Tesco has moved its rail operation to the Port of Tilbury as part of its drive to find greener and more resilient delivery options. The new ‘chill’ train service comes hot on the heels after the UK’s largest retailer committed to increase its use of trains to distribute products by almost 40%, in an effort to keep its supermarket shelves stocked

The new seven-day-a week service rolls out of the Port of Tilbury twice each day heading to Coatbridge in Scotland with its cargo of chilled Christmas food destined for Tesco’s Scottish supermarkets.

The 32 refrigerated containers onboard contain thousands of UK grown onions, potatoes, carrots, sprouts and broccoli which are in high demand at this time of year throughout the festive season.

The daily service will take at least 17,000 containers off the road each year, saving 7.3 million road miles and nearly 9,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions

The service safely delivers chilled food products for onward distribution to stores and with pressures on the supply chain at this busy time of year, rail is a reliable and low carbon delivery option, particularly for vital goods like food and drink.

The Port of Tilbury has had a 10-fold increase in its rail freight traffic during 2021 with further growth expected in the years to come. The port has invested significantly in the creation of new and enhanced rail terminals creating capability to load / unload the longest trains on the national network, with trains operating to south Wales, the North West, The Midlands and Scotland supporting the retail, e-commerce, food and drink markets. The port also has two dedicated bulk rail terminals for movements of construction materials.

Commenting on the new chill train service for Tesco, Charles Hammond OBE, chief executive of Forth Ports (owners of the Port of Tilbury and Tilbury2), said:  “Moving goods by rail is the solution to greening logistics in the UK. This new chilled goods train will help Tesco deliver their aspiration to move more goods by rail in the coming years, with Tilbury as a central supply chain partner.

“Rail traffic at our ports has increased tenfold this year alone and we are expecting annual growth in rail to continue to 2030. At Tilbury, in the last two years, we’ve enhanced our rail capability considerably by building new rail terminals and barge loading facilities across the port to enhance our customers’ low carbon delivery options.”

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and ROI CEO said: “We’ve been using rail to transport our goods since 2008 and this new service reflects our continuing commitment to rail which has clear advantages for our business, our customers and the planet. Our rail service will be an important part of our efforts to deliver a fantastic Christmas for our customers but the journey doesn’t stop here as we continue to increase the number of containers we transport by rail as part of our commitment to reach net zero emissions in our operations by 2035.”

– ends –

The Tilbury on the Thames Trust, supported by The Port of Tilbury, in partnership with Thurrock CVS, The Royal Opera House, Thurrock Lifestyle Solutions CIC and Thurrock Council have successfully secured a massive £1million on behalf of Thurrock as part of the Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places National Portfolio 2022-25 programme.

The partners will be the custodians of the £1million funding and over the next three years will support local people in Thurrock to kickstart exciting arts and culture programmes across the borough.

The application was a team effort and this success is due to the commitment and hard work shown by the partners and all stakeholders who have engaged with the development of the proposal since 2018. The planning for the three-year programme, which will draw on the local area’s rich, diverse culture, will begin in April 2022 with the first activities expected to be delivered in Autumn next year.

As part of this planning, the partners will be looking for residents passionate about arts and culture to become ‘Kickstarters’, developing ideas and making decisions on creative projects that bring Thurrock to life. Watch this space!

Creative activities could include outdoor arts; dance, theatre and music; a celebration of people; riverside heritage; industry and international connections.  These will happen across Thurrock landmarks, landscape and localities.

The Thurrock Creative People and Places Consortium said: “We are thrilled that this funding has been secured for Thurrock creating opportunities for all. Thurrock has an engaged creative and cultural sector and we are all looking forward to working with them to get local people taking part in brilliant art experiences in the places where they live.”

 2 December 2021                                    -ends-

The Port of Tilbury, London’s fastest growing port welcomed keen career seekers from the local area to their recruitment day last week at the London Cruise Terminal.

The growing port has many career opportunities currently available including apprentices; straddle carrier drivers; and engineers. All of these roles and more were showcased along with the skills development opportunities the business has available across the port for adults of all ages.

Many people took the opportunity to use the training simulator and have a go at moving containers virtually, while other potential candidates had the chance to visit the container terminal and undertake a height test which is an essential element for anyone thinking of a career as a straddle carrier operator* working with these tall machines.

Paul Dale, Asset & Site Director said: “Tilbury is growing fast with lots of exciting career opportunities for people right now. Recruiting has never been so important for us as a business and also for the country as we continue to recovery from the economic impact of the global pandemic. If you are keen on a career with us, please get in touch or come along to our next event in January”

 The port is very keen to encourage anyone with an interest in a career whether it is starting with an apprenticeship or applying for the various skilled engineering roles, to get in touch or come along to the next recruitment day, at the London Cruise Terminal on the 25th January 2022 from 11am-8pm, and have a conversation with the port’s recruitment specialists about the career opportunities.

Michelle Primrose, Group HR Manager at Forth Ports said: “This was our second recruitment event for local people and it was great to chat to people of all ages who are considering a career with us. Conversations ranged from young people considering apprenticeships to older adults looking to retrain in logistics.

Don’t worry if you missed the event this time, we are starting 2022 with another event on the 25th January so I’d encourage people to come along then and see if the new year is right for starting a new career with the Port of Tilbury.”

For more about careers at Forth Ports and current vacancies, click here: https://forthports.co.uk/careers/

*See the straddle carrier video issued previously https://vimeo.com/637041350/a88ba4ecf8

30 December 2021                                                  – ends-

Major building works at the UK’s largest grain terminal at the Port of Tilbury reaches a milestone with the construction of ten new giant metal grain silos. The works got underway earlier this year following a fire* in 2020 which damaged part of the concrete silo.

Building of the ten silos, at a height of 30 metres, and a total combined capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes, was completed this month. The industry leading design has been constructed to the highest health and safety standards and with an independent transfer and reclaim system also now being constructed, these silos will be back in operation for the 2022 harvest.

Demolition of the damaged concrete silos at the terminal is also now complete and the port will shortly appoint a contractor to replace these concrete silos for a return to full operations in 2023, restoring the original storage capacity.

Peter Ward, Commercial Director at The Port of Tilbury said: “The sight of the completed ten new grain silos at the grain terminal is great to see. The terminal is a key facility in the South-East of England and an essential part of the UK agricultural supply chain for imports and exports. 

These new metal silos will be ready for the 2022 harvest and once the concrete silo is rebuilt, the terminal will be back to full capacity on one site. Although there has been no interruption to our service throughout the rebuild, we would like to thank our customers for supporting us during this difficult period as we rebuild the facility.”

The Tilbury Grain terminal has been in operation for over 50 years and is a key strategic facility in the South-East of the UK for the grain import and export markets handling over 2million tonnes of product from around the world. Grain is a key commodity in the UK food supply chain for a number of uses, most notably within the flour milling and bakery industries.

Throughout the works there has been no interruption to customer service as the terminal remains fully open for import and exports and once complete, the terminal will be restored to its full storage capacity of 135,000 m/t and continue to benefit from the full multimodal services at the port including river barge transportation into central London.

The terminal also operates a monthly coastal shipping service from Tilbury to its sister port in Kirkcaldy, Scotland for Carr’s Milling.

*The fire at the grain terminal was in July 2020 and damaged the silo tower and some other equipment. No one was injured.

29 November 2021                        -ends-

A range of financial incentives which make it economically attractive for businesses to locate at Thames Freeport* will apply from today (19 November).

Anyone setting up a new manufacturing, clean energy or logistics business at the Thames Freeport will be able to access tangible economic benefits which are available across the three tax sites at Ford Dagenham, the Port of Tilbury and London Gateway’s Logistics Park.  The substantial sites are ready for development now.

Freeports are special areas within the UK’s borders where different economic regulations apply. These include a range of tax incentives, including business rates relief for five years, enhanced capital allowances, relief from stamp duty and exemption from employer national insurance contributions for new and additional employees.  These tax reliefs are designed to encourage the maximum number of businesses to open, expand and invest in the country’s freeports which in turn will boost skilled, highly paid employment.

Launching at the conclusion of International Trade Week, Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, Chair of Thames Freeport, declared: “Thames Freeport is open for business.  This package of measures potentially reduces property ownership costs for new businesses by 50%, offering a massive fillip to our 1,700-acre development platform – much with planning consent.  The accelerated development of these sites will bring significant economic and regeneration benefits to the communities and businesses based along the Thames estuary corridor.”

*Thames Freeport is an economic zone connecting Ford’s world-class Dagenham engine plant, the global ports at London Gateway and Tilbury, and many communities in urgent need of ‘levelling-up’.  20% of the UK’s most deprived communities are in London and the South East.   Businesses looking to expand are being urged to take advantage of the tax benefits of relocating to the Freeport and being part of a customs zone, which will enable the businesses to continue to have low friction trade processes with the EU and global markets.

No location can match Thames Freeport for access to rail, road, river and international maritime routes.  Comprising Britain’s most globally connected ports and logistics park and Ford’s world-class engine plant, Thames Freeport represents a faster, more cost-effective, and more environmentally responsible way to service domestic and European markets.  Ford Dagenham is London’s largest manufacturing site.

See the Thames Freeport website / Twitter / LinkedIn pages for more information.

• ENDS –

Forth Ports outlined its plans to create Scotland’s largest renewable energy hub on a 175-acre site at the Port of Leith, Edinburgh, to Thekla Walker, the Minister for the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector of the State of Baden Württemberg, Germany, when she visited the port today (8^th Nov 2021).

The Minister joined bp and EnBW, who previously announced a joint bid for a 2.9GW offshore wind lease in the North Sea as part of the ScotWind leasing round. The bid, which seeks to go further than only develop offshore wind, but help fuel Scotland’s wider energy transition, prompted an initial financial contribution towards the new renewable energy hub at Leith, with the commitment of more to come should the bp/ENBW bid be successful.

The £40 million renewable energy hub, which will see the construction of a floating wind enabled berth which will have in excess of 50 acres of logistics laydown space and a further 35 acres of quayside linked space dedicated to building green manufacturing bases and local content. This collaboration will also:

• Make a major contribution to Scotland achieving its 2045 net zero greenhouse gases target
• Secure the Firth of Forth as the driver for Scotland’s green energy transition
• Help spearhead Edinburgh’s and Scotland’s Covid-19 recovery plan
• Create the largest facility in Scotland, which can bring manufacturing opportunities, local jobs and economic growth in Scotland
• Support up to 1,000 high quality, long term direct jobs and about 2,000 indirect jobs

Following a tour of the port on a Forth Ports tug vessel, Thekla Walker, Minister for the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector of the State of Baden Württemberg said:

“The generation of renewable energy in combination with a massive reduction in our energy demand – efficiency first – is key to achieving our ambitious climate targets. This is the only path for us to phase out nuclear power by 2022 and fossil fuels by 2030. Transformation doesn’t stop at country borders. Therefore, as the Minister of the Energy Sector in Baden-Württemberg I welcome the commitment of EnBW here in Scotland and I very much appreciate its efforts in bidding in partnership with bp to build this offshore wind park for our carbon neutral future.”

 David Webster, Senior Port Manager at Forth Ports, said:

“Since announcing our plans for a renewable energy hub at Leith, the reaction from industry and from the community has been remarkable. It’s clear that there’s a real appetite for seeing Leith, and the whole Firth of Forth corridor, play a central role in Scotland’s energy transition to net zero. I’m thrilled that the Minister wanted to take time out of her busy COP26 schedule to visit Leith and see for herself our proposals to work with committed partners such as bp and ENBW to make these plans a reality.”

Georg Stamatelopoulos, Member of the Management Board at EnBW, said:

“Scotland is one of the most attractive markets for offshore wind, and EnBW is looking forward to further supporting the Port of Leith in its transition to a renewables hub and as an accelerator for a clean energy future for Scotland. As a fully integrated energy company and one of the leading offshore wind developers, EnBW aims to become climate-neutral by 2035. We will benchmark every decision and investment against this criterion, thereby firmly linking our future growth to sustainability.”

Felipe Arbelaez, Senior Vice President of Zero Carbon Energy at bp, said:

“Scotland is uniquely placed to lead the energy transition by harnessing the decades of skills and experience built up in the offshore oil and gas sector. If successful, the investment by bp and EnBW will support the Port of Leith to transform into a renewables hub and position Forth Ports for future growth in offshore wind in the North Sea. bp’s ambition is to use our capabilities as an integrated energy company to bring more clean energy and support a Scottish transition to net zero.”

 8 November 2021                                            – Ends –

Forth Ports has this week been granted Listed Building Consent by the City of Edinburgh Council to fully repair the Category A Listed Victoria Swing Bridge located at the Port of Leith to conserve the bridge for the future and create a useable space for the local community.

The private six figure investment will see the bridge, which is the largest counterweighted swing bridge in Scotland, fully repaired, with a phased programme of specialist works which will protect the character and form of the bridge.

The repair programme is to be carried out in phases and includes:

• The full refurbishment of the northern and southern walkways
• Re-decking the central carriage way
• Replacement of the decked turning circle areas
• A full repair and repaint of metalwork on the bridge

The refurbishment of the north and south pedestrian walkways – is expected to start this year, with the remaining work anticipated being undertaken in 2022. Pedestrian access to the bridge for the local community will be maintained for the duration of the works.

Commenting on the news, Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive at Forth Ports, said: “We are extremely pleased to have been granted consent to begin this programme of major repairs to The Victoria Swing Bridge which is an important landmark in Leith and will make an important contribution to the regeneration of the Waterfront. We want to deliver a useable space for the local community and we hope that once the bridge has been restored, people will be able to enjoy this space.”

The Victoria Swing Bridge was designed by Alexander Rendel and opened in 1874 to provide an efficient road and railway route for the port following the completion of construction of Albert Dock in 1869. The bridge was originally B listed but was upgraded to an A listing in 2014. It is constructed of riveted wrought iron, timber and steel and originally carried a double rail track along its central deck (providing access for both trains and road vehicles) and features pedestrian walkways on either side (NB: see Notes to Editors for more detailed information).

5 November 2021                               – ends –

Rt Hon Ruth Kelly is to be the inaugural Chair of Thames Freeport* starting immediately.

As a former Secretary of State, she commands a deep knowledge of government and a strong grasp of the logistics sector, which will help drive forward the Freeport’s transformation programmes to increase knowledge transfer, skills development and clean growth.

Rt Hon Ruth Kelly served as MP for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010. During this period, she served as Secretary of State for Transport, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Secretary of State for Education and Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities, as well as holding ministerial roles in HM Treasury.  Since leaving Parliament, she has held roles at HSBC Global Asset Management and St Mary’s University.  As Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at St Mary’s, she spearheaded the delivery of a transformational vision, ‘Vision 2025: St Mary’s plan for the future’.

Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, Chair of Thames Freeport, commented: “I’m pleased to lead a coalition of public sector partners and businesses at the forefront of their industries during a period of seismic change.  The Freeport will create an irresistible investment platform around our world-class ports – London Gateway and Tilbury – that will deliver a step-change in terminal capacity, supply chain resilience and manufacturing capability for UK plc.  

 “The Freeport will drive fresh large-scale inward investment, while driving regeneration in areas of need across our region and creating a centre of excellence for the country as we electrify, automate and digitise our future.”

Thames Freeport is a digitally linked economic zone connecting Ford’s world-class Dagenham engine plant, the global ports at London Gateway and Tilbury, and many communities in urgent need of ‘levelling-up’.  20% of the UK’s most deprived communities are in London and the South East.  Businesses looking to expand are being urged to take advantage of the tax benefits of relocating to the Freeport and being part of a customs zone, which will enable the businesses to continue to have low friction trade processes with the EU and global markets.

No location can match Thames Freeport for access to rail, road, river and international maritime routes.  Comprising Britain’s most globally connected ports and logistics park and Ford’s world-class engine plant, Thames Freeport represents a faster, more cost-effective, and more environmentally responsible way to service domestic and European markets.  Ford Dagenham is London’s largest manufacturing site.

As part of The Budget on Wednesday 27 October, the Thames Freeport partners welcomed the announcement that the freeport will begin operations from November. Thames Freeport is open for business.

*Thames Freeport’s formal commercial launch took place at an event at The Savoy Hotel, London, in the presence of Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP and Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP on Wednesday 15^th September.   The Freeport has already seen the £300 million announcement by DP World that work will begin shortly on a new fourth berth at its London Gateway logistics hub to increase supply chain resilience and create more capacity for the world’s largest vessels.

See the Thames Freeport website / Twitter / LinkedIn pages for more information.

1 November 2021                   – ends –

Thames Freeport partners have welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement – made during his Budget – that it will be able to begin operations from November. Commenting on the news:

Ernst Schulze, UK Chief Executive of DP World: “This is exciting news for Thames Freeport, our
customers and the local community. Freeport status has already begun to turbo-charge one of the
largest urban regeneration projects in Europe at London Gateway.”

Charles Hammond OBE, Chief Executive of the Forth Ports Group (owner of the Port of Tilbury and Tilbury2): “Thames Freeport opens a new chapter for the development around the growing logistics cluster at Tilbury. Focused on high value, good quality jobs and high productivity business growth in processing, manufacturing and clean logistics, the years ahead will be an exciting for the Port of Tilbury as we continue to build on our record of delivering new port terminals and premier freight solutions for London and the South East.”

Martin Everitt, Plant Manager at Ford UK in Dagenham: “As we move into our tenth decade of operation, the freeport will boost Ford Dagenham – London’s largest manufacturing site – as the company continues to evolve and grow its advanced technology solutions for passenger and commercial vehicles.”

Thurrock Council Leader, Cllr Rob Gledhill: “Today’s announcement is amazing news for the whole of Thurrock, as well as future generations for years to come. It will generate more than £4.5billion in new public and private investment, create more than 21,000 new jobs, with significant investment in infrastructure, skills and communities.

“A Thames Freeport means access to new and high quality jobs and better training opportunities that in turn will lead to higher wages. It will come hand in hand with health and cultural benefits for our residents and Thurrock will be more attractive than ever to investors, businesses and entrepreneurs. The Thames Freeport is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to unlock fresh opportunities and drive change and I would like to thank the government for once again recognising Thurrock’s potential.”

Cllr Mark Coxshall, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Strategic Planning and External Relationships: “Thurrock has always been a hotbed for innovation and industry and today’s announcement that the Thames Freeport will be formally designated cements our status as the ports capital of the UK.

“The Thames Freeport will unlock countless opportunities for residents who live and work in Thurrock, and will deliver lasting prosperity including thousands of new jobs and social benefits on our doorstep. Whether you’re a resident, local business, an investor, education provider or an entrepreneur with a new idea, Thurrock is open for business.”

Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of London Borough of Barking and Dagenham: “We are delighted to see the Thames Freeport formally designated. This is a hugely promising project, not only for Barking and Dagenham, but also for the wider Thames Estuary and London economy. The Thames is the lifeblood of the capital and it’s exciting to see trade restored to the river, but this project offers more than simply opportunities for business; it will also offer local residents of all ages job openings and the chance to increase their skills and training. Barking and Dagenham has always been a borough at the forefront of industrial development and, as the Thames Freeport becomes a reality, our borough – alongside our partners – will once again help lead a new industrial revolution that will kickstart the economy of the freeport region.”

ENDS

‘It’s like nothing else you have driven in your life’

Straddle Carrier Drivers are a vital part of the operations of the busy London Container Terminal at The Port of Tilbury, but not many people know just what it is like to be the driver of these tall, specialist machines.

The port has today issued a new behind the scenes video which hears from their straddle drivers and trainers about their experiences of driving these 55ft high, 70 tonne machines and showcases the opportunities for people to join to port in this very unusual driving role. [Watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/637042603/91eba29620]

Straddle carriers are used in container ports around the world and are a distinctive piece of machinery which moves containers which arrive by ship and transports them either onto trucks or rail for their onward journey. The Port of Tilbury has 36 straddle carriers and handles around 300,000 containers each year and there are job opportunities available now for new drivers. The port has a bespoke training programme for new straddle drivers who use the company’s new training simulator to help prepare them for this highly skilled role.

Michelle Primrose, Group HR Manager for Forth Ports said: “There are many highly skilled job opportunities at the Port of Tilbury and we wanted to showcase the role of a straddle carrier operative. This is a unique role in the ports industry and we are recruiting for our busy container terminal. Even if you have only ever driven a car before, this could be an exciting opportunity to develop new skills supported by our training and logistics academy.”

Paul Dale Asset and Site Director for the Port of Tilbury said: “As our port continues to grow, we have lots of exciting job opportunities for people who are seeking a career in logistics. I would encourage anyone interested in working with us to get in touch.”

For more about careers at Forth Ports and current vacancies, click here: https://forthports.co.uk/careers/

21 October 2021                                                      – ends-