After a gap of more than two years due to the global pandemic, the team at Port of Tilbury announce that the port will open its doors for a community Open Day and celebration on Saturday 25 June 2022 from 11am until 5pm at the London Cruise Terminal and everyone is invited.

The FREE programme of events for all the family will run throughout the day and will include:

• Vintage bus tours of the port;
• Historical walking tours of the cruise terminal;
• Dance and singing performance by Singing our Lives;
• Port of Tilbury Police activities;
• Beat the goalie, face painting and kids carnival rides;
• Windrush exhibition;
• Café and heritage displays

As part of the day, a section of Her Majesty’s Jubilee Pageant parade will come to Tilbury for a Thank you Dance procession through the town starting at 1pm in Anchor Fields Park. The parade will move through the streets with over 200 performers carrying colourful hand painted silk flags designed by local communities in Tilbury, Grays, Purfleet-on-Thames and Milton Keynes. The parade will arrive at the London Cruise Terminal at 230pm for a performance finale. [NB: event flyers attached with this release for more info]

Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director from The Port of Tilbury said: “It is wonderful to be able to welcome the local community, our port team and their families back into The Port of Tilbury on Saturday 25^th June. We always enjoy hosting community events at the port and on the 25^th June we get the chance to let people inside the port and enjoy a day together. There are a lot of activities planned which will suit all ages and I hope that everyone is able to come along and join us.”

 Stuart Wallace, Chair of Tilbury on the Thames Trust said: “It will be fantastic to see the Thank You Dance parade on the 25^th June in Tilbury. The flags were created for the brilliant 2019 carnival and it was a special moment to see them and their flagbearers as part of Her Majesty’s Jubilee Pageant in London recently. The performances on the day are a fitting thank you to our key workers and all those who give their time to help the local communities, particularly during the challenges of the past few years. I hope everyone enjoys the parade and the Open Day at the port.”

14 June 2022                                              -ends-

Forth Ports has submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to The City of Edinburgh Council for Harbour 31, an exciting mixed-use development on a 10-acre waterfront site at Leith.

The development has the aspiration to create a vibrant new neighbourhood for Leith. The plans for the waterside location include: 700 – 800 residential apartments, a hotel, local retail, flexible workspaces and offices and leisure facilities. The site sits on a dockside location and fits well with the Council’s Local Development Plan as being housing-led, mixed use development.

The development will see the regeneration of land adjacent to the newly opened FirstStage Studios, providing a place to live and work, for both creative and green jobs, as the Port of Leith transitions to become Scotland’s premier renewables hub. The site will also benefit from the new tram extension due to open in mid-2023.

Carole Cran, Chief Financial Officer of landowners Forth Ports Group, said:

“At Harbour 31 we plan to create a vibrant new quarter to live and work, as new creative and green jobs come to Leith. With the option to walk to work or an easy tram ride into the city centre, this new neighbourhood will be a focal point of Leith’s continued regeneration.”

An online public consultation will take place on 23 June 2022 from 3.00pm – 7.00pm via www.harbour31.com, where further details of the proposed development can be found.

Following the outcome of the public consultation, a full planning application will be submitted.

 26 May 2022                                     – ends –

Nearly 200 cruise executives from around the world are arriving in Edinburgh this week as the prestigious Cruise Europe Conference gets underway in Scotland.

Originally planned for March 2020 but delayed due to the global pandemic, this three-day in-person event, is being held in venues across the Capital and is the largest and best attended cruise event ever to be held in Edinburgh.

Forth Ports’ cruise business, Capital Cruising, is hosting the event which gives Edinburgh the chance to showcase the unique attractions of the beautiful UNESCO city to an influential cruise audience.

Scotland is a major draw for the cruise market, Edinburgh in particular is a ‘must-see’. The cruise business is an important economic boost for Scotland and the local areas where the liners call, with many local businesses and attractions benefitting from the tourism spend.

Event host, Rob Mason, Head of Cruise for Capital Cruising in Scotland said: “We are thrilled to host the Cruise Europe Cruise Conference this week. It is important for Edinburgh and Scotland’s cruise market as we are set to welcome 200 of the world’s important players in the cruise sector to the City. After a challenging two years for the cruise industry during the pandemic, this is a great opportunity for the cruise industry to come together.

The cruise season in Scotland has restarted – Scotland is open for cruise – and is well underway and across all our ports we are expecting to welcome over 100 cruise vessels across our Scottish ports and anchorages this year which is encouraging news as people return to cruise.”

Commenting on the event, Jens Skrede, Managing Director of Cruise Europe said: “We always look out for marquee cities and ports for our annual highlight, and Edinburgh certainly ticks all the boxes. Despite the pandemic, we have a record number of delegates attending from our members and cruise line executive decision makers. We are really looking forward to the Cruise Europe Conference in this historic and vibrant city.”

Capital Cruising runs seven busy cruise terminals and anchorages across the UK and is the only port operator to offer unrivalled direct access to Edinburgh for cruise passengers.  With ports in Leith, Rosyth and anchorages at Newhaven and South Queensferry, passengers are within easy reach of the famous attractions in Edinburgh.

17 May 2022                                      – ends –

Scotland’s largest agricultural products hub (“agri-hub”) at the Port of Rosyth has reached a milestone of handling 1 million tonnes of product for Cefetra.

The Agri-Hub, which opened in early 2020, handles an extensive range of important agricultural products for Scottish animal feed, food and drink and farming industries. The port has been fully open and operational throughout the global pandemic with the port’s key workers handling these essential products.

The location and facilities at the Agri-Hub on the Firth of Forth ensure an efficient supply chain as cargo can be shipped directly from many origins from all around the World to Scotland without the need for trans-shipments at a European port. This also means there is a reduction in truck road miles as the hub is located centrally in Scotland for many farmers and food manufacturers.

Commenting on the news, Andy Lamb, Deputy Port Manager at the Port of Rosyth said: “Our Agri Hub in Rosyth is a success story. Over the past two years, our team have handled 1million tonnes of agri product for our partner Cefetra. We have shown resilience during a very challenging time for the port and our team have worked hard to ensure that the supplies reach the key farming and food market.”

 Andrew Mackay, Managing Director at Cefetra Ltd, said: “We are extremely pleased with how the Agri hub is working and the cooperation we have had with Forth Ports in this enterprise. The facility helps us supply the Scottish market with key raw materials that the Feed, Food and Drink Industries require to be imported.

 “In addition, we have worked for Scottish farmers, to develop new, interesting export markets for grains and oilseeds that we have loaded out from Rosyth. Reaching the landmark figure of 1 million tonnes of throughput in such a short period of time from the opening is a testament to all involved.”

 Rosyth’s location and logistical links to the motorway network, make it ideally suited to supply all areas of Scotland and Northern England. The port has both deep sea and short sea capabilities. To create the agri-hub in 2020, the Port of Rosyth was deepened to provide a true deep-water port capable of taking vessels carrying up to 50,000 tonnes of cargo. The port’s existing storage facilities have been significantly extended with the addition of a new 200,000sq.ft. purpose built agricultural products terminal, increasing the port’s storage capacity to around 100,000 tonnes.

 The port invested in a new Liebherr mobile harbour crane for bulk handling capability and to manage dust emissions, a SAMSON ecological hopper is also in place at the port. The eco hopper is the first of its kind in the UK and forms a key component of the new agri-bulk hub facility.

4 May 2022                           – ENDS –

The Western Harbour housing development in Leith has taken a significant step forward with the news that CCG Group, one of Scotland’s largest privately-owned construction and manufacturing companies, has committed to developing the first phase of a 938-home, ambitious development.

A total of 118 homes for private sale are set to be delivered with construction starting in summer 2022 and completion phased over the first six months of 2024. The homes will be a mix of one, two and three bedrooms, next to the Harbour Point & Gateway development by Forth Ports and Rettie & Co, completed in 2019, and will be released to the market by CCG’s own private housing company, CCG Homes Ltd.

The development is adjacent to the recently completed Victoria Primary School and Nursery and will benefit from the soon to completed Tram terminal.

Carole Cran, Chief Financial Officer of landowners Forth Ports Group, said:

“Today’s news marks an important next chapter in the development of Western Harbour and I am very pleased that CCG are bringing these much needed sustainably built homes to Leith. In parallel the Port of Leith is transitioning to be Scotland’s premier renewables hub, with new green jobs and skills, as we re-industrialise this historic and important part of Scotland.”

David Wylie, Managing Director of CCG Group, said:

“I am delighted that CCG has secured Western Harbour in what will be a fantastic new development of low carbon homes in Newhaven. The extent of regeneration in the district and the wider area of Granton is significant and we are playing a key role in its delivery with over 900 mixed-tenure homes set to be created to a low carbon or net zero standard over the next four years.

“The private housing arm of our group, CCG Homes, has very successfully sold over 200 homes in Glasgow & the west since 2019 so to be able to grow the company’s portfolio in the city of Edinburgh presents an exciting opportunity for CCG Homes and the wider Group and I look forward to works commencing on-site this summer.”

Matthew Benson, Director of Rettie & Co Limited said:

“It’s fantastic news that a developer of the strength and calibre of CCG is coming to Western Harbour. The homes they will deliver can only add to the quality of what is already a sought-after location.”

26 April 2022                                               – ends –

The Port of Tilbury have received an award from the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) for the collaborative role the port team played in supporting the Fire teams during a large and challenging fire at the grain terminal in July 2020.

The large fire had to be managed over a number of days and required firefighters to work collaboratively with port engineers and other advisors to monitor the scene and to minimise the impact the incident had on the grain site.

Commenting at the award presentation ECFRS Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Moira Bruin said: “This was one of the most challenging incidents our Service had faced in recent years. Resolving this incident successfully only happened because of the great partnership work, and despite being under pressure, we worked together to find innovative solutions. We wanted to recognise the support, ingenuity, bravery and open engagement of the grain terminal management and staff and were delighted to present them with this award and invite them to part of our own celebration event.”

The fire damaged the silo tower and some other equipment but no one was injured.

Major building works are well underway with construction of ten new giant metal grain silos now complete. The ten 30 metres tall silos have a total combined capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes. Work is now underway to replace the 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: “We are honoured to receive this award which recognises the collaborative role the team at the port played during this major incident at the grain terminal.

 “I am proud of how the team handled this situation as they worked closely with the Fire and Rescue Service during this difficult and challenging period. I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank not only the grain terminal team, but Essex County Fire and Rescue Service for its professional response and commitment both during and after the fire.

 “The terminal is a vital facility in the South-East of England and an essential part of the UK agricultural supply chain for imports and exports and we made sure that there was no interruption to our service throughout.”

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.

Once fully rebuilt, 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.

22 April 2022                       -ends-

Forth Ports welcomes it newest Operations Administrator to the Port of Grangemouth following her successful Kickstart traineeship. Louise Logan from Falkirk took part in a paid six-month traineeship last year which was part of the Government’s Kickstart work programme to help out-of-work 16 to 24 year-olds improve their career prospects, by learning new skills in a real working environment.

Before the Kickstart programme Louise was looking for a job after completing a college course and took up the Kickstart placement offer to boost her career opportunities. Following a successful six months, Louise was offered a permanent position as an Operations Administrator working at The Port of Grangemouth’s busy container terminal. Her new role includes ensuring that all the container traffic through the port flows as efficiently as possible, helping haulage drivers with their enquiries and ensuring the right containers get released to the correct customers.

Commenting on her new role Louise Logan said: “I have learned and gained experience in a field I had not previously considered while earning a full-time wage.  I have also been in contact with my work coach from DWP throughout the programme who has checked how I am getting on.  I am really pleased to have been offered a full-time role at the Port and I am really enjoying it.”

Michelle Primrose, Group HR Manager at Forth Ports said: “Our congratulations to Louise on her new full-time role with the container operations team following her successful Kickstart traineeship. During the pandemic it was not an easy time for young people looking to start a career and we saw the Kickstart scheme as an ideal way of developing the young workforce of the future.

“Forth Ports has a long and proud tradition of investing in young people including our apprenticeship programme which has trained and recruited almost a hundred apprentices across the Group covering engineering, operations, finance and Health & Safety, with many of those apprentices going on to have a fulfilling career in the Forth Ports business.”

Gill Jardine, Senior Customer Service Leader for DWP East Scotland said: “DWP are happy to hear that our partnership with Forth Ports has resulted in offering our young customer Louise Logan a permanent post following her successful Kickstart placement last year.”

Louise’s work coach at Falkirk Jobcentre, Anne Thomson, said: “I am so pleased for Louise. When she came to me last year she was looking for a role in hospitality or retail. Looking at Louise’s CV, I told her she had great qualifications and was selling herself short and should consider some admin roles. I worked with her to build her confidence and supported her to apply for the Forth Ports role. We got great feedback after her interview with Forth Ports and she was then offered a six month Kickstart placement. I am absolutely delighted to hear that she has now been offered a permanent post.” 

There are many career opportunities at Forth Ports across the Group. For more information go here: forthports.co.uk/careers

22 April 2022                                                                      Ends

The creation of a new Community Fund for Leith launches today (30 March 2022) to provide funding to support local projects in Leith with particular emphasis on projects including tackling isolation or loneliness, wellbeing or providing targeted education opportunities for young people.

The Leith Community Fund is a registered charity which has been established by Forth Ports Limited and The Leith Trust by way of a significant seed fund by Forth Ports of £250,000. The Fund is fully incorporated and now calls on charitable organisations in the Leith community to apply for funding for their work in the local Leith area.

As part of the launch the Leith Community Fund has also partnered with The Tilbury on the Thames Trust to deliver an employment programme called Attention to Logistics, aimed at ex-military or young people who have military parents. The key aim of this will be to provide training that leads to professional qualifications to help ex-military people into jobs. Detailed information on how to apply for this programme will be announced soon.

Commenting on the launch, Charles Hammond OBE, CEO of Forth Ports said: “Being headquartered in Leith, we are extremely proud to be part of the local community and a trustee of this new community fund. We see this as a great opportunity for Leith to make decisions on how money is spent in their own community. We hope the fund will support local work already underway in tackling isolation or loneliness, enhancing the local area or providing learning opportunities.

“We have seed funded this and we are keen that other businesses in the area support and contribute to this important community resource.

“The Fund’s partnership to deliver the Attention to Logistics employment programme can really help identify jobs and training that ex-military people need. We have seen this working effectively in Tilbury we hope that it will support people in Leith to find a route to employment through mentoring support and skills training.”

Announcing the launch, Sir Andrew Cubie CBE, Chair of The Leith Trust said: “I am delighted that today we are at last able formally to launch the Leith Community Fund. We in the Leith Trust have worked hard to bring the Fund into creation and we are indebted to Forth Ports Limited for their generous support in inaugurating the Fund, which I am sure will grow further in the near future. Leith is made up of many diverse communities and I am certain that the Fund will play an important part in linking those communities even more closely together, as we have sought to do in holding our Leith Conferences and overseeing the Leith Gives initiative.”

Edinburgh Northern & Leith MSP Ben MacPherson said: “As the local MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, I welcome the launch of this ‘Leith Community Fund’ by The Leith Trust and Forth Ports and commend them for creating it. It’s right and appreciated that a financial contribution from the successful operation of the port is going to be invested into local projects, on top of the excellent job opportunities that the port area provides in maritime, engineering and filmmaking roles. I hope other successful businesses in the area who can, will also consider donating to the fund, as a collaborative way of supporting others in our communities who need care or assistance. This fund will make a positive difference for the benefit of all of Leith, as we recover from the pandemic and get through these challenging times together.”

The Fund calls for applications from charitable bodies with a focus on the following:

• Education and the development of youth skills and training as well as programme for people of all ages;
• community development;
• financial hardship;
• Countering loneliness, isolation and mental health/wellbeing issues;
• Support further the relief of domestic violence

The Leith Community Trust is a registered charity in Scotland and will be governed by trustees from both The Leith Trust and Forth Ports. For more information on the Fund and how to apply for funding for a community project go to: https://leithcommunityfund.co.uk/

30 March 2022                                             – ends –

Following the launch today (25 March) of the 12-week Green Freeport bidding process by the UK and Scottish governments, local politicians have stepped up to strongly back Forth Ports Group’s plan to submit a compelling proposal for a Firth of Forth Green Freeport.

Its proposal has the potential to generate up to 50,000 new green jobs and act as a catalyst for new green technologies and renewable energy manufacturing which will make a significant contribution to the re-industrialisation of Scotland.

Building on Forth Ports’ 50 years of operation, the business plans to submit a bid that encompasses key ports, industrial facilities and logistics centres along the north and south shores of the Firth of Forth and at Edinburgh Airport to create a green investment zone.  Strategic locations include:

• The Port of Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest port and principal export hub (handling 30% of Scottish GDP) and its major petrochemical cluster
• The Port of Leith, where Forth Ports has initiated work on the nation’s largest offshore renewable energy hub alongside energy giant, bp and EnBW.
• The Port of Rosyth, the nation’s agri bulks hub, with capacity to expand and create new trade routes to continental Europe

Forth Ports is Scotland’s largest ports operator and owner of seven ports on the east coast of Scotland. It has formed a team of experts to drive forward a bid focused on harnessing the substantial industrial skills-base, natural capital, industrial assets, logistics and reputation for innovation to create a unique green investment zone.  It is confident that a Firth of Forth Green Freeport will encourage global companies to continue to choose Scotland as a place to invest at scale by taking advantage of the economic incentives offered to businesses establishing within a Green Freeport.

Forth Ports’ proposal is supported by Edinburgh City Council, Falkirk Council, Fife Council, local MSPs and MPs.  Charles Hammond OBE, Chief Executive of Forth Ports Group, said: “Now is the time for us to be bold, creating a green growth corridor the length of the Firth of Forth that will kickstart the re-industrialisation of Scotland’s Central Belt.

“It’s great to have the backing of our local politicians.  Our Firth of Forth Green Freeport will provide the essential platform for Scotland’s decarbonisation through the creation of a green growth investment corridor creating 50,000 new, high-quality jobs in renewable energy, manufacturing, sustainable fuels and construction.”

The company believes that the Firth of Forth Green Freeport will play a major role in Scotland’s economic recovery from Covid-19. It will also accelerate the country’s Just Transition to meet Net Zero targets by providing investment incentives to deliver greater inclusive growth centred on fair work practices.  Forth Ports is an accredited Real Living Wage Employer.

Michelle Thomson, SNP MSP for Falkirk East, said: “I welcome Forth Ports’ commitment to bringing a Green Freeport to the Firth of Forth.  Grangemouth presents a significant strategic and economic opportunity for a Green Freeport.  Combining that potential with the opportunities at Rosyth and Leith is an encouraging and ambitious proposal.

“This is an opportunity to do things differently, with a tailor-made Scottish approach.  Providing fair working opportunities, opening sustainable opportunities for innovation and boosting the economic prospects of our communities.  I trust that these proposals will benefit the communities, people and businesses of Grangemouth and beyond and look forward to seeing the detailed application.”

Douglas Chapman, SNP MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, said: “I’m encouraged that Forth Ports has confirmed it will submit a bid to establish a Green Freeport on the Firth of Forth, which will incorporate the Port of Rosyth.  This model is a bespoke solution for our nation, tailored to Scotland’s fair work commitments with guarantees of wide-reaching local community benefits and vital net zero targets.

 “It is welcome news that the company’s proposal for the site has the potential to expand and create new trade routes to continental Europe – a big boost for the campaign to re-establish the Rosyth ferry link into Zeebrugge.  If successful, this bid could assist the West Fife economy by generating a high number of jobs in key areas including green technologies and manufacturing as well as helping to secure a direct ferry link to important export markets for Scotland.”

Graham Simpson, Conservative MSP for Central Scotland, said: “I’m backing the bid for a Firth of Forth Green Freeport.  The plan will accelerate Scotland’s main industrial cluster’s path to a decarbonised future, with Grangemouth at the centre of sustainable fuel technology development.  Whether it’s driving forward green skills pathways for young adults, creating a renewables manufacturing footprint at Leith to rival the Tees or delivering a start-up business growth platform, the breadth and depth of Forth Ports’ plans are deeply impressive.”

25 March 2022                                                         -ends-