations in cleaner fuels, energy and logistics.  The Forth Green Freeport will accelerate Scotland’s green development profile, with a focus on offshore wind (fixed bottom and floating), manufacturing and the production of alternative fuels (biofuels and low carbon hydrogen).

The Forth Green Freeport will drive growth in Leith, Burntisland and Rosyth through the manufacture of the next generation of offshore wind components, including floating offshore wind (FLOW), while stimulating innovative shipbuilding and advanced modular manufacturing and assembly at Babcock’s site in Rosyth. In Grangemouth, investment will support the just transition from the reliance on hydrocarbons to alternative fuels and energy sources. Together, these will have a far-reaching impact for the whole of Scotland and provide opportunities for greater trade across the wider Forth estuary.

Strong governance is a key thread throughout the OBC. A governing board has been established and is active, with an independent Chair, Dame Susan Rice DBE, now appointed. The board has representatives from all consortium partners and includes elected members from all three local authorities and advisers from both the Scottish and UK Governments. There will also be an employee representative on the board.

The consortium has established a strict set of Investor Principles which all landowners and developers will be required to adhere to.  This will include abiding by the Fair Work Charter which prioritises the rights, wages and working conditions of employees. The principles also require businesses to abide with Forth Green Freeport’s net zero commitments.

Dame Susan Rice, Chair of Forth Green Freeport, said: “The OBC submission is a key step in the green freeport process as we undertake our due diligence on the vision that was set out at the bid stage. The team have been working hard over the past few months to refine the contents of the bid to shape how the Forth Green Freeport will be governed, operated and delivered for Scotland. We now await the feedback from both the Scottish and UK Governments before we begin creating the final business case early next year.

 “The Forth Green Freeport is a true partnership of private and public sector organisations who share the same vision for the Forth. The delivery of significant investment through the Forth Green Freeport is a key element in reducing emissions across the country through innovations in offshore wind manufacturing, assembly and commissioning, alongside innovative shipbuilding, modular assembly and hydrogen manufacture.”

 The OBC document was submitted to the Scottish and UK Governments on Friday 24 November. The OBC will now be reviewed by both Governments before being approved, allowing the Forth Green Freeport to become operational. The consortium will then develop the Final Business Case which develops the detail in the OBC further and secures the seed capital funding linked to the Green Freeport. The FBC will be submitted to the Scottish and UK Governments in Spring 2024.

27 November 2023                             – Ends –

 *The bid consortium comprises both private and public organisations who together will deliver the bid’s vision, alongside leading further and higher education providers. The bid consortium partners are:

• Babcock International; CalaChem; Edinburgh Airport; Falkirk Council (lead authority); Fife Council; Forth Ports; INEOS; Scarborough Muir Group; The City of Edinburgh Council; The Royal Navy (HMS Caledonia)

The bid is supported by Falkirk Council, Fife Council and the City of Edinburgh Council who will all continue to play an integral part in all the stages of the preparation of the Forth Green Freeport and, if successful, its eventual delivery.

First published in The Herald Agenda column, Saturday 11 November 2023

Everyone has an opinion on cruise holidays it seems. They’re a real Marmite choice. For some, cruise is an anathema – something to be avoided at all costs. For others, once they get the bug, they’re hooked and no sooner have they finished one cruise than they’re booking their next one – a staggering 91% repeat. Meanwhile, cruise is now attracting younger holidaymakers, with the average age of a cruiser now 46.5 years.

So, one thing is certain – cruise is here to stay. Not even the Covid pandemic – which brought the industry to a global standstill – could change that long-term. In fact, Scotland saw 886 cruise calls in 2023 compared to 616 in 2019, bringing over 1 million passengers to our shores. A further increase in numbers is expected in 2024 as the appetite to experience Scotland’s heritage and natural beauty continues.

Six in 10 cruise passengers say they’ve returned to the destination later for a land-based holiday; every cruise passenger generates around £134 of socio-economic benefit for the local area – that’s £100,000 per cruise ship call; and every 24 cruise passengers support one full time job.

Cruise calls also enable curious visitors to experience the remoter parts of Scotland, not accessible for the 3 day week-end break travellers to our airport-served cities.

Of course, there’s the ongoing debate about who benefits from the economic boost that cruise ship visits represent, but it’s clear that the economic impact is positive, helping to sustain local businesses around Scotland’s cruise ports – trade notably lost during the pandemic.

Understandably, a light is being shone on the environmental impact of the industry. Cruise ships comprise less than 1% of the global maritime community, yet the industry can be considered at the forefront of the development of innovative technologies and practices to reduce emissions both at berth and at sea.  Sustainability is not a new priority – let’s not forget the cruise industry was the first maritime sector to publicly commit, in 2018, to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 2008. The industry is also accelerating the use of cleaner ships with cruise lines investing in 44 new and technologically advanced ships over the next five years, representing an investment of $62 billion since 2019.

Disappointingly, there’s been an announcement about extending the local visitor levy – a tourism tax – to include cruise vessels, effectively taxing the thousands of cruise passengers who arrive at Scottish ports. The risk is that cruise ships will simply avoid Scotland, which has been the case across other European destinations where cruise lines have removed the ports from their itineraries – with all economic benefit lost. The industry is therefore requesting urgent discussions with the Scottish Government on these proposals.

Scotland has a worldwide reputation for the warmth of its welcome. Cruise passengers, have actively chosen to spend their tourist pound – or dollar or yen – in Scotland and the majority of whom are likely to come back for a longer trip next time. Let’s greet them with open arms.

Rob Mason, Head of Cruise, Forth Ports and Chair of Cruise Scotland

Carr’s Flour Mills and Forth Ports, have reached a significant milestone as over one million tonnes of wheat – enough to bake around 2.5 billion loaves of bread – have been delivered by ship into the busy harbour since 2011.

This landmark achievement was reached earlier this month with the arrival of the latest wheat delivery on board the Shetland Trader cargo ship.

Moving wheat by 506 ship journeys into the Fife port in the last 12 years has removed around 70,000 truck journeys in and out of the Kirkcaldy mill, which is a substantial environmental benefit due to the reduction in road traffic and also a significant reduction in carbon emissions.

The wheat shipped in by water is enough to bake over 2.5 billion loaves of bread which, laid end to end, would be enough to reach to the moon and back, or around the world more than 15 times! 2.5 billion loaves is enough bread to make around 32.5 billion sandwiches.

The high-quality UK grown wheat is delivered into Kirkcaldy Harbour, which is owned and operated by Forth Ports, from Dover in Kent, and discharged directly into Carr’s Flour Mills’ state of the art mill.

The harbour was re-opened to commercial traffic in 2011, with the help of a Freight Facilities Grant from Transport Scotland. The port is owned and operated by Forth Ports, with all the shipping organised by Carr’s Flour Mills, to bring high quality milling wheat from the UK and Europe direct into the Kirkcaldy Mill. There has been a considerable programme of investment in the facility, with Carr’s Flour building new silo storage and infrastructure and Forth Ports providing discharge equipment, fendering and dredging at the harbour.

Andy Lamb, Deputy Port Manager at Kirkcaldy Harbour, said: “This is an important milestone for Carr’s and the Harbour as it demonstrates the success of a quayside milling facility with direct access to regular shipping activity. Coastal shipping delivers a greener transport alternative with shipments being over 10 times more carbon efficient than road deliveries, aligning with our commitment to achieving net zero by 2042. We have exciting plans in place for Kirkcaldy Harbour to ensure that it can handle even larger cargo vessels to further increase efficiency.”

Carr’s Flour Mills Ltd Wheat & Supply Chain Specialist, Julius Deane, added:

“It is a great pleasure to see that we have reached this milestone, especially with the challenges of Covid lockdowns. Having direct access to vessels bringing wheat into our mill really helps us efficiently supply consistent high-quality flour to our many customers, as well as reducing our carbon footprint. We are pleased to have a strong working relationship with Forth Ports, Forth Pilots, Leith & Granton Boatmen, W Knight Watson and Cargo Mariners to make this operate smoothly, and we are looking forward to soon being able to bring larger vessels into the Kirkcaldy harbour.”

13 November 2023                          – ends –

Dame Susan Rice DBE has been appointed as the inaugural independent Chair of Forth Green Freeport to oversee the delivery and governance of the consortium’s ambitious vision to deliver a green growth strategy for Scotland’s industrial corridor.

Dame Susan is a highly respected chartered banker who has had a distinguished career in finance as the former Chair and CEO of Lloyds TSB Scotland, where she was the first female in Europe to lead a clearing bank, and Managing Director of Lloyds Banking Group Scotland. She was also the founding Chair of the Scottish Fiscal Commission and is the former President of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (now named Prosper).

Dame Susan has extensive experience in corporate governance as a member of boards across a wide range of public and private sector organisations around the UK and internationally. Dame Susan is currently the Chair of Scottish Water where she has governed the Board since 2015 and will step down at the end of this year on completion of her term. Her other recent Board experience includes the Bank of England, Scottish and Southern Energy and J Sainsbury plc.

Dame Susan currently sits on the Board of the Office for Budget Responsibility and chairs the North American Income Trust and the Global Ethical Finance Initiative, which is currently delivering the largest finance-focused campaign for COP28. Dame Susan has received honorary degrees from a number of Scottish universities, including Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and she was awarded a DBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List.

Beginning her role as Chair in November, Dame Susan takes over the helm from its interim Chair, the Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports, Charles Hammond OBE.

Commenting on her appointment, Dame Susan Rice DBE, Chair of Forth Green Freeport, said: “The Forth Green Freeport has a broad and exciting vision for Scotland and I’m pleased to be leading the team in its execution. The creation of major port infrastructure, the development of new green industries and re-industrialisation of our communities is hugely compelling to me.

 “I’m honoured to have been appointed as the Chair and I welcome the opportunity to steer this impressive consortium as we create and implement the Forth Green Freeport. As an experienced adviser in delivering long-term economic development projects, I will support the Forth Green Freeport to deliver the community regeneration and many new jobs across Fife, Falkirk, Leith and Central Scotland. I’m delighted to be part of this.”

Welcoming Dame Susan Rice to the Chair role, Charles Hammond OBE, Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports Group and Interim Chair of Forth Green Freeport, said:

“We are extremely privileged to have someone with Dame Susan’s extensive experience and enthusiasm to Chair the ambitious opportunity that the Forth Green Freeport can deliver for Scotland. The decision to appoint Dame Susan was unanimously agreed by all of the consortium partners, both public and private sector, and we warmly welcome her to the Board.

  “Dame Susan’s career background is aligned perfectly as the consortium works together to create the driving force to deliver long term benefits for communities through well paid skilled green job creation and to assist in achieving the country’s net zero goals.”

 Forth Green Freeport was shortlisted earlier this year with its visionary bid which will re-industrialise the nation and create large scale economic development. The vision will act as a catalyst for new green technologies and renewable energy manufacturing, unlocking multi billion pounds of private and public investment for Scotland, create significant jobs and associated economic value add. The consortium is currently preparing its Outline Business Case which will be submitted to the Scottish and UK Governments shortly.

2 November 2023                                        – ends –