Rail Minister, Wendy Morton MP and Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price visited Tesco’s UK-Europe rail hub at the Port of Tilbury following the retailer’s £5million investment in new rail freight services.

Tesco’s new investment, building on £2.5m of investment in recent years, includes the introduction of a new temperature-controlled rail freight service. This will support Tesco in delivering fresh produce from suppliers in Europe, through the Port of Tilbury, and on across the UK to our distribution centres, like Thurrock DC, and on to stores.

The refrigerated rail service complements Tesco’s recent investments in rail equipment, including 890 new rail boxes and two new stacking machines. These combined investments are worth circa £7.5m and will significantly increase the company’s rail freight across the UK and the company plans to double the number of journeys in the coming years.

The increased rail service will not only boost resilience in the supply chain, but also be considerably greener, with each train removing around 40 trucks from the road saving approximately 9,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.

As part of the visit, the Minister and the MP were given a tour of the site, watched one of the trains being loaded and heard about Tesco’s commitment of net zero emissions across its value chain by 2050, including those generated by the products it sells and across its supply chains. Tesco was also the first major retailer to set science-based targets to meet the Paris Climate Commitments.

Rail Minister, Wendy Morton MP said: “Rail freight plays a vital role in safeguarding the resilience of our supply chains whilst taking traffic off our roads, offering a cleaner, greener alternative for businesses nationwide. It’s fantastic to see a major company wholeheartedly backing our railways by investing in new equipment.

“This Government has committed to net zero by 2050, and so, I welcome Tesco’s £5million investment as they work towards becoming a zero-carbon business.”

Tesco’s rail operation in Tilbury is part of a wider economic contribution to the Thurrock constituency of £135million per year and the company supports over 3,000 jobs. In the East of England more broadly Tesco contributes £7,000million to the economy per annum in the East of England and support over 125,000 people across all of its operations.

Jackie Doyle-Price, MP for Thurrock, said: “Thurrock is the logistics capital of the UK.  There is a higher concentration of logistics jobs than in any other area of the UK.  We have most to gain from moving freight from road to rail.  I am very pleased to see this investment by Tesco.”

Nick Allen, Tesco Distribution Director, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Transport Minister to Tilbury to tell her about the far-reaching plans we have to increase our rail distribution and reduce our carbon emissions significantly.

“Tesco is the biggest retail user of rail in the UK and it’s the most efficient way of moving our goods quickly, so the benefits are practical for our business and for the environment.

“Because of this, we are also planning to increase our efficiency of goods transportation by rail between the North and South of England, eventually replacing the transportation of 40 truckloads by road per day.”

Tesco’s new rail service will save circa 9000 tonnes of CO2 each year and remove over 7.5 million truck miles from the road. This is in addition to the 20 million miles already removed by existing services.

The service will also increase speed and efficiency, as well as raise the amount of cases delivered each week via rail to more than 5.5 million.

Ross McKissock, Unitised Director at the Port of Tilbury, said: “Forth Ports’ rail freight strategy is focused on streamlining the path of fast-moving goods to the heart of the country’s key markets.

“Tesco’s new refrigerated trains are a perfect fit for the UK’s newest port, Tilbury2, which is a growing hub for European trade and intermodal connections. With daily rail services running to the UK’s largest retailer hubs and capacity to take the longest 775-meter trains on the network, we offer market-leading low carbon distribution solutions, enabling clean, green and sustainable supply chains.”

The arrival of the Skylight container vessel into Scotland’s key strategic freight hub at The Port of Grangemouth marks the maiden call of a new Scottish Express (SCX) service secured with the CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, and its subsidiary, Containerships, the leader in intra-European multimodal transport.

The new service, which calls into Grangemouth each Thursday, has been launched to principally support growing exports from Scotland’s largest exporters who transport produce from Leven and Shieldhall through Grangemouth and into Europe to service worldwide destinations. The SCX service rotation is a weekly route to mainland Europe, from Grangemouth via Teesport to Rotterdam, and will be capable of handling around 20,000 containers per annum through the Port.

The SCX service provides export and import customers with a regular additional call into mainland Europe each week through Scotland’s largest container port, increasing shipping capacity to meet the demands of the Scottish market. The Port of Grangemouth, which handles 30% of Scottish GDP, will be a strategic site for a new Forth Green Freeport which will help to transform the port into a major logistics, manufacturing, renewable energy hub and R&D centre for the Scottish and UK economies.

James Leeson, General Manager at CMA CGM UK, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our new SCX service at the Port of Grangemouth. This is an important addition to the Scottish market with a fixed day weekly service and increases Scotland’s connectivity to mainland Europe and beyond.

“We are committed to supporting economic growth within the areas we operate, and I am looking forward to continuing to work alongside Forth Ports as we expand our service offering in Scotland.”

Commenting on the new service, Derek Knox, Head of Operations Scottish Ports, said: “The new Scottish Express service is great news for Grangemouth and for Scotland. The Port of Grangemouth plays a key role in Scotland’s logistics and freight sector and this new weekly call will increase the frequency of vessels connecting to mainland Europe and we welcome the team from CMA CGM and Containerships to our container terminal.

“The additional shipping capacity created from this new direct freight service to Europe will play a key role in fulfilling the demands of the Scottish market trading with European and International destinations. This further supports our ambitions to deliver a Forth Green Freeport where one of the key objectives of the policy is to develop trade. We are continuing to deliver our investment programme in Grangemouth with new equipment, an expanded container terminal and warehousing complex, linked freight rail terminal and over 400 reefer connections securing the Port of Grangemouth as Scotland’s freight hub of choice.”

Forth Green Freeport renewables development platform takes shape with £50m port infrastructure investment

Scotland’s largest offshore wind renewables hub, at the Port of Leith, has signed a reservation and collaboration agreement with bp and EnBW, as the marshalling port for the 2.9GW Morven offshore wind project.

Forth Ports’ £50 million investment will see the facility in operation by the end of 2023, providing a bespoke offshore wind berth and a significant land bank for laydown and marshalling of offshore wind farm components. With the capacity for local content manufacturing, as well as a base for SMEs in the offshore wind supply chain, the nation’s largest renewables hub will create employment of up to 1,000 high quality, long term direct jobs and around 2,000 indirect jobs.

Morven is a major offshore wind project located 60km off the east coast of Scotland, awarded to bp and EnBW during the ScotWind leasing round with results announced earlier this year. Once completed, the project is expected to have a generating capacity of 2.9 gigawatts (GW), sufficient to power more than 3 million homes.

The Port of Leith is a key part of the Forth Green Freeport bid, submitted to the UK and Scottish governments for assessment on 20th June 2022, which seeks to re-industrialise Scotland, create large scale economic development, boost local supply chain growth, skills development and create a world-class manufacturing cluster. The bid has the potential to generate 50,000 new green jobs and act as a catalyst for new green technologies and renewable energy manufacturing, unlocking £6 billion of private and public investment for Scotland.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Carole Cran, Chief Financial Officer at Forth Ports, said: “This is significant news for our business and for Scotland, as we welcome bp and EnBW’s Morven project to Leith, the first of many for our new facility. We will be the largest offshore renewables hub in Scotland, bringing manufacturing opportunities and highly skilled, local, green jobs. This facility, and the Port of Dundee, will provide an integrated service offering to the offshore wind market, which will be instrumental in achieving the nation’s net zero targets over the next two decades.

“Our vision is to create a renewables centre of excellence for R&D, manufacturing and assembly that matches anything in northern Europe, with genuine export potential.”

Richard Haydock, Project Director, Offshore Wind, bp, said: “bp and EnBW are delighted to have secured Port of Leith for our Morven project. This is the next step for us to be able to deliver 2.9GW of clean energy. The project’s investment will support the Port of Leith with its transformation into a renewables hub and help position Forth Ports for future Scottish offshore wind projects.”

Céline Combé, EnBW Project Director, said: “Our journey with the Port of Leith started at a very early stage of our Morven project back in 2021. EnBW and bp are excited about taking the collaboration with Forth Ports to the next level with this agreement. It marks another important milestone in the development of our Morven project. We are looking forward to continuing working with the team at Forth Ports, and we are proud to keep contributing to the build out of renewable infrastructure in and for Scotland.”

Schoolchildren from Grays, Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary cheered on The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay when it arrived at Tilbury on Friday 8 July.

Pupils at The Gateway Learning Community Trust, a multi-academy trust of five schools in Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary, waved flags as Woodside Academy’s ‘Woodside Steel’ played steel pan drums to welcome the Queen’s Baton Relay to the London International Cruise Terminal at the Port of Tilbury.

Guests including Jackie Doyle-Price MP, Mayor of Thurrock Cllr James Halden and Leader of Thurrock Council Cllr Rob Gledhill were joined by Cabinet Members and local ward councillors.

Cllr Halden said: “I’m pleased that so many local schoolchildren could play a part in helping us welcome the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay to Thurrock and the Port of Tilbury’s London International Cruise Terminal.

“Tilbury is a place of historical significance including the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948 and other ships which followed bringing people from Caribbean countries to the UK until 1971. The Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories played a prominent part during Windrush Day, and it is only fitting that The Queen’s Baton should pass through ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.”

Stuart Wallace, Forth Ports Chief Operating Officer and Chair of Tilbury on the Thames Trust said: “Everyone at the Port of Tilbury was honoured that the London Cruise Terminal was chosen as a venue for The Queen’s Baton Relay today. The historic cruise terminal is part of the local community where events including the Windrush Day celebrations are held each year.

“With a cruise liner on the berth today hundreds of passengers had the chance to experience the Queen’s Baton Relay, with the fantastic children from Gateway Learning Community Schools making a celebratory guard of honour for the baton’s journey. It was also great to have the talented steel pan band from Woodside Academy playing at the terminal. We wish everyone taking part in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham the best of luck.”

Kevin Sadler, CEO of Gateway Learning Community Trust, said: “We are delighted and honoured that young people from across the Gateway Learning Community Trust can welcome the Queen’s Baton to Tilbury in advance of the Commonwealth Games. We hope that this opportunity will raise our students’ awareness of the games and may inspire them to become the athletes of the future.”

Ed Caines, Principal at Woodside Academy, said: “‘Woodside Steel’ are the performing Steel Band of Woodside Academy, Grays, where every child in the school learns to play steel pan in Year 3.

“Before the pandemic, the band regularly performed at events throughout Thurrock, including the welcoming of the Olympic Torch in 2012. The current band are aged seven to nine years old, and their first public performance was for this year’s Windrush celebration, also at the Cruise Terminal.

“Music and sports are both important at Woodside and, as a school with the Diversity Mark and the International Award, we are delighted and honoured to welcome the Queen’s Baton as it passes through our borough on its way to the Commonwealth Games in her jubilee year.”

The Baton is visiting the East of England from 8 July to 9 July in its final journey in England for the final countdown to the Commonwealth Games.

8 July 2022 

The spotlight is shining on Scotland’s ports, with a flurry of media interest, not to mention political attention, focused on each of their bids to be one of two Green Freeports that the Scottish and UK governments will announce later in the summer. With five bids submitted, now is a good time to stand back and reflect on just what these Green Freeports should mean for Scotland and for the UK.

Irrespective of our politics and beliefs, we all want to see a successful, thriving Scotland providing opportunity, economic growth and good quality jobs for our people. The global pandemic hasn’t just shown us that work can give people a collective motivation and purpose and help bind us together, it’s done more than that. The ports industry as a whole has gone about its business largely unnoticed before now. We are of course an island nation and the pandemic demonstrated the vital role that ports play in keeping the country going. During lockdown, apart from some toilet rolls and maybe some pasta, the supermarket shelves stayed pretty much full thanks to the ports industry and the associated supply chain. Vital medical supplies got through to the front line where our heroic NHS workers needed them and we all had access to masks and ultimately vaccines.

I’m proud to have been involved in the ports industry for over 30 years, an industry which offers   rewarding careers, pays wages which are over 20% above the UK average and has productivity levels over 40% above average. As I’m CEO of Forth Ports and also Chair of the UK Major Ports Group, I’m also proud of what each and every port worker did for us all – regardless of what port they worked for.

For centuries, trade has been a potential source of economic wellbeing and prosperity and while our industry is clear evidence of that, the Green Freeports initiative presents us with the power – and the opportunity – to spread that wealth and prosperity into the communities which surround our trading ports. The prime areas of focus of Green Freeports must be our investment in green technology, modern manufacturing, infrastructure and skills and these lie at the heart of Forth Ports’ visionary Green Freeport bid, one that I’m confident can create 50,000 new, high quality, green jobs. To help ensure that these opportunities reach people who are furthest from the jobs market, we are proposing that we, and our bid partners, invest in a unique skills accelerator and virtual reality educational offering, based initially at the Port of Grangemouth – Scotland’s largest port. This is about re-industrialising not just the Forth Estuary, where our host ports of Grangemouth, Leith, Rosyth and Burntisland are located, but the whole of Scotland’s Central Belt. These jobs will be created in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Falkirk and Stirling, Edinburgh and the Lothians, and Fife.

As port operators and owners, we have always invested, with our supportive shareholders, in infrastructure which is vital to the future of Scotland. The new renewables berth and hub complex at Leith is the most recent evidence of this and we are already committed to pump priming our Green Freeports bid with a £50 million investment in what will be Scotland’s largest renewables hub in an area of deprivation allowing us to give apprentices hope for the future while enabling the first important steps towards a necessary green transition. Our vision for Leith is to create a renewables centre of excellence for R&D, manufacturing and assembly that matches anything in northern Europe, and with genuine export potential.

The tax incentives that accompany a Green Freeport are not for the port owners themselves, they’re designed to attract the inward investors, the innovators and the change-makers to locate there, creating more jobs and economic development that benefits the whole country. While they’re called Green Freeports, it’s not just about ports. That’s why we’ve partnered with INEOS – the owners of the UK’s largest petrochemicals plant at Grangemouth; Edinburgh Airport – Scotland’s largest airport; Babcock – our neighbours at Rosyth; Scarborough Muir – also big landowners at Rosyth; and of course Falkirk, the City of Edinburgh and Fife councils – all of whom have a major role to play in Scotland achieving its net zero ambitions. By working together, we can truly be a force for good.

And it is Scotland’s road to Net Zero that must lie at the heart of any successful Green Freeports bid. It needs to attract £ billions of investment in renewables technology from within and outside the UK which can power that transition to Net Zero. Investment not just in the offshore wind farms themselves but in the manufacturing capability that will enable Scotland to firstly support our own transition to Net Zero then to export this expertise all over the world while, at the same time, creating a domestic supply chain that supports this and creates yet more high quality jobs further down the supply chain and in supporting sectors.  Meanwhile the Green Freeports initiative must provide the incentives for other carbon reduction technologies – such as carbon capture and blue, then green, hydrogen production.

The Firth of Forth is Scotland’s biggest trading and industrial asset and presents a unique opportunity for inward investment and carbon reduction. The Green Freeport gives it a platform to reduce emissions while creating technology and jobs for the future. Scotland is rich in assets, skills and potential and now is the time to turn that potential into reality in a just, fair and inclusive way.

Charles Hammond OBE, CEO Forth Ports Limited

Published in the Scotland on Sunday 3 July 2022

Tilbury on the Thames Trust in Partnership with Forth Ports has today (30 June) secured major funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver its ambitious plans to fully refurbish Tilbury’s Grade II listed historic Riverside Railway Station.

The £340,050 development grant was awarded to the Trust to develop its ‘Back on Track’ proposal which will reinvigorate the important, well-known building to restore and celebrate the built heritage and social and cultural heritage of the community.  Over the next 18 months or so, this will enable detailed plans to be developed to unlock a further £3.4M from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.  The Port of Tilbury as the owners of the building have supported Tilbury on The Thames Trust with the development of this application.

The historic railway building and cruise terminal was designed by Sir Edwin Cooper in the 1920s and formed an integral part of the historic Port’s development and growth. It is a well-used building today with regular cruise ship calls and community events taking place in parts of the building. The exciting plans include the creation of heritage, creative and event spaces, as well as a new community café and refurbishing the building interior. The plans will draw on the building’s Windrush heritage and following completion of the work, the building will be accessible all year round as a public space.

The work on the building will also benefit from Tilbury’s Town Funding. Tilbury has been given a once in a generation opportunity through £22 million of Town Funding which seeks to reconnect the town station gateway with the town centre and the riverside to create a thriving and vibrant community and local economy.

Stuart Wallace, Chair of Tilbury on the Thames Trust and COO of Forth Ports said: “This is incredible news for Tilbury as we can now get on an deliver our vision to restore the Grade II* Cruise Terminal and Railway Station complex. The team at the trust have dedicated a great deal of time and effort to reach this stage and we are excited to get started to make it a reality. I want to personally thank the team who led on this Heritage Fund project for their dedication and commitment to making this happen.”

 Lucy Emma Harris and Scott Sullivan, Board members of Tilbury on the Thames Trust, who formed Tilbury on The Thames Trust and worked together on the funding bid, commented: “Back on Track will safeguard the heritage for the future by working collaboratively with the Port of Tilbury, community and commercial users. Local people and partners will be part of the story through leisure and skills development opportunities that anchor the Cruise Terminal complex within our community. We look forward to sharing our progress with the community over the coming months.”

 Some of the specific works that will be carried out include:

• Repair of Tilbury Riverside Station interior 1920s retail units, ticket office and platform space to create heritage interpretation/exhibition spaces,
• Integrate the Riverside Station as a key part of Tilbury Riverside through new direct access to the Tilbury-Gravesend Ferry
• Create a café space with striking river views, providing new opportunities for leisure and socialisation for residents, visitors and cruise/ferry passengers.
• Tell the story of the Empire Windrush and the movement of goods, people and ideas through Tilbury over time.
• Build a sense of community affinity and attachment, though a programme of education and skills development, events, interpretation and a community grants scheme.
• Encourage creative activity by supporting artists to take residence

‘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.

30 June 2022                                                            – ends –

The Port of Tilbury’s community Open Day, held on Saturday 25 June was a big success with hundreds of people coming along to the London Cruise Terminal for a day of celebration.

The programme of events which were free for all the family, proved very popular throughout the day including the vintage bus tours of the port which were fully booked and the heritage walks were also very busy. The family activities of crafts and football practice with Tilbury Football Club had very busy stands. Lots of people tried out the straddle carrier simulator with some of them amazing themselves at their capabilities of handling these specialist container moving machines.

There were some local characters arriving on the day too with a group of Mods arriving with their scooters which created a fantastic spectacle in the old railway station.  The wonderful Together Productions lifted the roof off the terminal with their voices and had everyone singing along together in their grande finale. The final of the Thank you Dance procession held its spectacular finale outside the Cruise Terminal.

Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director from The Port of Tilbury said: “It was a brilliant day on Saturday as the port opened its doors to the local community, our port teams and their families for a day full of activities and events. We were very pleased to see so many people on the day and we enjoyed giving the community a tour of the port. Some of the people who tried the straddle carrier simulator showed some real skills! I want to personally thank the community for coming along on Saturday.”

 Jackie Doyle-Price MP and Board member of Tilbury on the Thames Trust said: “The local community here know how to put on a celebration! The events on Saturday were a pleasure to be part of and I know that many of the people attending the day had a brilliant time. The team at the port did a great job hosting the Open Day and my thanks to everyone who came along at the weekend.”

27 June 2022                                              -ends-

The Port of Tilbury welcomed the Transport Minister, Robert Courts MP to the port today (27 June) for a briefing and tour of the UK’s fastest growing port which has, through a multimillion-pound investment programme and by achieving freeport status, created an unrivalled operation for the rapidly growing logistics sector.

The Minister was given an in-dock boat tour accompanied by the Port of Tilbury’s Asset and Site Director, Paul Dale, and Commercial Director, Peter Ward; Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price; Thurrock Council’s Leader Cllr Rob Gledhill and Deputy Leader, Cllr Mark Coxshall allowing the Minister to see for himself the impacts of the significant investment across the port and the diverse onsite activities.  The Minister met company apprentices and was given a demonstration of the Port’s state-of-the-art simulator suite.

Mr Courts stopped at the country’s largest unaccompanied freight ferry terminal*, Tilbury2, a £250m investment spanning 160 acres, which was officially opened by the Prime Minister on 31 January 2022. The site is also home to new border infrastructure; the UK’s largest construction materials processing hub operated by Tarmac; and Tesco’s domestic rail operations.

Maritime Minister, Robert Courts MP, said: “Investment in the Port of Tilbury is investing in the local economy. With the new freight ferry terminal at Tilbury2 now in operation, more services can be added to the port, which will result in the creation of more jobs. We are committed to boosting global trade and supporting the port’s growth will help to build and strengthen our economy.

 “This is just one of the ways we’re building back better – and we owe a big debt of gratitude to the hardworking team at the port who worked tirelessly during the pandemic, ensuring the movement of goods continued and who showed great resilience and dedication throughout.”

 After hosting the ministerial visit, Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director, Port of Tilbury, commented: “Built and delivered during the pandemic, Tilbury2 is a UK success story.  Whether it’s food or medical supplies, industrial goods or construction materials, our new port with its first class rail terminals and barge loading jetty provides a suite of low carbon distribution options for our customers.  Backed by further substantial shareholder investment, the Thames Freeport will be a catalyst to expand at pace to satisfy growing customer demand in this prime location, delivering high quality employment and contributing to the levelling up of south Essex.”

 *The T2 ferry terminal was built and operational during the height of the pandemic, the port terminal handles containers and trailers with exports and imported goods, including food, drink and medical supplies to and from continental Europe on P&O Ferries’ busy Tilbury-Zeebrugge freight route. The site also handles Tesco’s new refrigerated train service to Scotland’s premier freight hub at the Port of Grangemouth.

Tarmac’s construction materials terminal (CMAT) will use a bespoke 2km long aggregates conveyor system and a railhead capable of taking the longest freight trains at 775m, meaning construction materials can be delivered efficiently from vessel to the terminal for processing before moving onto building projects and public infrastructure schemes like HS2 without the use of heavy road haulage.

 -ends-

On National Windrush Day, the Tilbury on the Thames Trust in partnership with the Port of Tilbury held a celebration in the London Cruise Terminal to mark the official day where 74 years ago on the 22 June, the port played a significant role for the Windrush generation as their arrival point into the UK from their long voyage on board the SS Empire Windrush.

This year, the Trust celebrated Windrush Day by bringing people by boat down the River Thames to the Port of Tilbury following the unveiling of the new Windrush monument at Waterloo Station. The Thames Clipper boats docked where the MV Empire Windrush came in on 22 June 1948, allowing a generation of people to move through the Cruise Terminal on Tilbury’s riverside to start a new life in the UK.

Guests on board the Thames Clipper included the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover and the Bishop in Canterbury; actress Dona Croll; Alford Gardner and John Richards from the Windrush Foundation who were all treated to a lunch with onboard entertainment provided by Pegasus Opera, as guests were transported to The Port of Tilbury.

On arrival a local steel pan band welcomed passengers as they stepped ashore, with Windrush inspired poetry readings, displays, storytelling and Evewright’s Walkway of Memories to view before they boarded the clippers back for a relaxing for the boat trip back up the river to London.

The group were met by Thurrock Councils’s Cllr Coxshall and Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director from The Port of Tilbury. Paul Dale commented: “Today was a perfect celebration to mark National Windrush Day. Our historic London Cruise Terminal has played an important part in the community since it was built the 30s and we were pleased to be able to host this wonderful event with Thames Clippers to mark this year’s Windrush Day. Tilbury is proud of its connections with the Empire Windrush and we look forward to marking the 75^th anniversary next year.”

 Tilbury on the Thames Trust was awarded funding to host the events and activities today. Communities Minister, Kemi Badenoch MP said: “The Windrush generation have had – and continue to have – a profound impact on Britain’s social, cultural and economic life and their legacy means so much to so many. As a first-generation immigrant myself, I understand personally how important it is to highlight how much we welcome and celebrate the contributions made by those who choose to make Britain home. I’m so pleased that our funding of events like The Port of Tilbury and others up and down the country, can help everyone remember the leading role the Windrush generation have played in the making of modern Britain”

 22 June 2022                                    -ends-

Forth Green Freeport will act as a catalyst for the re-industrialisation of Scotland, creating economic development for the whole of the country

• Delivering a just transition to Scotland’s net zero targets
• Potential to create 50,000 new green jobs
• 550 hectares of development land
• Local jobs in communities of high deprivation will support levelling up
• A Skills Accelerator Fund focused on skills development for young people and harder to reach communities
• Unlocking £6 billion of private and public investment into productive and resilient industries
• Generating a £4 billion boost in GVA (Gross Value Add)
• Built on a collaboration by committed partners who share the vision for a green growth corridor in the Forth Estuary. All partners are committed to the Fair Work principles and pay Real Living Wage.

A visionary bid for a Forth Green Freeport for Scotland which will re-industrialise the nation and create large scale economic development has been submitted today (20 June) by a public and private sector consortium led by Forth Ports Limited. The bid has the potential to generate 50,000 new green jobs and act as a catalyst for new green technologies and renewable energy manufacturing, unlocking £6 billion of private and public investment for Scotland.

A Forth Green Freeport will encourage global companies to continue to choose Scotland as a place to invest at scale through the economic incentives offered to businesses within the Green Freeport. The bid encompasses three key ports on the Forth (Grangemouth, Leith and Rosyth); industrial facilities and logistics centres along the north and south shores of the Firth of Forth; and Edinburgh Airport. Together they create an ambitious and attractive green investment zone which is focused on the Forth but will have a much broader impact across Scotland.

Led by Forth Ports, the bid consortium comprises both private and public organisations who together can deliver the bid’s vision, alongside leading further and higher education providers. The bid consortium include:

• Babcock
• Edinburgh Airport
• Falkirk Council
• Fife Council
• INEOS
• Scarborough Muir Group
• The City of Edinburgh Council.

Scotland has 20 years to deliver national decarbonisation to achieve net zero by 2045 and a credible plan to reduce the current emissions intensity of the Forth is vital. Investment is required to reduce emissions across the country through innovations in offshore wind manufacturing, alongside biofuels and hydrogen manufacture. The Forth Green Freeport can drive growth in two major areas of advanced manufacturing: the manufacture of offshore wind turbines and the innovative shipbuilding and energy systems modular manufacturing at the Babcock sites in Rosyth which, together, will have a far-reaching positive impact across the whole of Scotland.

The bid’s partners are confident that a Forth Green Freeport can be the driving force of this plan and will deliver this radical transformation for the Firth of Forth and Scotland.

The bid identifies strategically located tax and customs sites, which span 550 hectares in Grangemouth, Leith, Rosyth, Burntisland and Edinburgh Airport. This will increase trade through Scotland’s sea and air gateways and support the growth of trading businesses across the Firth of Forth and at sites spread north, south and west of the estuary. These locations are the heart of Scotland’s international trade, with goods representing 30% of Scotland’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) flowing through Grangemouth alone.

The sites are connected through excellent transport links, including five bridges (Kincardine Bridge, Clackmannanshire Bridge, Queensferry Crossing, Forth Road Bridge, and the iconic Forth Bridge), 138 rail routes, and motorways which link the three tax sites – Grangemouth, Rosyth, and Leith – with other strategically important areas in Scotland.

Charles Hammond OBE, Chief Executive of Forth Ports Group, said: “The Forth is Scotland’s most prized trading and industrial asset and a Forth Green Freeport enables Scotland to reduce emissions while creating technologies and jobs for the future. It will attract billions of investment for renewable offshore wind and hydrogen manufacture, enabling industrial decarbonisation and a reliable, clean energy supply with rapid distribution and export potential. Scotland has just over 20 years to deliver national decarbonisation and our bid provides an unmissable opportunity to deliver this in support of the country’s net zero ambitions.

 “Our vision is for the Forth Green Freeport to reindustrialise Scotland and spread the benefits of trade widely into the communities that need it the most, through the establishment of a green growth investment corridor creating 50,000 jobs in renewable energy, green manufacturing and alternative fuels. These jobs will not just be in Grangemouth, Leith and Rosyth, but in Glasgow and Edinburgh; the Lothians, Stirling and Falkirk; and Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy.

 “This is a true partnership of private and public sector organisations who share the vision for the Forth with a bid that will benefit the whole of Scotland. It will help establish the Forth as the key industrial site for supporting offshore wind deployment in the North Sea, then build on these strengths to service demand for renewable energy technologies in global markets.

 “Our team already has a track record of successfully delivering a freeport in England; we have unlocked large, undeveloped industrial sites; and we have credible investors lined up to deliver the innovation required for inclusive and sustainable growth in Scotland’s economy.”

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 the preparation of the Forth Green Freeport and, if successful, its eventual delivery.

Commenting on this Cllr Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council, said: “The Forth Green Freeport has the aims and objectives of regeneration, high-quality job creation, decarbonisation, a just transition, trade and investment, and innovation at its heart. It presents an opportunity for the governments to bring forward transformational change to the communities along the Firth of Forth. These are communities that have long felt the impact of carbon intensive industries and the decline of traditional industries, and we, along with our partners are committed to ensuring that this transformation occurs as a priority.”

 Cllr Altany Craik, Spokesperson – Finance, Economy & Strategic Planning, Fife Council said: “The work undertaken to date ensures that once more, Fife is being promoted as a prime investment location within Scotland. This is consistent with the work we continue to do within our local communities to realise regeneration and investment in our communities. I welcome that Rosyth, Burntisland and other strategic sites within the proposed Green Freeport outer boundary including Longannet, support the bid for this important economic designation. The areas identified provide scope for inward investors to locate and for existing businesses to expand or to diversify.  The outer boundary area identified to support the proposed Green Freeport sites provides within Fife, important links via the M90, A92 and Fife Circle rail network into Mid Fife. Highlighting this and aligning investment activity with the 2021 Mid Fife Economic Action Plan and Mid Fife Economic Prospectus will ensure that together, we maximise benefits from the prospective Forth Green Freeport designation.”

 Cammy Day, Council Leader, the City of Edinburgh Council said: “This is about pushing for sustainable, inclusive growth in the North of Edinburgh and our economy as a whole. Our long-term investment in the tram extension to Newhaven is already unlocking swathes of north Edinburgh for development and regeneration. Our £1.3 billion green regeneration of Granton is creating a brand new waterfront community and cultural hub, with jobs and thousands of net zero homes.

 “If a Green Freeport to Leith and a customs site at the airport are brought forward, we will continue to work to make sure North Edinburgh benefits from a whole East to West corridor of net zero economic growth. We want to see this deliver transformative change for local communities with a strategy that substantially drives forward our net zero ambitions while providing pathways into work and learning for disadvantaged young people from the area. Fair work and fair opportunities are central to this bid and it is important that they continue to be central to delivery.

 “I am committed to the Council continuing to play an active and supportive role if the bid is successful. Let’s work together to propel the Firth of Forth into a global hub of innovation, renewable technology and high-quality job creation which helps us tackle our city’s poverty challenge as well as the climate crisis.”

About the Strategic sites of the Forth Green Freeports bid:

Grangemouth

• The Port of Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest port and principal export hub (handling 30% of Scottish GDP) and is home to its major petrochemical cluster. The INEOS Grangemouth site has a long-standing track record of strength in petrochemicals.
• Grangemouth is Scotland’s busiest port, with the shortest direct freight link to Europe, handling 9m tonnes of global cargo every year. The Grangemouth tax site includes 226 hectares of under-developed land which will help to transform the port into a major logistics, manufacturing, renewable energy hub and R&D centre for the Scottish and UK economies.

 Leith

• At the Port of Leith, Forth Ports has already started work on a £50 million investment in nation’s largest offshore renewable energy hub alongside energy giant, bp and EnBW. The Leith tax site features 167 hectares of Forth Ports-owned, under-developed land. The tax incentives will support the redevelopment of the current port structure into the Leith Renewables Hub: an offshore wind manufacturing and marshalling site; supported by a cluster of offshore wind SMEs and a start-up incubator.

 Rosyth

• The Port of Rosyth, Scotland’s largest agri bulks hub, has the capacity to expand and create new trade routes to continental Europe. The Rosyth site comprises 168 hectares of underdeveloped land from landowners Forth Ports, Babcock and Scarborough Muir Group. The tax incentives will support Rosyth to become a hub for innovation in advanced modular manufacturing in offshore wind, shipbuilding and energy systems.

 Burntisland

• 19 hectares of land at Burntisland on the northern bank of the Forth Estuary has been ringfenced for designation as a customs site, extending the Leith Renewables Hub across the north and south shores of the estuary. This marks a deliberate ‘twinning’ of the Leith and Burntisland Forth Green Freeport propositions and supports the intra-authority nature of this bid. Together, this creates the largest offshore wind development area in Scotland.

 Edinburgh Airport

• A 13 hectares customs zone at Edinburgh Airport’s Global Air Park is designated for air-related logistics and warehousing expansion targeted at the growth markets of e-commerce, pharmaceuticals and perishables. Edinburgh Airport is the largest freight handling airport in Scotland and the largest mail handler, managing 50% of all the nation’s air mail. Edinburgh Airport is an ideal location for growing trade with the USA due to shorter flight distances.