UK Ports 2020

UK PORTS ...looking to the future

Southampton Ipswich Lowestoft

King’s Lynn Teignmouth Plymouth

Grimsby Hull Immingham

Goole Silloth Barrow

Fleetwood Garston Cardiff

Swansea Barry Newport

KEEPING BRITAIN TRADING Our network of 21 ports provides access to international markets for UK manufacturers, driving trade and growth Supporting 119,000 jobs Generating £7.5 billion for the UK economy Investing £1 billion in the UK Handling around £150 billion worth of trade

Port Talbot Ayr Troon

Published in association with British Ports Association UK Major Ports Group by Compass Handbooks Limited

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November 2020 ISSN 2633-8777 Š2020 Compass Handbooks Ltd

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CONTENTS

Contents...

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Ministerial Foreword Robert Courts MP Chairmens Foreword Charles Hammond UKMPG Martin Lawlor BPA Introduction Ports play critical role in response to Covid-19

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Sustainability Greener ports, greener supply chains

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Innovation Collaborate to innovate

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Skills and people Getting the message across Ports as local and regional economic drivers Local support for national goals

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Corporate social responsibility Playing their part in the community

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Safety Journey to zero accidents

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Renewables/energy Energy support across the sectors

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Coastal shipping The answer to many problems

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Leisure/tourism/cruise Collaboration brings leisure and cruise gains Fishing Places of investment and innovation Contacts British Ports Association UK Major Ports Group Advertisers index

Ports as gateways to global trade Global cargo challenges at local level UK PORTS

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MINISTERIAL FOREWORD

Foreword by the Maritime Minister

Robert Courts MP Minister for Maritime

I am both delighted and proud to have been appointed to the role of Minister for Maritime and I look forward to working ever-closer with the Maritime sector over the weeks and months to come. Since taking up the Maritime Portfolio, I have been deeply impressed by the many great things the maritime sector has been doing to keep freight flowing during the Covid-19 crisis.

The Government is committed to maintaining and growing the UK’s position as a world maritime leader. Our thriving ports sector is central to this. Ports are the keystone of the global maritime and freight sector on which we all, as an island nation, depend. This leading role has been demonstrated yet again by the way the industry has responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, working around the clock to keep the nation fuelled, fed and supplied with vital goods.

But their contribution is much wider than serving as gateways for goods and passengers. Our ports support not just the national economy, but the employment, skills and opportunities that deliver prosperity for coastal communities all around the UK. They are well positioned to play a leading role in the recovery from the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Government set out a bold ambition for the maritime sector in its Maritime 2050 strategy, the first long-term strategy for maritime. It sets out our shared vision to prepare the industry for the challenges of the next three decades and beyond.

The breadth of work I have already seen gives me huge confidence that the sector is meeting the challenges that we set out in Maritime 2050. This Ports 2020 publication provides a great overview of the wide variety of activities that ports undertake and the roles that they play from the local to the global. It demonstrates the significant progress being made on the priorities in Maritime 2050.

But of course, we still have so much more to do. My focus will be on upgrading our infrastructure and embracing

new technology –the appetite is there to go further. Ports have a huge role to play.

This is a pivotal period for the UK. The role of the ports sector has never been more important. We will leave the EU’s Customs Union and single market by the end of the year, take back control of our borders, and begin to strike trade deals around the world. I know that preparing for Brexit had its challenges, but the UK ports sector has responded brilliantly.

There is more work to do through the rest of 2020 and into 2021, but that work is as much about ensuring we are ready to capture the opportunities of Brexit – such as Freeports – as preparing for new border arrangements.

Combatting climate change is an absolute imperative for both ports and Government. The year ahead will be crucial for the UK in addressing this global challenge, culminating in the UK hosting the UN’s flagship climate change conference, COP 26, in Glasgow in November 2021.

Ports and the maritime sector more generally already have an ambitious environmental strategy in the Clean Maritime Plan, which made the UK one of the first countries to publish a domestic action plan to reduce maritime emissions after the IMO’s international climate agreement in 2018. We all have much to do in the coming years to deliver on the goals of this Plan, and to set us on a course to meet our Net Zero commitment in 2050.

We have a dynamic, successful ports sector in the UK that we can all be proud of. The future of ports is based on shared ambition, knowledge and endeavour.

We know that the Government has its role to play, alongside industry, in realising the full potential of the sector. Let’s continue to work together, continue to be ambitious and through our ports and maritime sector build a better UK.

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PORT OF LONDON AUTHORITY Custodians of the Tidal Thames

CHAIRMENS FOREWORD

Foreword by the Chairmen

Charles Hammond UK Major Ports Group Chairman

Martin Lawlor British Ports Association Chairman

UK ports have been at the heart of the UK’s trading and transport infrastructure for thousands of years. Many of our great cities such as London, Glasgow, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol, Southampton and Cardiff owe their foundation to maritime trade.

Today, the UK’s ports sector finds itself at the heart of public discussions and debates, from trade to economic development and climate change. Policy makers and politicians are increasingly recognising what many in the sector have known for years – that one of our oldest industries holds the key to unlocking so many challenges facing the UK today.

Our 11,000 mile coastline boasts a large number of ports and harbours – the Government believes there are over 1,300 port facilities and over 450 harbour authorities supporting a maritime economy worth £46bn to the UK economy and providing one million jobs. Some of these ports and harbours are highly specialised in catering to a specific need, while others offer multi-purpose infrastructure.

They range from small centres of leisure and local fishing to huge lynchpins of global trade. But together they provide the foundation to so many critical and prosperous industries and are catalysts for investment and prosperity in the coastal communities that surround them.

The investment of the ports themselves runs into hundreds of millions every year to remain competitive and continue to meet the demands of port users and the economies that rely on them.

We are delighted to introduce this handbook as a comprehensive guide to our sector. We are proud of the UK’s world-class ports offerings and hope you find this handbook a useful companion in documenting the capabilities and characteristics of our flourishing industry.

We’ve been vital to the UK deep into history. We intend to make just as big a contribution for centuries to come.

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INTRODUCTION

Resilience, flexibility, preparedness and practicality underpin the response of the UK’s ports to Covid-19.

Ports play critical role in response to Covid-19 Summary n UK ports have demonstrated their resilience again during the Covid-19 crisis. n They have remained open and kept the country supplied during the pandemic. n The response has been swift, professional and practical to keep goods moving and colleagues safe. n The end of the UK’s transition from the EU Single Market provides additional challenges. n The UK’s ports can always be relied on to cope with disruption and to get on with the job.

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INTRODUCTION

As the Covid-19 crisis began to unfold, with all of its consequences for shipping, transport, trade and the entire supply chain, it became difficult to remember the time when the implications of Brexit dominated the agenda.

But at the heart of both situations, one truth endures: the UK’s ports provide the resilient bedrock for the UK’s economy and day-to-day wellbeing. Some 95% of the UK’s physical trade with the world arrives or departs by sea – and therefore through its ports. That trade includes imports of half the country’s food, as well as fuel, medicines and medical equipment, household goods, machinery and other essentials.

The pandemic has clearly illustrated the vital importance of keeping our ports open, to ensure that our shops, power stations, public services and businesses are supplied with what the country needs.

Once again, the vital role played by our entire maritime sector has become only too clear. Just as ports around the UK had been focusing on preparing for the challenges of Brexit, they have responded swiftly, professionally and practically in the face of Covid-19. There have been two equal priorities – protecting the health and wellbeing of colleagues and keeping British supply chains moving.

The UK’s ports are resilient and they are flexible. The sector has coped with large-scale upheaval before. Strong, well-prepared business continuity and crisis management plans have been brought into action and scaled up as necessary, and ports have been sharing

information and best practice in their response to the crisis.

New ways of working have been introduced to protect vulnerable employees and enable working from home wherever possible, while maximising social distancing for those key workers – from pilots and tug crews to stevedores and hauliers – who must be on site.

The UK Major Ports Group and the British Ports Association have worked tirelessly to support and advise their members, to coordinate with other stakeholders, and to communicate to Government the needs of the sector at this extremely challenging time.

Of course there have been particularly tough outcomes where cruise and passenger services were halted dramatically, and social distancing measures meant that lower volumes in fish handling, for example, were inevitable.

The focus must be on stronger and better times ahead.

Any major upheaval brings risks and challenges but this cannot obscure the very strong fundamentals that the UK ports sector is built upon, says Tim Morris, chief executive of the UKMPG. “The most important things the Government can do for the major ports sector are to recognise its critical role in essential supply chains and ensure that Government systems and agencies are sufficiently robust and resourced so that otherwise well-functioning ports continue to operate.”

Keeping the UK’s global gateways open for trade must be a priority, says Richard

“These are certainly unprecedented times but our ports can be relied on to cope with any disruption, and to get on with the job“ Richard Ballantyne, chief executive of the British Ports Association Ballantyne, chief executive of the BPA. “UK ports facilitate 95% of our trade and in terms of economic activities they support much more. The sector is instrumental in ensuring the country continues to be fed and resourced. The industry is generally supportive of the Government’s measures to bring the pandemic under control and continuing to ensure that goods can keep moving in all circumstances. However some ports and sectors have been impacted more than others so we have been working with the various parts of Government to stimulate a `bounce back’ to where the ports industry and the country needs to be.”

Just as with Brexit, the entire sector has been facing up to, and responding to, the challenge of uncertainty but, as Mr Ballantyne says: “These are certainly unprecedented times but our ports can be relied on to cope with any disruption, and to get on with the job.”

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Summary n Sustainability is firmly centre stage for the ports sector. n Ports will contribute to net zero UK, by improving their own operations and by encouraging low-emission maritime freight. n The drive for sustainability must extend through the supply chain by land and sea. n Ports will enable the push for zero emissions energy, including renewable electricity and alternative ship fuels.

Not so very long ago, being ‘green’ was something of an added extra, a ‘nice to have’ quality for ports. Not any longer.

With sustainability now firmly centre stage for the whole shipping industry, ports must also play their part in reducing carbon and protecting the environment.

Social media and generally increased public awareness mean that ports must not only do the right thing for the environment and their communities – but they must be seen to do the right thing.

Organisations such as AIVP, the worldwide network of port cities, pointed out – a port’s local ‘licence to operate’ and the reaction from residents and politicians to any future plans for expansion can depend upon issues such as air quality, noise or traffic congestion.

“Sustainability is a serious issue for ports and we’re determined to play a significant part in making sure Portsmouth continues to offers an environmentally sound facility and infrastructure, for both

When it comes to sustainability, ports can be part of the solution, rather than the issue.

our customers and the local community,” says Mike Sellers, port director at Portsmouth International Port. “As an industry we are part of the solution, rather than the issue, when it comes to sustainable transport.”

As a municipally owned operation, Portsmouth is a ‘smaller sized port that has big ambitions on sustainability’, he says. “We are moving towards sustainability and improved air quality, even in the shipping that we handle. We are one of the front-runners looking to become a zero-emission port. Definitely sustainability and air quality are top priorities for Portsmouth City Council.”

The Port of London Authority (PLA) was the first port in the UK to offer a discount for oceangoing vessels with lower emissions. When it was first introduced in 2017, the Green Tariff offered a 5% discount on port charges for ships with an ESI (Environmental Ship Index) score of 30 or above. This was doubled to 10%

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in 2019. From 2020, there has been a two-tier system, with a 20% discount applying to vessels with an ESI score of 50 or more.

“By increasingly raising the bar, we continue to provide an incentive for improvement,” says PLA chief executive Robin Mortimer. “With up to 50 ports globally now offering a ‘green’ discount, shipping lines with high ESI scores can really see a difference in terms of costs.”

The PLA was also the first port authority in the UK to deliver an Air Quality Strategy, setting clear targets for reducing emissions. Its environment manager, Tanya Ferry, was seconded to the Department for Transport (DfT) on a parttime basis to write guidance for all major English ports, to help them to deliver air

quality strategies required by the end of 2020 within the DfT’s Clean Maritime Plan.

And ports are delivering clear results – DP World London Gateway recently won an award for carbon reduction at The Planet Mark’s national awards. The Planet Mark noted that the port reduced its carbon emissions by 24.9% per TEU from 2017 to 2018, and also achieved carbon reductions of 18% during the construction of the multi-temperature CEVA Logistics warehouse at the London Gateway logistics park.

As the home of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), Orkney has test

“Sustainability is a serious issue for ports and we’re determined to play a significant part...”

Mike Sellers, port director Portsmouth International Port

Sustainability and air quality are top priorities for Portsmouth International Port.

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sites for wave and tidal devices – including incubator sites within the harbour area and full-scale sites just outside. Orkney also has a wide range of wind turbines owned across the range of individual, council, community and commercial operators.

“Between wind and tide, Orkney produces 125% of its energy needs and hence is challenged with how to store this,” says James Buck, Orkney Islands Council head of marine services, transportation and harbour master. “The solution is through hydrogen production.”

Supporting one in six jobs in the Invergordon area, the Port of Cromarty Firth has established itself as a principle facility for Scotland’s world-leading offshore renewable energy industry.

The port operates in one of the most protected areas in the country, with the Firth containing many Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs), a Special Area of Conservation and RAMSAR sites.

Every activity must take this sensitive

Below: The Port of Cromarty Firth won the Sustainability Award at the inaugural Maritime UK awards in 2019.

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environment into account, and the port’s activities range from ensuring the safe nesting of terns to supplying equipment for monitoring the Firth’s otter and dolphin populations.

‘Green’ infrastructure Portsmouth International Port’s ferry terminal, opened in 2011, was designed with the environment in mind and has a BREEAM rating of ‘very good’. It features the harvesting of rainwater to flush toilets, wind catchers on the roof to cool/heat the building and LED lighting.

A new linkspan installed at Berth 4 in 2018 benefited from European funding support due to its use of sustainable technology. Provided as part of the European Interreg 2 Seas Ports Energy and Carbon Savings project, the facility has soft-start electric motors, LED lighting and higher quality steel to increase longevity from 25 years to 35 years. “The berth gained €500,000 of Interreg funding towards the total £9 million investment, because it uses sustainable technology,” says Mike Sellers. “Energy use and energy cost have reduced when compared to the previous linkspan.”

The port is preparing to welcome Brittany Ferries’ Honfleur in 2021; the

The Port of Cromarty Firth operates in one of the most protected areas in the country, with the Firth containing many SSSIs and SPAs, a Special Area of Conservation and RAMSAR sites. Every activity must take this sensitive environment into account first passenger ferry operating in the Channel to call in the UK that is powered

by LNG, she will be joined by two more similar ferries by 2023.

Around the port, there has been investment in smart LED lighting, reducing energy use for lighting by around 60%.

Solar panels have been installed on most of the warehousing and the port will install more solar panels on the site in the next few months, to generate another 1MW of renewable energy. Plans have also been submitted for a landside wind turbine and

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the port was successful in receiving funding to install the latest air quality monitoring technology, so the effects of the green investment can be assessed.

Portico, which operates the cargo terminal at the port, has invested in a fleet of electric forklift trucks.

The port’s multi million pound berth extension has been completed and next steps are to make it shore power ready.

This will be complemented by the arrival of a 20-foot container-sized battery that can charge four electric cars simultaneously. The battery is the centrepiece of the cutting-edge Port Energy Systems Optimisation (PESO) project, demonstrating how a port can operate as a smart energy network.

“The city council has committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 and we are committing the same on the landside of the port,” says Mr Sellers. “The council is very conscious of the environment it is in, as well as the profit the port makes.”

In Orkney, Mr Buck says: “Scapa Flow is the world’s second largest natural harbour and its waters are pristine – clean enough to enable merchant ships to produce potable water in harbour – despite it being an oil port and the main North European site for ship-to-ship

operations. Our marine biologists test the beaches and water on a continuous basis – they have a world reputation for testing for non-native species in ballast water.

The harbour procedures for ballast water are the most rigorous in the UK – testing and pre-arrival exchange and treatment in order to protect the numerous marine protected areas and the Natura site at the Loch of Stenness.”

In a project known as ‘Surf N Turf’, an electrolyser on Kirkwall Pier converts hydrogen produced in Orkney from wind/ tide back into electricity, to provide shore power to internal ferries while they are berthed overnight. In the Big Hit project, hydrogen produced on the outer islands is brought to Kirkwall Harbour to supply a hydrogen vehicle refuelling station.

Recent van purchases have been electric vehicles, and the harbour now has access to council-owned hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Orkney also has the world’s largest floating tidal turbine (2MW) and the world’s most productive wave energy machine.

Meanwhile, the world’s first major ship-to-ship transfer of LNG took place at Scapa Flow on Orkney and the council is working with partners Exxon, Bernhard Schulte, Babcock and Calor in a project

Freight by water The official opening of Peruvian Wharf, on the River Thames, in 2019 was the culmination of a 17-year planning and legal battle by the Port of London Authority (PLA), which finally was able to acquire the site for £3 million in order to bring it back into use.

Peruvian Wharf, now being used

by Brett Aggregates, is an important success within the Mayor of London’s ‘safeguarding’ policy, which protects 50 strategically placed wharfs for cargo handling, ensuring they do not get swallowed up by housing developments. It is also a key part of an ongoing PLA campaign which has seen hundreds of thousands of tonnes of freight shift from road to river in recent years.

The PLA’s Thames Vision set a target of 4 million tonnes of freight per year to be carried by river; that target has almost been met already, and the totals do not include major infrastructure projects such as the Tideway “super sewer” being excavated underneath London.

While the river provides a clear environmental benefit (compared with road) for moving freight, the PLA is also focused on sustainability and environmental improvements across the whole port operation. Is also considering the introduction of a ‘Green Tariff’ discount scheme for intra-port traffic.

During London International Shipping Week in 2019, the PLA held a ‘Greening Inland Shipping’ conference, which discussed new fuels and technologies to reduce emissions from inland vessels, along with the economics, finances, drivers for innovation and a range of solutions and case studies.

In 2019, the PLA took delivery of the Leader, the UK’s first hybrid pilot cutter. The authority has launched a roadmap exercise with sustainable energy consultant E4tech, and it is part of the Cross River Partnership which has been granted £500,000 from the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund to retrofit 11 river vessels with the aim of cutting their emissions by up to 90%.

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Below: The Port of Cromarty Firth – following the UN sustainability framework.

(Caledonia LNG) to develop Scotland’s first LNG bunkering hub. “LNG is seen as the transition fuel to zero carbon for larger ships – 30% of cruise ships under construction will be LNG fuelled, and Orkney is the UK’s busiest cruise destination, with 170 ships in 2019,” says Mr Buck.

Within the port, lighting has been replaced with LED, there are several heat pump projects for shore buildings, with heat exchangers in the harbour waters, and an electric bus charging point is installed at Stromness Pier.

A 1.5MW system is under construction at Stromness to provide shore electricity to the Hamnavoe Stromness-Scrabster ro-ro ferry while it is berthed – this will cut fuel consumption by the equivalent of 860 diesel cars and eliminate noise.

Piers at Stromness, Kirkwall and Lyness are being built and/or extended to provide more facilities for the deployment and maintenance of marine renewable energy devices.

Orkney’s marine and ferry services are members of the EU Horizon 2020 HYDIME project, a hydrogen ferry consortium set up to test a hydrogen marine power plant; if successful, the project will lead to the construction of a hydrogen ro-ro ferry for trials and use in Orkney, with Scottish Government funding.

The Port of Cromarty Firth won the Sustainability Award at the inaugural Maritime UK Awards in 2019, with judges praising the port’s ‘exceptional true commitment to sustainability’, creating

long-term value by taking into consideration how a business operates in the economic, ecological and social environment.

“The Port of Cromarty Firth is driven to develop, improve and safeguard the Firth for the benefit of all stakeholders,” says Bob Buskie, chief executive.

Priding itself on its economic, social and environmental credentials, the port follows the UN sustainability framework, which has resulted in a doubling of its headcount, turnover and profit while also delivering widespread community engagement programmes and environmental initiatives.

A £31 million quayside expansion is under way and a £10 million contract from the 950MW Moray East Offshore Wind Farm will provide a sustainable future for the supply chain and local employees, says the port authority. “The recent development of a renewable energy cluster within the north of Scotland will significantly benefit the local and regional economy and generate further training, innovation and inward investment.”

The port authority holds regular port user and community group forums, gives talks to schools to help educate the future workforce, runs a community sponsorship programme, and helps local unemployed people and ex-offenders to prepare for the job market.

Electric vehicles DP World London Gateway uses electric or hybrid vehicles where possible and has partnered with Kalmar to trial the first ever fully electric shuttle carrier – which charges in just six minutes. It also has a policy that all new warehouses built in the London Gateway Logistics Park produce minimal carbon emissions, during construction and tthroughout their operational life.

Other commitments to sustainability include installing solar panels on terminal tractors, scrapping single-use plastic and working with the PLA on in-river litter collectors.

Through the Oceans Together Forum, a taskforce of Essex-based businesses set up in 2018, DP World London Gateway is working with suppliers across a range of industries, from car manufacturing to food producers, to eradicate single-use plastics from the supply chain. “This is a goal that we share with retailers and can work together to achieve, while benefiting from the medium and long-term cost savings this creates. Even the small act of swapping out plastic seat covers for reusable fabric ones has saved one of our partners, an independent car garage, money in the medium-long term, says DP World London Gateway. The project achieved an overall reduction of 12,800 kg of single-use plastic in its first year.

“DP World London Gateway has been designed and built to ensure that supply chains are better for the environment. An automated port built on the same site as sustainably built warehouses, both located a short drive from one of Western Europe’s most densely populated consumer areas, enables retailers to reduce their carbon footprint. This set up and geographical positioning offers huge environmental benefits,” says DP World.

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Ports are working with tech specialists, IT experts and academics in their quest for new solutions.

Collaborate to innovate Below: OHT Albatross GMS Evolution arrival at the Port of Blyth, one of the ports involved in the Smart Port North East Testbed.

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Summary n Ports are embracing a wide range of innovative technologies and ways of working. n Collaboration amongst ports and with customers and partners is playing a key role in addition to ports’ own projects. n Digitalisation and augumented decision making are key themes, demonstrating how innovation can drive benefits in operations and customer service. n Innovation also has a very important role to play in increasing sustainability. n The Covid-19 crisis has created an ‘accelerated evolution’ in innovation.

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Revolution or evolution? The answer is both. Digitalisation, smart ports, autonomous shipping, remote-control cranes and driverless equipment, drones, AI, blockchain, tracking and tracing – ports are changing already, and far more change is coming.

Where ports might once have been seen as a ‘traditional’ industry, now it is clear – those that do not embrace the future risk being left behind. Increasingly, ports are now inviting ‘outsiders’ in.

Across the sector, ports are working with technology specialists, IT experts and academics, in their quest to use new and emerging technologies to drive efficiency, reduce costs, track cargo, improve security and deliver sustainability improvements.

Significantly, ports that have always been competitors can be found working together, setting aside their commercial interests and recognising that much more can be achieved through collaboration.

Innovation requires the ability to collaborate and share ideas with other people, says Matt Beeton, chief executive officer at Port of Tyne.

The north-east England port is leading the UK’s first 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub, a collaboration of more than 40 companies and organisations from maritime logistics, technology and academia.

The Innovation Hub ties in with the Government’s Maritime 2050 Strategy; it is working closely with the Department for Transport and Maritime Research & Innovation UK (MarRI-UK), the national initiative set up in line with the Government’s Industrial Strategy. PD Ports is one of the partners, along with Nissan, Connected Places Catapult, Accenture, Royal HaskoningDHV and Ubisoft.

The partners will collaborate to develop solutions to technology challenges in the maritime and wider logistics sector; the

Ports that have always been competitors can be found working together, setting aside their commercial interests and recognising that much more can be achieved through collaboration hub will act as a catalyst for sharing ideas, harnessing research and development, advancing technology and tackling shared issues.

Tyne is also one of five ports in northeast England which are collaborating in the Smart Port North East Testbed, a programme which is piloting smart digital initiatives to boost trade and foster economic growth.

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Tyne is also one of five ports in north-east England which are collaborating in the Smart Port North East Testbed, a programme which is piloting smart digital initiatives to boost trade and foster economic growth This project is being led by consultants Urban Foresight, and will test satellitebased solutions to enable ports to become more ‘intelligent’. The other ports involved in the Testbed are Berwick, Blyth, Sunderland and Tees.

The results of the 2050 Innovation Hub will help ports and the global supply chain apply new technology to optimise efficiencies and improve competitiveness, says the Port of Tyne’s Mr Beeton: “I’m really proud of the work taking shape in the 2050 Innovation Hub and delighted that so many industry partners are joining forces to develop new models of knowledge exchange and open innovation.”

Within the project, a technology event attended by 70 delegates created a project plan aimed at improving berth utilisation and cargo capabilities. This set the scene for an Innovation Hub Hackathon which brought together tech partners, coders, developers, programmers and app builders, to develop software solutions to optimise cargo capabilities at ports and in the supply chain.

The Port of Tyne is leading the UK’s first 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub.

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Thought-leadership conferences, ‘innovation sprints’, design thinking and digital showcases are all part of the programme planned by the Innovation Hub, as it considers the development and impact of autonomous systems, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), robotics, smart sensors, the Internet of Things, big data analytics, drones, biometrics and 3D printing.

In the area of automation and real-time information, the partners are working towards a standardised platform to maximise efficiencies from data and advance collaboration; opportunity areas for automation for safety and efficiency include autonomous vessels, quayside crane operations, environmental monitoring, autonomous and remote assistance pilotage, and freight loading and unloading.

A regional distribution centre project centres on the evaluation and development of a ‘smart’ environmentally friendly consolidation centre for urban areas.

Another project is focusing on predictive safety and environmental impact modelling. The Port of Tyne is aiming to become a zero-harm, sustainable and resilient port by 2030 via this project, which will use data to understand the impact of decisions before they are implemented, to create a safer, cleaner workplace, comply with regulations, reduce cost and support stakeholders.

As well as ‘outsiders’, ports are finding inspiration from within. DP World London Gateway says it aims to ‘create a culture of innovation’ to encourage its teams to come up with ideas to improve operations and keep trade moving. “We’re investing in their ideas, and developing disruptive technologies and digital innovation,” says the port operator.

For example, engineer Brad Biggars has been using a 3D printer to print small parts to maintain port equipment; the success of this approach in terms of saving time has led to the decision to

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invest in a larger 3D printer to make greater use of the technology.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old engineering apprentice Rachel Conquest designed and built an innovative safety platform to help those working on quay cranes.

Named ‘The Conquest’, the secure demountable platform has two walkways and safety handrails and allows engineers to work on top of a spreader with access from both sides. Incorporating twistlock fittings to lock directly onto the corner castings of the spreader, it is designed to reduce the risk of a fall from height. After introducing the platform at London Gateway, DP World is rolling out the design across its terminals.

In November 2019, DP World was the winner in the product innovation category of the Global Freight Awards, for the development of its Leading Hand Tablet (LHT). This device optimises loading/ unloading by cranes, by enabling the crane driver in the cab to communicate with the leading hand who is on the vessel to ensure the safe and correct loading and discharging of containers. Built by DP World Southampton, the LHT took the latest handheld wireless device and repurposed it for the most demanding and tough environments.

“When loading and discharging a container ship, the ‘terminal landscape’ is

constantly changing, minute by minute,” says DP World. “It sounds behind the times, but paper-based processes and analogue radio communication are still commonplace.”

Previously, at DP World Southampton, leading hands had to use paper crane work lists and bay plans which were out of date as soon as they were printed. Any changes that the leading hand had to make would have to be written down and communicated back and forth over the radio. “Working in all weathers, day and

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Magical cruising grounds just a stone’s throw from France

To visiting vessels, the Bailiwick of Guernsey contains quite simply a truly unique and delightful set of cruising grounds. Thousands of British and European sailors descend on the waters around Guernsey, Alderney, Herm and Sark each year, tempted by its culture, plentiful sunshine, and stunning beaches.

For sailors making their initial crossing to Guernsey, the English Channel at first glance, can seems a daunting prospect. However, with proper passage planning and vigilance in the shipping lanes, the distances involved are not as great as you think, and there is a dedicated visitor’s marina and facilities at the heart of St Peter Port’s seafront.

Guernsey Harbours enables 99% of commercial goods and essential supplies to be imported into Guernsey. We also help visitors and locals get on and off the island via passenger and car ferry services to and from the Bailiwick, Jersey, the UK and France.

For full information go to www.harbours.gg

I nno v ation

night, the paperwork could be damaged, illegible, confusing, weather worn, late or lost.”

DP World’s IT experts built a program that gives leading hands live data and autonomy to make onsite decisions. This improves productivity and drives down costs, says the port operator. The leading hand can pick which vessel and what area on the ship to work. They can then pick which bay on the vessel to work and interact to confirm container positions.

The LHT continually receives updates from the Terminal Operating System (TOS), while juggling between 4G and wifi connections, and the tablet can be used in the most extreme rain and during the day or night.

Since the LHT was introduced towards the end of 2018, DP World Southampton’s quay crane move rate has increased, leading directly to a shorter time alongside for ships. The system also protects against mis-shipments and mis-stowed boxes. It is being rolled out around the DP World group.

The LHT also links into DP World’s ‘Where’s my container’ website, an innovation which gives shippers visibility of their cargo.

“Our port users can track their cargo in real time using our ‘Where’s my container’

app and we are developing technology that will provide more visibility at each point of the supply chain, offering them the ability to track their cargo in the same way that their customers track their online orders, and to respond as necessary,” says DP World.

The app’s advanced features enable users to plan, adapt and react quickly to any disruption or changing customer demands throughout the supply chain.

In North East Scotland, Peterhead Port has been earmarked as a UK hub to facilitate carbon capture and storage.

The ACT Acorn project initially envisages capturing CO2 directly from the St Fergus site and sending it offshore via existing pipelines due for decommissioning, for storage at the depleted Goldeneye reservoir under the North Sea. Later on, the project is looking at the potential to import large volumes of CO2 (captured and exported from industrial centres elsewhere) through the port, as part of an integrated CO2 transport and storage service.

Peterhead Port Authority is one of the members of the NECCUS alliance (North East Carbon Capture Usage and Storage) that is seeking to promote a Scottish cluster to capture and store C02 from industrial centres around the UK.

In North East Scotland, Peterhead Port has been earmarked as a UK hub to facilitate carbon capture and storage Progress is not always linear and can be spurred by unexpected interventions.

As we survey the innovation seascape for ports in mid-2020, the UK’s port operators have seen innovation trends such as digitalisation, cross supply chain visibility and greater agility suddenly boosted by the urgent requirements of first responding to and then working with Covid-19. A significant accelerated evolution has occurred in the way the industry works, boosting efficiency, service and sustainability and creating a stronger platform for long-term success.

Below: Peterhead Port Authority is one of the members of the NECCUS alliance (North East Carbon Capture Usage and Storage).

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School visits, work experience and new training programmes are all key to providing the skilled people needed in ports.

Getting the message across Summary n Port workers are key workers and their resilience during the Covid-19 crisis has ensured borders are open and essential goods continue to flow into the country. n The ports sector is working together to showcase the various exciting career opportunities available, particularly to those who may not have considered a job at a port before. n The industry safety and training body, Port Skills and Safety, continues to provide

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qualification and apprenticeship frameworks that are fit for industry, as well as driving the skills agenda and establishing common industry standards. n The sector welcomes Maritime UK’s Diversity in Maritime programme which has been launched to ensure the sector has a continuous pipeline of highly skilled and diverse people. n It is hoped that new roles, new technologies and a changing image of the sector will help draw in people from all backgrounds.

Above: An energy inspection at the Port of Milford Haven. Maritime UK’s ‘Maritime and Me’ campaign promotes women working across the sector.

The resilience shown by ports during the Covid-19 crisis would not have been possible without the key workers who have helped to keep borders open and essential goods flowing into the country.

But how can ports ensure that they have the skilled, trained and enthusiastic workforce they need to thrive? In common with the whole of the maritime sector, the ports industry faces significant challenges in terms of recruitment, retention and training. An ageing workforce makes those challenges all the more urgent – and, at the same time, ports are trying to anticipate and plan for some very different skill sets that will be required in the future.

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The hard truth is that most young people considering their future career simply don’t put maritime high up on their list of ‘things I would like to do’ – the chances are, it isn’t there at all.

The ports industry is working collectively and individually to attract more young people into the sector. There are numerous examples of innovative projects designed to raise awareness of the career opportunities available, from school visits to work experience. At the same time, ports have stepped up their training programmes considerably in recent years, including through apprenticeships and in partnerships with colleges and universities.

“We are no longer surprised by the unprecedented number of people that don’t have the industry on their radar and have no idea of the opportunities, particularly more young people,” says Kirsten Donkin, head of PR, marketing and communications at PD Ports.

PD Ports was one of the two founding members of the High Tide Foundation, a charity set up seven years ago to open the door to industry and offer meaningful career experiences to young people across the Tees Valley. “High Tide was set

“We know there are many classrooms full of young people that need support “We know there are and motivation, visible role models and classrooms full of young access to opportunities on their doorstep.

We also know that pupils that receive four people that need support or more meaningful industry engagements and motivation, visible before they are 16 are 86 per cent less role models and access likely to be unemployed or not in education; this is a key driver for us.” to opportunities on their Maritime UK is at the forefront of the doorstep” drive for recruitment and skills and has launched a range of initiatives over the Kirsten Donkin, head of PR, past two years. The aim is twofold – marketing & communications raising the profile of the maritime sector at PD Ports. and the career opportunities on offer, and working to ensure that the industry has access to the right people with the right skills, now and in the future. up as an independent charity to do two In 2019, Maritime UK launched a new things,” says Mrs Donkin: “To showcase national Maritime Careers campaign. the incredible, exciting and diverse Supported by an initial £250,000 from maritime career opportunities to young the Department for Transport (DfT) and people across the Tees Valley and to launched in response to recommendaraise their confidence, aspirations and ambitions. We need to change the opinion tions within the Government’s Maritime 2050 strategy, the campaign will promote that to get on, you need to get out. career opportunities across the whole of “We do this by getting students out the maritime sector – including shipping, of the classroom and into businesses ports, engineering, services and leisure. It through our meaningful work experience will be building on the work initiated by the and industry-led cadetships – linking Maritime UK Careers Promotion Forum, a careers with the curriculum.

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Partnership with education

grouping of industry bodies.

Maritime UK also launched a ‘Maritime and Me’ campaign, working with the DfT and the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers – this campaign will feature a range of case studies of women working across the sector, as it works to encourage girls and women to consider a career in maritime.

Why Shipping Matters The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers created its ‘Why Shipping Matters: An Introduction for Schools’ programme to give children an insight into the maritime world. The programme has been taken up by Shoreham Port, which has started to roll out the programme to schools in Sussex.

“Highlighting the importance of the maritime sector and generating interest and excitement around all things maritime from a young age is really important to Shoreham Port,” says Nicky Goldsbrough, director of corporate services at Shoreham Port.

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young people more curious and aware of the maritime sector, she says. “We have championed this from the start and were the first port outside of its launch in London to tailor the resources and start rolling out. This is important to us because we have identified that we need to be encouraging more young people into the maritime sector and into Shoreham Port.

We have an ageing workforce, so this is one of the ways we are tackling that, to build a stronger pipeline of talent.”

The tailored lessons are multidisciplinary, linking to geography, history, maths, English, science, art and PE on the national curriculum, she explains. As well as the port-specific learning, the topics include trade and commodities; import, export and global trade; vessels and the cargoes they carry; navigation and technology; and a letter to a ship and other creative writing.

At Shoreham, seven scripts have been written for short video clips; these feature characters of historical significance, such as a smuggler, soldier and captain, with port staff and local stakeholders taking on

In 2019, the Port of Blyth and Newcastle College announced a new partnership designed to bridge the skills gap and open career opportunities for young people in the region the acting.

The programme culminates in a port tour and boat trip for pupils, who see behind the scenes and ‘really get’ what happens in the port, says Ms Goldsbrough.

Shoreham has also been very involved in the Women in Maritime Taskforce and was the first port to receive charter certification, in May 2019.

“We are working through an ambitious action plan to tackle gender diversity, within Shoreham Port and within the

S kills A N D people The Port of Blyth’s unique £1m wind turbine training facility will offer a range of ‘real world’ training opportunities to the offshore wind sector.

Partnerships between industry and education are recognised as particularly important in ensuring the right skills are available for the sector. The Port of Blyth has its own well-established training arm, Port Training Services (PTS). As well as providing its own staff with training and development opportunities, PTS provides training for clients from across the sector and it is at the forefront of the delivery of Port Operative apprenticeships and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs).

In 2019, the Port of Blyth and Newcastle College announced a new partnership designed to bridge the skills gap and open career opportunities for young people in the region. The partnership is now into its second year of delivering the innovative Level 3 Diploma in Offshore Renewables & Subsea Engineering from PTS’ facilities in Blyth, with the course’s first cohort of 36 students now approaching the end of their studies.

Newcastle College’s Energy Academy, opened in 2012, has already trained more than 1,200 technicians and engineers at its site in Wallsend; the partnership with PTS has extended that provision further into the region, combining the Energy Academy’s technical expertise with the industry knowledge and working environment of PTS. Meanwhile, the Port of Blyth, through PTS, has recently installed a bespoke wind turbine training facility at its Bates

terminal, as part of a £1 million investment in training provision for the offshore energy sector.

The Blyth STEM Hub delivers STEM (science, technology engineering and maths) activities and support to schools and business in Blyth and surrounding areas. Launched in 2017, the Hub now routinely delivers a huge range of training opportunities in partnership with a network of schools in the area and in 2019 saw 2,000 young people pass through the doors of its permanent base in the Port Training Centre. In addition, more than 100 teachers from local schools benefited from six CPD training days.

Alongside these projects, the port has furthered its partnerships with local colleges and universities through several projects. “With the STEM Hub, the Newcastle College programme for school leavers and Newcastle University based on site, we are now actively involved in skills development from primary school all the way through to master’s level,” says Tom Chaplin, the Port of Blyth’s PR and communications manager.

Primary school age features in PD Ports’ efforts too; in the Teesport Explorers programme, children from Key Stage 1 and upwards visit Teesport, meet people working there and learn more about the jobs and industry located on the River Tees. The benefits are both ways: as PD Ports says: “Research tells us that the

sector as a whole. At the port we have set targets for growth and how we want to become more diverse as an organisation and we are working towards these. We are going to introduce unconscious bias training this year for our colleagues and we are also looking closely at the language we use.”

Every job description and job advert goes through a gender decoder before it is released, says Ms Goldsbrough, to ensure that the job is attractive and relevant to both women and men.

their potential,” says Forth Ports learning and development manager Cathy Ilett.

“Our early career programmes, including an extensive suite of Modern Apprenticeships and graduate level apprenticeships supported by further education programmes, ensure that we are building the necessary pipelines of talent to secure the business of the future through succession, the necessary skills and capabilities in a changing industry and our ongoing growth. We also run programmes to build skills in the community, such as our veterans programme.”

Forth Ports, which operates the Port of Tilbury and seven ports in Scotland including Grangemouth, Leith, Rosyth and Dundee, has more than 1,000 full-time equivalent employees.

The group has invested in a bespoke Academy at the Port of Tilbury and built a Skills and Business Centre in Grangemouth. Training provided for employees includes corporate and local inductions, compliance and health and safety training, technical and professional skills, and management and leadership

End-to-end employment lifecycle From Modern Apprenticeships to Schools Discovery Weeks, Forth Ports Group says its end-to-end employment lifecycle of training and skills development programmes and opportunities ensures that it has the skills needed today as well as developing the skills that will be needed in the future.

“We seek to be a good practice employer and support all of our employees to develop skills and capabilities to enable them to maximise

more children know about the wider world and their place in it, the better they will achieve at school and in later life.”

Among its other initiatives, PD Ports was integral to the establishment of the Tees Valley Logistics Academy, which was launched by Stockton Riverside College alongside Think Logistics and the national charity Career Ready. The academy is managed through a local advisory board with members drawn from PD Ports, the college, logistics companies, retailers and manufacturers using logistics services, and local authorities.

“We understand that the maritime and logistics industry can be misunderstood at best and, at worst, invisible. A huge challenge we face is the lack of understanding as to the variety of roles available as well as the accessibility of those roles to both men and women, especially in operational areas like engineering. This remains a key focus for the existence of High Tide and the Tees Valley Logistics Academy,” says Mrs Donkin. “We support the academy with representatives acting as mentors to the young people on the programme on a one-to-one basis and delivering in-class talks to hundreds of students about careers in logistics. We also offer internships and apprenticeships to the academy’s students. Since the academy began, PD Ports has offered four young people direct employment following their completion of the programme.”

Value and respect Of course, recruiting the right people is only one part of the challenge.

Retaining them is another – and that depends greatly on employees feeling valued and respected.

When Ports of Jersey embarked on a complete restructure of all its employees’ pay, terms and conditions, it didn’t call in external specialists, but took a unique approach – launching a programme of engagement and empowerment across all teams and levels, to help design the future reward structure.

“We basically got our employees to design their employment contracts. We undertook so much engagement that it only took a couple of months to achieve,” says Hannah Gleave, head of human resources at Ports of Jersey.

The reasons for such wholesale change went back to 2015, when Ports of Jersey Ltd was incorporated and all 350 employees across sea and air port operations were transferred from the continued overleaf

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PROUDLY INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION AT PD PORTS WE RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANT ROLE OUR BUSINESS PLAYS WITHIN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND ACTIVELY USE OUR PLATFORM TO ENCOURAGE AND INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION. We offer meaningful career experiences for

For more information about how we are

young people through our own programmes

inspiring the next generation, please contact

like the Teesport Explorers, and through our

our marketing and communications team.

work with local charities and

T: 01642 877000

initiatives such as the High Tide Foundation

E: communications@pdports.co.uk

and the Tees Valley Logistics Academy.

W: www.pdports.co.uk

S kills A N D people Below: A partnership between the Port of Blyth and Newcastle College has created the Offshore Renewables & Subsea Engineering Diploma designed to support entrants into the offshore energy industry and help with the skills shortage in the sector. The course’s first cohort are seen here.

“Employee development is key to the way we do our business, ensuring our organisation has the long term skills, professional competence and leadership necessary” Cathy Ilet, Forth Ports development programmes. “We work with local colleges, universities, training suppliers and professional bodies to develop skills programmes that are aligned to accredited standards and industry requirements,” says Ms Ilett.

“Our Schools Discovery Weeks and placements that are recognised at Scottish National 4/5 level within the curriculum, along with our undergraduate internship programmes, provide opportunities for young people to explore the world of work and develop the skills, understanding and confidence to support their ongoing career choices and development. To further enable this objective, we support the Career Ready programme as part of the Developing the Young Workforces Initiative.”

Forth Ports encourages and supports employees in becoming governors in local schools, she adds: “This connects the local education providers with port resources so they can advise on careers and provide work experience and training, developing a very strong commitment to increasing community engagement and pride.”

Forth Ports is the only recognised provider for the Port Operations Modern Apprenticeship in Scotland. It recently partnered with CalMac Ferries to support the training of new Port Operator apprentices and is currently exploring how it might best support the Port Operations Trailblazer.

“We also support skills and training within the community to promote the logistics industry and enable wider local skills development through the Department of Works and Pensions, focusing on tailormade Work Ready Programmes,” says Ms Ilett. “Building on this success, we now have a Technology Suite housing two simulators that are used to reskill or upskill veterans into work through the Tilbury on the Thames Trust and to develop in-house plant operation skills.”

The Port of Tilbury purchased a Vortex Simulator specifically for its Attention to Logistics retraining programme aimed at veterans. This 13-screen, 270-degreeview simulator includes ship-to-shore and straddle carrier training packs, providing trainees with valuable experience that prepares them for operating in the real terminal environment.

Forth Ports says it actively encourages skills and career development through annual reviews, career management and succession processes. “For us, employee development is considered key to the way we do our business through ensuring our organisation has the long-term skills, professional competence and leadership necessary to achieve its ambitions for the future.”

previous local Government-run entity. “We inherited six different sets of pay, terms and conditions; this was hugely divisive and unfair and made team working very difficult, particularly when unexpected events occurred and colleagues needed to work late into the night whilst being paid different overtime rates and working dissimilar contractual working hours,” explains Ms Gleave. “We needed to create a new reward structure that would support our strategic objectives to support commercial activities and deliver improved value for the island’s taxpayers, citizens and visitors. We needed to provide employee working conditions that would be fair, meet discrimination legislation, provide flexibility and enable future pay progression linked to contribution, effort and efficiency.”

The end result was a reduction in the number of salary bands from 43 to seven, as well as streamlining of shift allowances, overtime payments, contractual working hours, leave entitlement and sickness leave.

Ports of Jersey won the award for ‘Best Reward and Recognition Initiative’ from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) for the project, which was completed in 2018.

“Under the older system, there was a high chance of discrimination. For example, if several people were called in at 3am, some might be on double time and others on time-and-a-half. There were so many barriers to people working well together,” says Ms Gleave. “We also made sure that our new reward structure properly recognised the value of working difficult hours. We invited employees to join focus groups to discuss best practice, how we ‘do things now’, how other organisations ‘do things’ and what we would like to do in the future. The focus groups provided their recommendations to a central reward development group. In short, we listened to what our employees wanted.”

Champions drive initiatives PD Ports consults its employees on safety and environmental issues: “We have in-house groups of safety and environmental champions who drive our initiatives. This is all about behavioural safety and our culture of inclusivity in decision-making,” says Kirsten Donkin.

“We also have an in-house scheme called ‘Find It. Fund It.’, where we actively encourage and empower our employees to give back to the local community. The scheme provides financial support for sustainable projects that our employees or their relatives are involved with. We contribute over £40,000 each year to these causes.”

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P orts as local and re g ional economic dri v ers

Right: Eyemouth plays host to more than 400 yachts each year.

UK ports are powering the development of their surrounding environment.

Local support for national goals Summary n Ports are crucial drivers of prosperity and economic growth of coastal communities – through employment, attracting business and visitor spending and through the products and services they buy locally. n The port’s role as an economic hub in its own right means it can be a base for a whole range of businesses which boost employment to levels many times that of the port operator itself. n Ensuring that ports have the right surrounding infrastructure – such as road and rail links – is vital to maximising the economic benefits a port can bring. n A planning regime which supports high quality, sustainable development and is flexible enough to capture new opportunities is also critical. n Key to delivering many of these benefits and enablers is partnership between ports and others such as Government at all levels, development bodies and communities.

The UK ports industry contributes £9.7 billion of direct value annually to the national economy, according to research commissioned by the British Ports Association (BPA) and UK Major Ports Group (UKMPG). A Centre for Economics & Business Research (CEBR) paper published in 2019 calculates that the UK ports industry helps to support a total of £28.7 billion of gross value added (GVA), meaning that for £1 in GVA directly contributed by the ports industry, a further £2.97 in GVA is stimulated across the wider UK economy.

This national standing is founded on local and regional drivers, with UK ports powering the development of their surroundings hinterlands. UK harbours play a key role in supporting local businesses and organisations – whether 6 8 I I U KU PKOPRO 2 TSR T 20 S 20

it be for business or pleasure – and, in the case of the RNLI, delivering vital and lifesaving services to those at sea.

There is growing recognition of the value of ports at a local and regional level.

In 2019, the House of Lords Select Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities published its findings from an investigation into the drivers and solutions for economic and social challenges in communities all around the UK’s coast. This made recommendations on reducing planning restrictions for ports and surrounding area development, and tailoring Enterprise Zones more towards the needs of coastal communities to capitalise on the unique position of ports within local communities.

Bill Reeves, CEO of Portland Harbour Authority, sees local and regional support as extremely important to the success of the UK’s ports. Located on the island of Portland, the port is part of the local community and relies on good local transport infrastructure to thrive. But just as important are the local health and education services, as “they support a population that includes people who work on the port”. The port, he continues, is “important for the region because it provides employment and because part of the port’s business is cruise ship day visits, which bring significant revenue to the area”.

There are other indirect benefits too.

Portland’s tenants employ local people and use local suppliers and subcontractors – therefore, as its tenants’ businesses develop and grow, then indirect as well as direct employment increases.

Making investments Continuing its support of the local region, Portland has already significantly invested in port infrastructure to increase capacity and extend capability, and that investment is set to continue, says Mr Reeves. “We are also in discussion with a number of potential new tenants and port users which should result in significant increases to port activity. This will support a steady

increase in employment,” he says.

Poole Harbour, meanwhile, is benefiting from completion of a deepwater quay in 2018 which will open it up to bigger international markets.

Eyemouth Harbour is looking ahead to secure its role in Scotland’s emerging offshore wind industry and the local and regional benefits that will bring. There are several offshore wind farms being developed off the east coast of Scotland and Eyemouth is ideally placed to support an operations and maintenance base for the nearby Neart na Gaoithe windfarm owned by EDF Renewables UK. “If Eyemouth Harbour is successful in securing a long-term contract, this will create long-term employment opportunities and economic growth for the next generation and beyond, as well as inward investment in the area with potential to make transformational positive change,” says business manager Christine Bell. Eyemouth Harbour has also secured funding for a harbour waterfront development to replace a now obsolete former fish market building.

Road infrastructure is a sticking point, however. “The road network in our region is a problem and requires significant investment in order to avoid it being a restriction on growth, not just for the port but for other businesses as well,” says Portland’s Mr Reeves.

Poole Harbour Commissioners works closely with its two local authorities to ensure that they take into the account

UK harbours play a key role in supporting local businesses and organisations – whether it be for business or pleasure – and, in the case of the RNLI, delivering vital lifesaving services to those at sea

P orts as local and re g ional economic dri v ers

Key driver

trawlers and creel boats, as well as a 50-60 strong visiting fleet every year.

It also offers serviced pontoons and onshore services to provide essential Michael Robinson, port director at Belfast facilities to accommodate touring yachts Harbour, also sees his port as essential and cruise ships, via tenders. to its local region – it handles 70% of The relationship Eyemouth Harbour Northern Ireland’s total seaborne trade.

Trust has with its locality is symbiotic: “Belfast is critical to the success of our “The harbour needs these businesses region and by inference the region’s and organisations just as much to keep economy is the key driver of the port,” the harbour thriving; if the boats didn’t he notes. use the harbour, we wouldn’t be viable,” With almost 2,000 acres of land – about says Christine Bell, business manager at 20% of the land mass of Belfast city – Eyemouth Harbour.

Belfast Harbour is a substantial area of Income also matters. Visitors to the employment: 29,000 people work in the ports bring money to spend on local harbour estate every day and there are products and services, supporting about 750 businesses contained within businesses as they pass through the the port estate. The CEBR research surrounding region. For example, made a clear link between ports and Eyemouth plays host to more than 400 job creation, calculating that there were yachts a year, bringing hundreds of 115,000 direct jobs within the UK ports visitors to the town and wider area. sector in 2018, 431,000 in the wider Poole Harbour has more than 7,000 supply chain and 277,000 generatberthed yachts and while it assists with ed through wider spending - a total of the safe and efficient management of this 823,000 jobs related to the UK ports traffic in the harbour, it also supports a sector. myriad of associated services, including In Scotland, Eyemouth Harbour chandlery and boat maintenance. provides infrastructure and facilities to support a local fishing fleet made up of 26 commercial fishing vessels, and a mix of

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FELIXSTOWE BERTH 9 YARD EXPANSION, SUFFOLK

CREATING NEW HORIZONS

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We are UK leaders in: • Design, construction and maintenance of ports and waterways • Land reclamation

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• Subsea services

P orts as local and re g ional economic dri v ers Below: Portland Harbour Authority has significantly invested in port infrastructure to increase capacity and extend capability.

the port when they are considering their transport strategy. Additionally, it is closely linked with its Local Enterprise Partnerships and its sub-national transport body. “We feel that links to these sorts of organisations are critical as the issue of planning and transport links are essential to maximising a port’s potential,” says Jim Stewart, chief executive of Poole Harbour Commissioners. Despite Government help, the UK’s road network is not as strong as he would like, and he suggests that the creation of a north/ south link from the Dorset coast to the M4 would “certainly help”. Each pound spent on a road scheme connecting a port can add more than four pounds of value for the wider local economy through improving conditions for business and tourism.

Funding challenges are singled out by Eyemouth Harbour’s Ms Bell as a challenge to future growth. “Like many trust ports, we have an aging infrastructure which is expensive to maintain with limited income streams. All revenue is required to operate and maintain the harbour of which conservancy (i.e. dredging) is a major cost. Therefore, we rely on external funding for development projects, both private and public.” This, she says, is a competitive and time-consuming process.

Troubles ahead The general unsettled economic outlook is also highlighted as a roadblock for future local and regional support. “Obviously a recession would reduce economic activity within the county,” says Poole’s Mr

Stewart. He adds that greater environmental designations can also hamper a port’s ability to expand.

Wider planning restrictions also matter.

Michael Robinson at Belfast Harbour would like to see a more simplified and streamlined planning framework in terms of how planning consent and development is progressed within the port area.

“Ports would like to be more agile to respond speedily to economic opportunities. If hurdles were removed with some kind of streamlined planning framework, perhaps as part of a freeport context, that would be a very useful thing.”

BPA and UKMPG support proposals to create ‘port zones’ to enhance terrestrial and marine planning systems, in combination with modifications to the business focused policies of enterprise zones, overlaid with free port status. A free trade area or free port is an area within a country which is treated, for customs purposes, as an independent jurisdiction. This means goods can be manufactured, imported and exported in the zone without incurring normal barriers to trade like tariffs and customs duties.

Free port and enterprise zone initiatives could also shift certain activities from some parts of the UK to more regional areas.

Another challenge centres around decarbonisation. There are trials, says Mr Robinson, around how to decarbonise port activities so that the port is a better bedfellow for people that come to live, work and play in the harbour estate.

“We’re making good strides in that area,

St Helier: a lifeline port As a lifeline port to the island of Jersey, St Helier handles 98% of everything that the island consumes. Not only does this mean that residents and tourists in Jersey are heavily dependent on Ports of Jersey, its ports could not exist without their strong ties to the local region.

“It’s critical,” says Capt William Sadler, chief operating officer Marine and Harbour Master at Ports of Jersey. “When a sandwich rolls off the ferry at St Helier, it’s on the shop shelves within two to three hours.”

While the port is only six miles off the coast of France, there is a 12-hour sea leg between distribution centres and the island because of Jersey’s position as a self-governing dependency of the UK. This puts St Helier in a unique position: it has no competitors and ultimately the harbour exists only to sustain the local population. While it handles just 500,000 tonnes of cargo a year, it’s indispensable.

“If you don’t have the harbour, you can’t import fuel or building materials and you can’t export Jersey potatoes,” says Mr Sadler.

The challenge for Jersey’s ports is ensuring fit-for-purpose infrastructure.

“Infrastructure-wise we have some of the heaviest on the island,” Mr Sadler points out. To this end, the move from a State department to a public limited company has allowed it to work more commercially and use its estate more efficiently to secure this lifeline infrastructure.

Jersey is also an important regional partner to Portsmouth on the mainland UK coast. Up to 90% of its imports come from there and form a guaranteed part of Portsmouth’s business.

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Making Sense of a Complex Environment Digitisation + Brexit + Geo-Political Tensions + Trade Routes + Larger Ships + Land Bank + Immigration + Workforce Capabilities + Corporate Reputation + Environmental + One Belt One Road + Regulation + Investment Our local and global insurance and risk management capabilities for Ports & Terminals includes: • Operational Property and Liability Risk

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To learn how we can help your organisation, contact: Janet Fallon, Marsh JLT Specialty T: 020 7558 3031 E: janet.fallon@marsh.com This is a marketing communication. In the United Kingdom Marsh JLT Specialty, is a trading name of Marsh Ltd and JLT Specialty Ltd. Marsh Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for General Insurance Distribution and Credit Broking (Firm Reference No. 307511). JLT Specialty Ltd is a Lloyd’s Broker, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for General Insurance Distribution and Credit Broking (Firm Reference No. 310428). November 2019 281081

P orts as local and re g ional economic dri v ers Both indirect and direct employment increases as the businesses of port tenants grow.

Ports: so much more The Collins English Dictionary defines a port as ‘a town or place alongside navigable water with facilities for the loading and unloading of ships’. The reality? Today’s ports are far, far more than that.

As the critical link in millions of supply chains, ports are taking an increasingly proactive role – extending their own reach and influence further along the supply chain, liaising and lobbying over issues of connectivity, infrastructure and regulation, and working with customers and partners to add value and deliver ‘greener’, more efficient logistics.

Portcentric systems have helped to reduce lorry miles while delivering logistics solutions finely tuned to importers’ needs. Ports such as Tyne and PD Teesport work closely with cargo owners to develop integrated supply chains that take in everything from crossdocking and warehousing to picking, packing and timed delivery.

Also on the east coast, a partnership between Associated British Ports and Siemens created the wind power factory which is the centrepiece and catalyst for Green Port Hull. The vision of Green Port Hull, which brings together ABP, Hull City Council and East Riding Council, is to establish Hull and the surrounding area as a world-class centre for renewable energy. This is based on Hull’s proximity to the UK’s North Sea offshore wind industry, but the vision also encompasses opportunities in biofuels, waste-to-energy, solar and wave and tidal power generation.

The Port of Tilbury, meanwhile, is the UK’s largest waste export and recyclables handling port, with these operations including glass, wood, metal and general waste. Waste glass collected at recycling centres in London and the South East is delivered to a high-tech glass sorting plant at the port for sorting and crushing, prior to loading onto trains for transportation to one of Europe’s largest glass manufacturing facilities, in Cheshire, or to ships for export overseas.

Tilbury Green Power uses about 270,000 tonnes a year of waste wood sourced from the region to produce up to 319,000MW of renewable electricity a year.

The port also handles waste wood exports for use in power stations and cement kilns in Europe, and RDF (refuse derived fuel) shipments to Europe.

but there is more to do,” he says. Usually 150 cruise ships call at Belfast every year and there is an increasing awareness of issues related to the fuel that ships burn.

Offering shore power is a viable response, however it comes at a hefty price.

“We need to recognise that the cost of decarbonisation is very large and that we need some kind of Government policy support to help accelerate the ability to decarbonise,” says Mr Robinson.

Positive outlook One bright spot is highlighted by Ms Bell.

She sees the new South of Scotland Enterprise Agency that is being set up as “a significant and positive step” in making essential support available to organisations that play a vital role as regional economic drivers.

Belfast, meanwhile, is excited by its development of key strategic partnerships with corporate bodies within Belfast and Northern Ireland, such as with Belfast City Council, local universities and other industry sectors, such as the tourism sector. “We’re trying to develop partnerships which might not have traditionally been associated with port activity, recognising the changing shape of not just Belfast’s and Northern Ireland’s economies, but all Western economies,” says Mr Robinson. With a move away from manufacturing into more high-tech and services-based businesses, ports are increasingly seeing their role change from being a gateway to an economic hub,

“We’re trying to develop partnerships which might not have traditionally been associated with port activity, recognising the changing shape of not just Belfast’s and Northern Ireland’s economies, but all Western economies” Michael Robinson, port director at Belfast Harbour he adds. “We need to partner with organisations that are playing in those spaces.”

Belfast has also entered into Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to boost collaboration. For example, Belfast City Council has published its Belfast Agenda, a strategic plan through to 2035. A central tenet of the plan is to create 66,000 new residences and 46,000 new jobs. “We can play a role there because we have large areas relatively close to the city centre that can be re-purposed to help deliver on those aspirations,” says Mr Robinson. Through its MoU with the council, Belfast is looking forward to working together to help both bodies deliver on their strategic objectives.

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P O R T S A S G AT EWAY S TO GLOBAL TRAD E

Investment areas Beyond technology and sustainability, UK ports in global trades are investing in other areas to maintain and increase their customer bases.

Peel Ports sees itself as adding value for beneficial cargo owners in two ways: through its workforce and and by offering a stronger range of integrated services.

Last year [2019], the operator added 250 new staff in anticipation of new commercial opportunities and further business growth beyond the traditional port community. It also has plans to put 100 employees onto courses relating to leadership and development, accounting and port operations, and to use the apprenticeship levy as fully as possible to enable career development within the existing workforce.

3 4 I UK P O R TS

“All of this is crucial for anticipating, understanding and fulfilling our customers’ needs,” says Peel Ports CEO Mark Whitworth. “We then translate that into practice on the ground.” Here, he gives the examples of Peel Ports’ purchase of Quality Freight (UK) Limited to extend its range of services beyond the core stevedoring and storage, and the introduction of a rail service connecting the Port of Liverpool with Scotland following a decade-long hiatus.

ABP is also investing heavily in its global trade future. Since 2016 the operator has invested £250 million in its facilities, including £50 million to increase container terminal capacity in Hull and Immingham, and £50 million in Southampton to support the automotive sector and cruise business. Its people are, says ABP chief commercial officer Julian Walker, at “the heart of delivering this progress”. As

such, ABP is committed to making sure its people have the skills, experience and support to provide the best services to customers, as safely and efficiently as possible.

“ABP’s ports are integral parts of global supply chains, enabling trade and providing British business, industry and manufacturing with essential access to international markets. By providing resilient supply chain solutions to our customers we are able to support their efforts to identify emerging opportunities and grow their businesses,” says Mr Walker.

P orts as g ateways to g lobal trade Left: ABP is realising a need to be ‘agile’ and ‘responsive’ to evolving market conditions.

UK ports are facing up to evolutionary changes on the near horizon.

Global challenges at a local level Summary n Our ports are the UK’s biggest gateways for the trade with the world that we all rely on. n Port operators continue to make major investments and developments to make sure they remain superbly efficient. n Developing 21st century ports means more than bricks and cement – it means new technologies and digitalisation too. n But providing the best solutions for customers remains at the heart of present and future plans. n There are always uncertainties but port operators are determined to overcome these and establish the foundations of long-term sustainable success.

As an island nation, the UK is heavily dependent on the sea for carrying its trade, relying on its ports as the main artery for its global cargo movements, both in and out. Those ports are facing up to seismic changes on the near horizon, pushing them to address demands for greater integration and strengthening of physical and digital relationships, all the while making sustainability count. Add to this the ongoing shifts in the political and economic framework and both the challenges and opportunities for ports handling global trade are vast.

While the political landscape is shifting dramatically, so too are roles for the UK’s global trade gateways. Today, logistics are so finely tuned and sensitive that ports must embrace their roles as much more than one node in the supply chain. To address this, ports have invested heavily in infrastructure and technology – for example, ship-to-shore gantry cranes at

Liverpool2 and a network-wide Vessel Tracking Service to Authorised Economic Operator accreditation.

“All of this helps to increase reliability and predictability, which are so crucial to maximising the efficiency of cargo movements and meeting end consumer demands,” says Peel Ports’ CEO Mark Whitworth.

Global ports also need to be flexible to demand. Dover relies on a “wellmaintained, reliable and robust port infrastructure” to facilitate the entire supply chain system, says Port of Dover CEO Doug Bannister. “This continuous conveyor belt provides our customers with a high level of certainty over ensuring that their customers are getting where they need to be at the time they need to be there – whether it be people or goods.”

ABP, meanwhile, relates to a role that is “agile and responsive to evolving market conditions”, and to its customers’ changing requirements. “This means working closely with customers to understand their priorities and supporting them as they adapt to their end markets,” says chief commercial officer Julian Walker.

But all of these changes build on the vital core role of providing the UK’s main global gateways for trade and driving the UK economy. Clemence Cheng, executive director of Hutchison Ports, operator of Port of Felixstowe, explains: “Ports are too often the unsung heroes. They play a pivotal role getting UK exports to overseas markets and ensuring that consumers enjoy the level of choice we have all become used to when we go to the shops. As the UK moves forward, efficient and cost-effective connections to ports – and by extension to our trading partners – will be even more important to underpin economic growth.”

While the political landscape is shifting dramatically, so too are roles for the UK’s global trade gateways.

Logistics are finely tuned Modal connections Good connectivity certainly helps with that agility. Mr Cheng points out that ports rely on efficient transport connections to their hinterlands to be successful global hubs.

Felixstowe offers solutions by road, rail or short-sea feeder according to the requirement of individual customers. The range of options available delivers quick, cost efficient and sustainable logistics options for cargo owners.

In 2019, the port enhanced rail capability, with the upgrade by Network Rail of the Felixstowe Branch Line, increasing capacity from 33 to 45 trains per day in each direction. In addition, the first phase of a £1.5 billion improvement scheme to the A14 opened in 2019 with full completion in 2020. “We are continuing to work with national and regional stakeholders to continue to deliver market-leading and congestionfree connectivity,” says Mr Cheng. “We will also continue to work with Government and other key stakeholders to develop an interconnected transport network serving all parts of the country.”

Dover, meanwhile, wears its “just-intime trade conveyor belt” nickname with pride. Its location next to the world’s busiest shipping lane offers minimal ship deviation for cargo customers and short transits and frequent sailings make it a popular choice for many cargo carriers.

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P OR T S A S G AT EWAY S TO GLOBAL TRAD E The Port of Dover sees itself as a “just-in-time trade conveyor belt”.

An average of 120 ferry movements per day carry up to 10,000 lorries, delivering £122 billion or 17% of the UK’s trade in goods per annum, according to the port.

That dependence on lorry movements means that Dover relies heavily on the UK’s road network to get its cargoes to and from customers. Half of the goods that pass its quays end up moving beyond London to support economic activity in the Midlands and the North.

Dover’s Mr Bannister calls for the Government to not only improve the resilience of the roads connecting Dover with the rest of the UK but to also enhance road capacity near Dover to keep global trade moving.

Sustainable and digital Sustainability is also key to realising value in the UK’s global trade hubs. Whether through increased reliance on clean fuels, vehicles and technologies or through building sustainability into infrastructure, ports are investing to grow.

Mr Bannister explains that Dover has made great strides towards greater sustainability with its Western Docks Revival development, which has had sustainability built in right from specification and design through to construction and operation. The £250 million investment in its Western Docks 3 6 I UK P O R TS

Dover has made great strides towards greater sustainability with its Western Docks Revival development, which has had sustainability built in right from specification and design through to construction and operation has created a new state-of-the-art refrigerated cargo terminal and will be followed by further investments in capacity, facilities and services. The development offers Dover’s customers “a smarter logistics solution with minimal ship deviation and valuable costs savings”, says Mr Bannister.

Sustainability also encompasses the growing role that global ports have in protecting the environment. Hutchison Ports’ Mr Cheng expects that sustainability will increasingly become business-as-usual and an integral part of everyday port operations. Regulation, he says, has a role to play but successful ports will always be ahead of the game when it comes to the

environment. “We have a myriad of initiatives under way that have reduced carbon emissions and improved air quality against a backdrop of increasing volumes of traffic.”

Digitalisation is another strategic trend.

“Ports are key nodes in international supply chains and the provision of realtime data to customers is key to efficient and responsive service delivery,” explains Mr Cheng. “Digitalisation is increasingly going to drive efficiency and the delivery of customer value in future.” He highlights innovations such as Hutchison Ports’ PARIS Optimal Transport Planning software, enabling customers to maximise the utilisation of their transport assets, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.

Digitalised networks are already increasing the interconnectedness of global ports, shipping companies and logistics providers. Smart supply chains, says Mr Cheng, need smart ports and developments in this sphere will be central to developing the ports of the future.

Hutchison Ports is involved in the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN), working with other operators in the port and shipping industry to develop a new platform based on blockchain technology.

“GSBN will allow all participants in shipping supply chains to work collaboratively to accelerate technology innovation

P orts as g ateways to g lobal trade

and develop solutions through trusted and secure data exchange platforms,” says Mr Cheng.

ABP is also working to enhance its IT infrastructure, systems and processes to deliver greater efficiencies and supply chain solutions for customers, helping businesses to grow. The nationwide port operator recognises that ports face the challenge of keeping pace with emerging technologies and new techniques, which are changing the way the industry works and the skills required within the industry.

“It is essential that ports continue to embrace new technologies and innovation that can drive progress in operational efficiency and safety, and deliver continued reductions in the environmental impact of the industry,” says ABP’s Mr Walker.

Future optimism Looking ahead, there are opportunities to push global trade volumes even higher across a range of cargo models and supply chain routes. The launch of Maritime 2050 has been welcomed and ports are looking forward to continued collaboration with Government to deliver on the strategy’s ambitious objectives for the future of the sector. “Collaboration between industry and Government is essential to ensure that ports and maritime can continue to thrive and deliver

prosperity for regions around the UK,” says Mr Walker.

There are also opportunities around maritime clusters. “Obviously ports are about trade, but we do ourselves a huge injustice if we fail to think bigger than that,” says Mr Whitworth. “If we can build on the strengths of our many maritime clusters, there are exceptional benefits to be gained: exports in specialist products and services, higher gross added value, multiplier effects in the wider economy, and competitive advantage in key engineering and scientific sectors.”

“Obviously ports are about trade, but we do ourselves a huge injustice if we fail to think bigger than that. If we can build on the strenghths of our many maritime clusters, there are exceptional benefits to be gained” Mark Whitworth, CEO Peel Ports

While this might seem obvious to most in the industry, it isn’t to the wider public and political communities. As a strong prospect for UK plc in an otherwise uncertain future, the maritime sector should be bold about driving its agenda forward because, as Peel Ports’ Mr Whitworth states, “no-one else will do it for us”.

In terms of specific opportunities, ABP’s Mr Walker gives the example of its ports on the Humber. Its Hull, Goole, Grimsby and Immingham ports serve the UK’s busiest trading estuary and are the gateways to the Northern Powerhouse, connecting businesses across the North and the Midlands to markets in Europe and beyond. Those Humber ports handle £75 billion worth of trade every year and provide customers with resilient and sustainable routes to key markets.

“Irrespective of Brexit, there are logistical and environmental benefits to recalibrating supply chains to avoid congestion and possible disruption on alternative routes,” says Mr Walker.

“Harnessing the advantages of shortsea shipping and rail can dramatically reduce the amount of heavy goods vehicle miles in the supply chain, helping to meet the challenges of driver shortages and the need to reduce congestion and carbon emissions.”

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Ports as g ateways to g lobal trade Below: ABP’s Humber ports handle £75 billion worth of trade every year.

In some ways Brexit has been a distraction from necessary change. Peel Ports’ Mr Whitworth remarks that the UK Government’s ‘fixation’ on Brexit has seen it neglect its enabling of the environment that only the public sector can provide or facilitate. “This includes transport and IT connectivity, skills development and affordable housing. All of these are essential for our sector,” he says.

Global gateway ports also need to get braver, according to Mr Whitworth, and become more comfortable with taking managed risks because the days of incremental gains or efficiencies are “arguably long over”, he says. “It’s going to take transformation to create the opportunities and benefits businesses need to succeed in today’s marketplace.”

This could be increased service integration, innovative commercial partnerships or accelerating the use of automation.

“Whatever it is, we need to be more ambitious and creative than ever before.”

That is something being embraced at Hutchison Ports’ Port of Felixstowe, which has invested in its first two remote controlled ship-to-shore gantry cranes and eight rubber-tyred gantry cranes.

As Mr Cheng explains: “The new cranes

represent an important step towards a greater degree of remote working, which delivers benefits for both our employees and our customers. For the drivers, the ergonomics are much better, and the physical stresses less, than a traditional operation. Operationally, we are able to deploy equipment more dynamically to meet peaks in demand and locating operators in an office environment improves operational alignment and communication.”

There are also exciting new opportunities for port-centric manufacturing and logistics that could be further boosted by the development of Freeports or Super Enterprise Zones, helping to attract inward investment and drive employment and economic growth in coastal regions around the country.

“Combined with the growth of the offshore wind and renewables sector, these opportunities signal an exciting future ahead for many UK ports and the communities which support them,” says Mr Walker.

The resilience of the UK’s ports has been vital in the country’s response to the Covid-19 crisis – and that will not change.

While some theorise that the aftershocks

“Ports are key nodes in international supply chains and the provision of real-time data to customers is key to efficient and responsive service delivery” Clemence Cheng, Hutchison Ports of the pandemic could signal the end of global supply chains, in fact those supply chains have proved relatively resilient in the face of massive demand fluctuation.

The lesson might be more about the ‘buffering’ or ‘nearshoring’ that occurs within global supply chains to build greater resilience, again enabled by data; and ports are strongly positioned to support nearshored facilities, alongside their historical ‘gateway’ role.

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C orporate S ocial R esponsibility

Sports, charities and other ‘good causes’ – ports are committed to supporting local people.

Playing their part in the community Summary n All sizes and types of port play a big part in their local communities in terms of employment and their contribution to the local and regional activity. Ports directly employ over 115,000 people. n Ports are proud to give back to their communities by supporting local projects, sports teams, events, beach clean-ups and more.

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In parallel with their ‘business’ side, ports are working closely with local residents and organisations, pushing forward with community projects and supporting everything from sports teams and events to beach clean-ups and breakfast clubs.

Ports have continued to support their local communities during Covid-19, with some making donations to local charities and food banks.

The Port of Felixstowe is one of the partners in a unique Port Community Fund, which supports charities and good causes in Felixstowe, Ipswich and the

surrounding area; the partners decided a decade ago that pooling their charitable resources would enable them to do more to support local groups and organisations.

The Port of Tyne puts 1% of its pre-tax profit into the Port of Tyne Community Action Fund, which is managed by a panel of port employees who meet regularly to discuss grant applications and award funding. On top of that, the port supports a number of CSR projects through sponsorship or corporate membership.

The Port of London Authority’s Thames

C orporate S ocial R esponsibility The Mouth of the Tyne Festival, which is supported by the Port of Tyne.

Vision goals includes a cultural element, to ensure the riverside is a ‘magnet’ for ramblers, historians, artists and others, as well as a commitment to ensure greater participation in sport and recreation on and alongside the Thames.

Teignmouth Harbour Commission is part of the Teign Estuary Partnership; bringing together local councils, the Environment Agency and other organisations and stakeholders, the partnership tries to enhance the lives of residents around the harbour and estuary, allocating grants to help with projects, activities and events.

“We are a large player in the estuary and as such we are heavily involved,” says Teignmouth harbourmaster and chief executive David Vaughan. “We assist the local population in many ways. We are massively conscious of the environment and do what we can.”

Teignmouth Harbour Commission is the statutory harbour authority with responsibility for pilotage, navigational aids, and regulating marine operations. It is also responsible for the management of hundreds of moorings within the estuary.

“As a Trust Port, we do see our position as trying to contribute to the community,” says Mr Vaughan. “We support the collection of plastics, we support beach clean-up operations, we support groups of people who want to look after the estuary and the environment.”

Alongside commercial cargo operations, the Teign estuary is very popular for recreational activities, including waterskiing, rowing, sailing and fishing, with a large number of clubs and societies.

“Like any harbour, it is massively diverse,” he says. “We have big ships coming in and out – but at the same time, we have people who want to swim across the river.

Our task is to balance all of this.”

Other community projects include: n Aberdeen Harbour Board’s Community Action Fund, which supported more than 250,000 people in the region since it began in 2014. As part of its South Harbour expansion, it has set aside £1.9 million for projects to benefit the community and enable people to enjoy the coastal environment. Projects have included a new cycle path, viewing areas, an outdoor classroom and playpark facilities.

“We assist the local population in many ways.

We are massively conscious of the environment and do what we can” David Vaughan, Teignmouth harbour master and chief executive n The Port of Dover has established a Community Fund, which has awarded more than £536,000 in grants to over 50 organisations. As part of the Dover Western Docks Revival, 22 schools were approached to design a community art project. n Ullapool Harbour Trust allocates two per cent of gross profit to stakeholder initiatives, helping to fund local organisations and youth projects with an emphasis on community enhancement.

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SAFETY Right: Bristol Port believes that the time and tenacity required to implement a change in safety culture should not be underestimated.

Safety standards have improved at UK ports, but there is still more to do.

Journey to zero accidents Summary n Safety standards in the ports sector have improved greatly but port operators know that there’s much more to do. n Improvement is a marathon not a sprint and ports are committed to the long-haul required. n Ports are continuing to invest in new equipment and ways of working to improve safety with new technologies having an important role to play. n But the real key to step change improvement is building a true safety culture and changing attitudes and behaviours. n Communication, sharing and empowerment are crucial for taking safety and wellbeing to the next level and the industry body Port Skills and Safety is leading several initiatives to drive real change in the sector.

UK port workers are expected to have many qualities, but bravery should not be one of them. That’s the position of Benedicta Moxon, compliance business manager for Associated British Ports (ABP). While working on the quays is viewed as an inherently dangerous job, the common drive to reach zero accidents at ports is empowering employees to report safety concerns and embrace initiatives to ensure all workers return home safely at the end of their shift.

While safety standards have improved greatly over the past ten years, there is still more to do, particularly as the sector enters a technologically enabled decade.

Research shows that the simplification of roles and the introduction of automated tasks have already led to the average port workforce becoming more sedentary, increasing the risk of onset or worsening of a range of chronic diseases associated with lack of physical activity, such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Also, working extended hours is increasing 4 2 I U K P O RTS

the likelihood of port worker injuries associated with fatigue.

David Brown OBE, chairman of Port Skills and Safety and chief executive officer of the Bristol Port Company, explains that as with all safety issues, there is no easy or single solution to the challenge. “No-one should underestimate the time and tenacity required to implement a change in safety culture,” he says. One positive step is to engage a specialist occupational health provider that is fully embraced and supported by senior management, he adds. While it will take time for the efficacy of this approach to filter down, there are already encouraging signs from the construction industry that this move can improve safety.

Safety values Safety is a core value for ABP and the group has spent the past two years proactively building on the foundations of its safety commitments and initiatives.

Quarterly safety campaigns, improved engagement between safety representatives and staff, and creative approaches to deliver important safety messages all helped to address safety throughout the ABP network. To enforce the safety message, ABP utilises a ‘safety bus’ which goes on tours around its ports, delivering safety messages and engaging port operatives who may otherwise find it hard to step away from their job for long periods. One standout safety improvement in 2019 was the launch of women’s personal protective pquipment, a first in the UK port sector.

ABP has also embarked on a groupwide campaign to help cement a permanent change in its safety culture.

“Working with experiential and immersive training provider ATT, we’re embarking on an immersive training programme to maintain momentum with our already established Beyond Zero programme,” explains Ms Moxon. “We will continue to build on Beyond Zero by encouraging variety in our delivery of pre-shift briefings, toolbox talks, safety stand-downs

and health and safety training. We will set up more Beyond Zero Frontline teams and they will create a ripple effect in the business when it comes to leading by example. We are proud that our staff take it upon themselves to report negative observations and near misses through our accessible ‘Spot-It!’ system because it is important that every employee is involved in safety activities and is motivated to identify unsafe practices.”

With a portfolio of 21 ports and Hams Hall rail freight terminal, it can be a challenge for ABP’s ports to remain aligned on safety drives, Ms Moxon says.

To address that, her team is working to ensure that progress is being delivered in all its ports, is standardised and is delivered at the same time. “Sharing initiatives and best practice is enabling this to happen,” says Ms Moxon. ABP also wants to bring more of its tenants along on its safety journey and has been looking to engage with them more.

Five-year plan Forth Ports has recently completed the first year of its five-year safety plan, which is encapsulated by the strapline: ‘Let’s make injury unacceptable in our business’.

One of the safety plan’s first projects targeted a rethink on ‘standard’ safety headwear. In an examination of hard hats, Forth Ports found that while they were legally compliant, their protection qualities could be improved. As a result of that project, Forth Ports has now adopted a dual standard for hard hats, embracing both the industrial (EN 397) hat and

“Let’s make injury unacceptable in our business.” One of Forth Ports safety plan’s first projects targeted a rethink on ‘standard’ safety headwear”

SAFETY

UK P OR T S I 43

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SAFETY

Below: Acting on safety feedback is absolutely key, says Bristol Port.

Call for more efficient communication

mountaineering (EN 12492) hat standards.

It has since trialled and implemented more effective headwear protection for its workforce. A second project – initiated by a review that found a surprising number of hand injuries – led to a review of glove types by task, production of a glove guide poster and the launch of Forth Ports’ first animation to assist with glove selection and improve awareness.

Three additional safety projects were concluded during 2019: a review of briefings, provision of electronic access to safety observation software for the whole workforce, and production of an animation on hazard perception and safety observation reporting. During 2019 there was considerable work on a safety initiative planned for 2020 – the launch of Forth Ports’ Lifesaving Rules.

Forth Ports Limited’ group health, safety & environment manager Dr Derek McGlashan is taking on the challenge of growing the operator’s safety culture and striking the balance between “having enough engagement across the business to ensure our workers have the best chance of keeping safety at the forefront of their minds, without overloading everyone with information”.

Cultural change Bristol Port’s Mr Brown takes a different approach to safety improvements. Rather than enforcing a raft of safety initiatives and rigid milestones, Mr Brown prefers instead to embed safety against the core elements of “commitment, patience and time”.

“At Bristol Port we believe instilling a truly effective health and safety culture is

(ultra) marathon territory,” he says.

“For some employees, engendering a behavioural change and culture is akin to getting them to switch their allegiance from rival football clubs.”

In developing its own safety initiatives, Bristol Port started by breaking cultural change down into its constituent parts of Language, Rituals, Artefacts and Belief.

Against that backdrop, it distilled its approach to training into ‘learning, ownership and leadership’.

One safety stream saw it employ a company of actors to deliver a ‘Your Choice’ playlet to illustrate the individual behavioural choices all employees have from the moment they arrive at work.

Following on from that, Bristol Port handpicked and trained 40 employees to give them further behavioural skills to challenge the safety norm, referring to them as ‘Sherpas’. Now fully trained, they are able to assist others in scaling the safety ‘mountain’. “Statistics are clearly not everything but, as a result of this training, our Accident Frequency Rate has reduced by 42%,” says Mr Brown. The ‘Sherpa’ training has now been extended to a further 145 of the port’s frontline operatives.

Bristol Port also offers the Your Choice sessions to non-employees who are regular users of the port, ranging from linesmen to regular haulage drivers and maintenance contractors who all have an equal part in creating a better safety culture.

Bristol Port employees take a personal interest in individual safety inspections and talks. Every director is required to undertake one workplace inspection a month,

While UK ports are making inroads in safety standards, a more joined-up approach could fast track further safety improvements.

ABP’s Benedicta Moxon explains that early liaison between Government bodies and operators can help understanding of any changes to legislation and regulation. “We will continue to work closely with Government and relevant agencies and all stakeholders to develop the regulations needed to maintain the highest safety standards in the sector,” she says. ABP adds that it would welcome opportunities to work even more closely with the DVLA and Highways Agency on driver safety on port estates.

At a strategic and national level, ports should be communicating more efficiently and openly, according to Bristol Port’s David Brown. He points out that a problem shared is often a problem halved and much can be learned from sharing details of incidents in a timely fashion. Sector membership organisation Port Skills and Safety (PSS) is, in his view, leading the charge in this area.

One initiative being pursued by PSS is more widespread use and adherence to its Safety in Ports (SiP) Guidance procedures.

Forth Ports’ Dr Derek McGlashan adds to the praise of the “really helpful information” produced by PSS. He describes its SiP Guidance as “really powerful” and points out that few industries have that benefit. But having the guidance is not enough; industry needs to ensure that it is living up to the guidance that it has produced. “Certainly the larger port companies share so much more information and data on safety than was ever the case before. This is to the benefit of us all and should be lauded and encouraged,” says Dr McGlashan.

which is reinforced by managers and safety reps. “Acting on the feedback is the absolute key to the success – or not – of this type of engagement initiative,” says Mr Brown. “The key, we have found, is then to collate all these recorded actions into a single database.” Mr Brown then writes personally to everyone who has raised a safety issue, sending a letter to their home address. This serves two purposes: firstly, the letter reinforces personal ownership, and secondly, the individual’s partner and/or family can clearly see the port’s commitment to ensuring that everyone returns home safely each day.

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R enewables / E ner g y

The skills, experience and facilities required for supporting offshore oil and gas are readily transferable to renewables.

Energy support across the sectors Summary n Ports facilitate the import of energy to keep the lights on in the UK and will be critical to the country’s energy transition. n Ports are increasingly close to energy generation and likely to become energy hubs supporting clean generation. n The UK has fantastic renewables potential due to its geography – ports all over the UK will be the foundation for new industries exploiting that on our way to net zero. n Supporting the energy transition requires investment in specialist infrastructure; UK ports are providing worldclass facilities in an extremely competitive environment.

The Port of Great Yarmouth, where skills built up serving the oil and gas sector have been transferable to support offshore wind.

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Oil, gas, and now renewables; from the emergence of the North Sea oil and gas industry in the 1960s, to the UK’s first offshore wind farms in the 2000s, ports have played a vital role in supporting the construction, maintenance, servicing and supply of a highly technical and demanding sector. Increasingly, ports have also taken up the role of investor and innovator, supporting specialist clusters, research centres and training organisations.

The Port of Milford Haven, the UK’s largest energy port, has been a vital hub for the oil and gas industry for more than 60 years. With more than 17 metres depth of water available at all states of the tide and the ability to handle vessels with drafts up to 22 metres, the Welsh port handles liquid, bulk, break bulk and heavy lift cargoes.

Over the past decade, the port has been widening its energy portfolio to cater for the growth of decarbonised technology, both commercially and operationally.

The east coast port of Great Yarmouth has a long history of servicing the offshore oil and gas sector – and now it is also showing its strengths in the offshore renewables industry.

“We have been servicing the oil and gas sector over six decades and have the supply chain locally to support that,” says Richard Goffin, Peel Ports’ port director for Medway and Great Yarmouth. “We have migrated to renewables as the oil and gas sector plateaued but did not in fact decline as much as people expected, and as offshore wind has picked up. It isn’t necessarily a direct comparison between the two sectors, but our skills set is definitely transferable.”

Great Yarmouth was “in the right place at the right time” when its Outer Harbour was built a few years back. The port was able to switch from an original business model for container or ro-ro services to focus on offshore wind. “We have the depth of water required, there are no

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locks, and our proximity to Rounds 1 and 2, and future 3 is unmatched,” says Mr Goffin. “We can accommodate the largest of all the installation vessels and we have proved ourselves since 2011 when we put our toe in the water of offshore wind.

We have a land footprint that can accommodate manufacture – for example, of blades, towers, monopiles or jackets – and we have extensive land development opportunities.”

The oil industry first started looking at the Milford Haven Waterway as a possible energy hub in the 1950s, as the deepwater channel and open waters of the lower reaches provided ideal conditions for the transportation of crude oil. By 1974, five oil companies and four refineries were established there. In 2009, following extensive planning, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tankers arrived on the waterway, serving two LNG terminals – South Hook LNG and Dragon LNG. With high-capacity gas and oil pipelines and electricity connections to the centre of the UK, Milford Haven has the capacity to deliver 30% of the UK’s gas demand and supports more 5,000 jobs.

“The oil and gas industry has supported the growth of a high-skill supply chain cluster along the waterway,” says chief executive Andy Jones. “The knowledge retained here is exceptional and covers a diverse skill base. Engineering is the principal focus, and is as widely used in the region’s shipbuilding industry as it is by the energy sector. These skills are part of the waterway’s future.”

project in which the port is collaborating with three other industry specialists to develop a world-class centre for blue economic development. “Pembroke Dock Marine will act as a catalyst for what is a powerful suite of global markets, by offering unrivalled location, knowledge and expertise, supply chain and connectivity benefits,” he says. “It will help to nurture developing technologies, most immediately acknowledging the real and immediate opportunity presented by the nascent marine renewables sector – wave, tide and floating wind. It will nurture The Port of Milford Haven has its own innovation and operational efficiencies to solar energy farm and is widely support the industry as it moves towards championing other energy efficiency commercialisation. innovations across its operations, Great Yarmouth has proved its including piSCES, an Interreg-funded capability to support the construction of smart grid technology project in its fishing offshore wind farms, and also as a base docks. for operations and maintenance (O&M) Commercially, while Milford Haven hubs, says Richard Goffin. continues to support the traditional energy “Wind turbines are getting bigger and industry, it has been diversifying to the developers are consolidating turbine support the growth of the marine delivery into larger packages. We have renewables industry. The port is in close shown we have scalability – that is, the proximity to world-class wave, tide and capacity for present operations and wind energy sources. Combined with the also the ability to develop our planned region’s high skill supply chain, developers Southern Terminal to run two projects or are finding this waterway base increasingly two phases at the same time.” valuable.

The Outer Harbour has 10 metres depth “We have been collaborating with the alongside and already features a 120,000 marine renewables industry to deliver sq m offshore supply base with laydown immediate access to existing facilities, and pre-assembly areas, heavy lift pad while working with key industry partners and crane pad. The port has invested in to expand the current proposition,” says a new Liebherr LHM280 crane with 84 Mr Jones. tonnes lift capacity.

Pembroke Dock Marine is a flagship The Southern Terminal expansion,

“Wind turbines are getting bigger... developers are consolidating turbine delivery into larger packages. We have shown we have scalability” Richard Goffin, Port of Great Yarmouth

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which would also be within the Outer Harbour, is in the design and planning stage. It would provide another 350 m of quay with heavy lift capacity and a ro-roramp, and another 100,000 sq m of storage/development land. This land could accommodate manufacturing, warehousing and open storage for cable and components. The port also has potential for a new manufacturing site, as well as areas earmarked for O&M facilities.

North East Scotland Located on the extreme north-east tip of the Scottish mainland, Wick Harbour is within eight miles of the offshore wind farm sites being developed in the Moray Firth by Beatrice Offshore Wind and Moray Offshore Renewables.

Wick is the O&M base for the Beatrice Offshore wind farm. Newly developed buildings and facilities have been completed, together with pontoons for

crew transfer vessels and training facilities.

Crew transfer vessels operate daily between the port and the wind farm.

The port is ideally situated for servicing further offshore wind and tidal projects within the Pentland Firth and Moray Firth areas.

“Wind turbine components for various developers are regularly handled and there is good road access to and from the port for long and/or heavy components,” says

Energy Central

beside Northumberland Energy Park (Phase 1), which is due to be completed in early 2021 and is attracting a lot of interest from across the sector.

Blyth has extensive experience in a variety of offshore wind projects, from handling large-scale turbine components and steel structures to mobilising complex subsea cable installation projects.

It regularly manages mobilisation activity for jack-up and subsea installation vessels for the offshore wind market and works closely with its customer base in managing a range of subsea excavation, installation and general back deck equipment. It also handles multi-megawatt drive train systems and the industry’s longest blades on behalf of Open Energy Markets and the ORE Catapult test facility which is located on the river in Blyth.

Blyth also supports pre-construction development work and O&M operations for major wind farm owners. Significant projects to date include the Blyth, Rampion and Hornsea offshore wind farms, the Nemo Link and the North Sea Link interconnector projects.

During 2019, the Port of Blyth completed its largest oil and gas decommissioning project to date. A number of sizeable wellheads and wellhead protection structures were delivered to Blyth as the port worked with Maersk Decom on the removal, recycling and waste management of subsea infrastructure for Perenco’s Thames field in the North Sea. Dismantling and downsizing of the recovered structures took place at Blyth’s Battleship Wharf terminal, where a newly announced

Midway between Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth on the UK’s east coast, the Port of Blyth is regarded as a leading offshore energy support base. It is home to Energy Central, a partnership between the port, the ORE (Offshore Renewable Energy) Catapult, Northumberland County Council and the council’s development arm, Advance Northumberland; it is designed to offer businesses experienced port services, world leading test facilities, a cluster of energy-related businesses and land development opportunities available for inward investment including the £32m development of the quayside located

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R enewables / E ner g y

deputy harbourmaster Ian Cormack.

“Large structures – for example, a helideck and an access bridge – have been fabricated on quay and shipped offshore.”

Commercial trade at the port includes regular imports of fuel oil, oil-related cargo and wind turbines. Local stevedoring, craneage, engineering, fabrication, hydraulic and electrical services are all available at the port to ensure a fast turnaround.

Subsea 7, a regular customer for oil-related hardware for its Wester pipeline bundle yard, recently lifted a 200-tonne towhead ashore on the North River Pier.

The port has two heavy lift areas in the River Harbour, with capacity of 7.5 tonnes and 11.5 tonnes per square metre.

Dredging of the entrance channel was completed in 2019, to provide 4 metres in the approach channel and 4.5 metres alongside Commercial Quay.

Early starter – Mostyn While Blyth was home to the first two offshore wind turbines in the UK, Mostyn, on the west coast, supported the construction of the first full-scale wind farm in UK, and European, waters.

“The first major wind farm was 30 turbines built in Mostyn for the North Hoyle wind farm off the Welsh coast,” says Port of Mostyn managing director Jim O’Toole. Construction started in 2004.

partnership with leading demolition firm Thompsons of Prudhoe has seen a joint investment of £1m in enhancing the facility in 2020.

Recently, the port handled the world’s longest offshore wind turbine blade and the world’s most powerful offshore wind turbine. The 107-metre LM Wind Power blade is designed to operate from GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X 12MW turbine – both arrived at Blyth for several months’ testing at the ORE Catapult facility.

The Port of Blyth can lay claim to having the UK’s first ever offshore wind farm, although it only involved two 2MW turbines. Owned by EON, the turbines were built in 2000, generated enough electricity to supply 2,000 households with renewable energy and saved 4,520 tonnes

of carbon dioxide each year.

Nearly 20 years ago, those two wind turbines ushered in a new era of renewable technologies, says Port of Blyth chief executive Martin Lawlor. EON used this example to lay the foundation for the future of the technology. In 2019, having reached the end of their technical lifespan, they became the first offshore turbines in UK waters to be decommissioned, work that also took place within the port.

In 2017, the port played a key role in the development and installation of EDF’s ‘next generation’ Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Wind Farm, complete with gravity base foundations (GBF). With a 41.5MW capacity capable of powering approximately 34,000 homes and recognised as a testbed for several new technologies, the site is maintained by

EDF from its O&M base at the port.

Northumberland County Council has ambitious plans to transform the site of the former coal-fired Blyth power station into Northumberland Energy Park, a development opportunity of more than 150 hectares for the offshore wind sector.

This will provide an additional 9.5 metre depth jack-up berth linked to existing heavy lift operations, plant and infrastructure. A £32 million works package to remediate the site and redevelop the quay are well advanced with the scheme due to be completed in early 2021.

The port is also developing 18 hectares of deepwater operational land at its Bates terminal, for large-scale manufacturing and mobilisation activities, with completion due in late 2020.

The Port of Blyth supports construction and O&M operations for major wind farm owners.

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R enewables / E ner g y Below: The Port of Milford Haven is the UK’s largest energy port.

Rhyl Flats followed, also off the Welsh coast. Since then, the port has provided land and services for a series of offshore wind farm projects in the Irish Sea, including Burbo Bank, Robin Rigg, Walney 1 and Walney 2 and the 160-turbine Gwynt-y-Mor wind farm, the largest project to be undertaken to date.

Mostyn has three separate O&M bases, for North Hoyle, Rhyl Flats and Gwynt-yMor, in each case for the duration of the wind farm’s 25-year operational lifespan.

“The three bases employ about 170 people between them,” says Mr O’Toole.

“We provide the land and facilities, including the pontoon for crew transfer vessels.”

Building on its expertise in this sector, the port has a wholly owned subsidiary, Mostech Energy Services, which provides offshore technicians for installation, repair and maintenance work. “We employ up to 60 people, depending on the work levels, and we deploy them around the UK and also in mainland Europe,” he says. “In other words, we are exporting our

expertise. The whole industry was in its infancy when it came here – we could be described as the birthplace of offshore wind, and it is our core business now.”

An important strength for Mostyn is the large amount of laydown area available, which is particularly required for wind farm construction work. “We have more than 70 acres of land immediately behind the quays – that has always been a selling point for us, as well as being an open quay with no locks,” says Mr O’Toole. “We have a heavy lift pad with 80 tonnes per square metre load bearing and we have warehousing which we have converted into final fit workshops; one is being utilised for blade refurbishment.”

The demands can only increase. When Mostyn started out with the North Hoyle project, the turbines were 2.5MW; now they are 8-12MW. The next major offshore wind construction project at Mostyn is likely to be the Gwynt-y-Mor extension, and beyond that the port is waiting for the next round to be released by the Crown Estates.

“The whole industry was in its infancy when it came up here – we could be described as the birthplace of offshore wind...”

Jim O’Toole, Port of Mostyn

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C O A S TA L S H I P P I N G Right: Scotline would like to see small ports and their surrounding lands protected for coastal shipping to reach its potential.

Coastal shipping can quickly and easily address emissions and truck driver shortages.

The answer to many problems Summary n In comparison with other transport modes, coastal shipping remains an efficient and environmentally sustainable option for moving a variety of bulk, breakbulk and containerised cargoes. n It is an underused domestic freight mode and can reduce road congestion and pollution, as well as helping to address the fast-approaching shortage of lorry drivers. n All parts of the logistics chain should work together to see how coastal shipping could be a viable option for their business – from ports, to ship owners, cargo owners, brokers and agents. n The sector would like to see further support from Government following the end of the Department for Transport’s Mode Shift Revenue Support Grant and Waterborne Freight Grant in early 2020.

‘Disruptors’ – it’s an undisputed buzzword of our time, but when it comes to promotion of greater use of coastal shipping, ports do not need a fancy catchword.

They already have everything they need at their fingertips to ‘disrupt’ emissions and driver shortages, according to UK port figureheads. With well-equipped quays, direct routes to coastal regions and, crucially, no congestion, coastal shipping of goods around the UK addresses two of the biggest challenges that the ports industry currently faces: air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. The ports industry hopes coastal shipping will be featured in the Government’s post Covid-19 decarbonisation agenda.

Alan Tinline, head of environment at Associated British Ports, says that the infrastructure already exists to take hundreds of vehicles – each doing up to 400-500 miles up and down the UK coast – off the roads, shifting cargoes on to coasters. “That reduces congestion, 5 2 I UK P O R TS

which improves local air quality, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. And it’s many more times efficient. There aren’t many technologies currently available en masse that can do that.” It’s not, as he points out, rocket science.

With 90% of the UK population living within 30 miles of the coast, and no part of the UK more than 70 miles from it, coastal shipping has a real part to play in reaching customers faster and with lower emissions. The UK Department for Transport’s 2017 Port Connectivity Study, recognising the potential of coastal shipping, tasked its Maritime Modal Connectivity Team to work with industry to better understand the barriers, challenges and market opportunities of coastal shipping and inland waterways within the current freight landscape. With just a little support from the right places, UK ports employing coastal shipping could really

The infrastructure already exists to take hundreds of vehicles – each doing up to 400-500 miles up and down the UK coast – off the roads, shifting cargoes on to coasters help the UK on its journey to net zero.

Shifting traffic on to the UK’s shortsea trades also addresses another looming problem: a fast-approaching shortage of lorry drivers. The Freight Transport Association calculates that there are currently 30,000-40,000 vacancies for HGV drivers in the UK, with Brexit and any future Government immigration policy potentially affecting this further.

“The Road Haulage Association is saying that there’s going to be a shortage of drivers within the next two or three years,” says Tom Willis CEO of Shoreham Port. “That’s number one; number two is what to do about pollution from the roads.

Within the next 18 months to two years those two will collide. Put those together and there is a golden opportunity to push coastal shipping.” The UK already has lots of ‘motorways’ on its seas which are currently “completely underutilised”, Mr Willis adds.

More challenges Residential development is another key detractor from coastal shipping: “Increasingly small ports and areas close to the water are being bought and developed for housing,” says Rob Millatt, director at Intrada Ships Management, which manages vessels operated by Scotline. “Together with increasingly unitised cargoes moving through a very limited number of ports, it is a difficult operating environment for the small ports”, adds Mr Millatt. Until small ports and their surrounding lands are protected, this will only increase, stifling coastal shipping potential in some areas.

Infrastructure costs can be another headache. Mr Tinline explains that if he wants to start trucking cargoes, he can simply buy a truck and start tomorrow.

However to do the same with a vessel requires infrastructure at either end to load and unload the cargo. “All that infrastructure needs to be built and paid for by somebody,” he says. That level of financial risk can be hard to swallow without support.

Grants can help offset the financial pain, but Covid-19 has led to delays and uncertainties about what grant funding will be available in the future to support coastal shipping. For the past few years, the DfT’s Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grant has been available to provide support for rail and inland waterways, while the Waterborne Freight Grant (WFG) provides support for coastal and short sea shipping. Both schemes ended in March 2020, and ports are hoping for enriched replacements.

Montrose Port Authority has been the recipient of a Freight Facility Grant and can attest to the value of such funding. It was awarded £1.5 million to put towards

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C O A S TA L S H I P P I N G

Problems to address

Transporting just one large bulk cargo shipment by ship rather than by road has the potential to take 175 lorries off the road. However, domestic coastal traffic has been on a long-term decline in the UK – dropping from 27% of all UK traffic in 1975 to just 8% in 2017 – and there remain important hurdles that need to be overcome to reverse that trend.

That this mode is not readily considered an option for a lot of domestic movements

is put down to two factors by Rob Millatt, director at Intrada Ships Management: the costs that ports need to charge and the economics of the vessels wanting larger cargoes. Intrada looks after technical, commercial and administrative management of the vessels operated by Scotline.

“Although there are still smaller ports, these seem to be getting fewer and the number of ships which can economically carry small cargoes is reducing.”

the rebuild of two of its berths which came in at an overall cost of £7.7 million.

Montrose identified that waste wood cargo would lend itself to a Freight Facility Grant and now sees regular imports of that cargo through the port.

Montrose is keen to develop its coastal shipping options further in the future. Part of the port’s Master Plan is to develop an additional 250 metres of quay. “Currently we are at 83%-84% berth utilisation and that’s not factoring in that we sometimes have vessels double or treble berthed alongside each other, so I’m confident that if we added more berths we would see new tonnage as well,” says Montrose Port Authority CEO Capt Hutchison.

Putting funding aside, there are other roles for Government to play in the promotion of coastal shipping. The Port of Bridgewater is keen to see an improvement

in Government funding to assist the promotion of coastal ports that may have fallen into disuse or reduced use due to the increase in the size of ships. Harbour master Capt Keith Badsey would also like to see local, regional and national politicians better promote coastal ports to businesses, and sees great benefits in their assistance in economic strategy planning to integrate all users to gain continuity.

“Look at the regulatory and licensing regime and the proportionately higher costs incurred by small ports that make them far less profitable than medium to large ports,” he notes.

engages with berth operators and the council’s economic development and strategy team, and actively promotes the port locally when the opportunity arises.

Mr Millatt calls for a Government policy whereby ports, terminals and associated industry on surrounding land are protected for commercial use. “In Rochester we have industry built into and around our terminals, but increasingly residential neighbours.” He appreciates that this would require a high level of Government intervention, but points out that the sector is at a stage where net zero carbon will be impossible to achieve without some out-of-the-box thinking.

Montrose’s Capt Hutchison echoes the request for Government help with identifying land for development. “We are full everywhere, every shed, every piece of land is full and it’s holding us back.”

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Taking up the gauntlet Lacking clear Government direction, ports are taking it on themselves to drive the promotion of coastal shipping. Bridgwater

C O A S TA L S H I P P I N G The Port of Inverness believes that the environmental benefits of coastal shipping are being undersold.

There is also no one-size-fits-all solution. Scotline, which has terminals in the Medway and in Inverness, encourages coastal movements, both economically and with its service level, but still cannot shift as many cargoes as it would like off the road. “Although we are in Inverness and on the outskirts of London, we would still require onward road haulage to most of the country after discharging the cargo,” points out Mr Millatt.

Meanwhile, promotion of coastal shipping generally is lacking. “Nationally there isn’t enough done to promote coastal shipping; the environmental benefits of coastal shipping are undersold,” says Sinclair Browne, CEO at the Port of Inverness. It’s also difficult to promote a switch to coastal shipping when there is an established supply chain network in place, especially if it’s running smoothly. “We find that some people do

not want to change in case there are any problems arising from the change,” he says. However, green gains are helping sway minds here. “A lot of customers are getting more switched on and getting more receptive when you start pointing to some of the environmental benefits.”

Ports also need to work hard to make their voices heard over a politically strong road freight lobby, adds Mr Browne.

20 years of timberLINK This year marks the 20th anniversary of a service that has become a poster child for the successes that coastal shipping can bring to the UK economy and population.

The timberLINK service, connecting the Argyll ports of Ardrishaig, Campeltown and Sandbank to wood processing plants in Ayrshire, ships in excess of 100,000 tonnes of timber a year. It was established with a £4.4 million Freight Facilities Grant from the Scottish Executive in 2000.

Moving the logs by ship takes around 8,000 lorry journeys – or about one million lorry miles – a year off the roads, saving approximately 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions to date.

ABP’s Mr Tinline says: “The project is 20 years old this year, but it’s still a great story about the right people getting together to take cargoes off roads and regenerating areas.”

He adds to the call for better road infrastructure and connections to help boost coastal shipping potential.

There has also been disappointment voiced at a Government decision to introduce VAT on freight for coastal shipments. “This will just drive more trade on to the roads, in contradiction to the Government’s environmental targets and without industry consultation,” says Mr Millatt.

But the ports sector cannot lay all blame for a lack of greater take up of coastal shipping at the Government’s door. “It’s very easy for us to point the finger at Government, but equally I think it’s down to industry, ports, ship owners, cargo owners, brokers and agents to continue to get together to work out how to get cargo off the road and on to ships,” says Shoreham’s Mr Willis. “The industry

has to lead this.”

Getting stakeholders to the table is a theme common to all coastal shipping port proponents. Bridgwater’s Capt Badsey says there is no reason why coastal ports that also have access to inland waterways and canals should not be used more by commercial shipping as well as leisure craft. All that’s needed to kickstart the move is a ‘sensible conversation’ with all users to move forward in a way that allows both commercial and leisure aspects to thrive.

“It should not be an us or them scenario but more a mutual common goal of reinvigorating the sector. This would benefit all parties,” he says.

ABP’s Mr Tinline also supports more connected thinking. “The answer to transport more environmentally is to be more systemic so that there is more joined

up thinking between the modes.” He praises UK ports for simply getting on with the job in hand, with a shift to coastal happening organically, without any Government overview. However, he says that this unsupported action is not sustainable.

For Scotline, the answer is in the joint promotion of its ships and facilities as an integrated service, championing the small ports sector. Coastal shipping, says Mr Millatt, might currently be the ‘poor relation’ in the UK shipping industry, with ships and ports both underestimated for their contributions to the country, but there are still reasons to be cheerful.

“All is not lost as it is still within our control to encourage and promote coastal contributions,” he concludes.

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L E I S U R E / TO U R I S M / C R U I S E Saundersfoot’s Marine Centre of Excellence is part of a £10 million development.

UK ports are working in partnerships to deliver on leisure and tourism goals.

Collaboration brings leisure and cruise gains Summary n Tourism is an important activity for a lot of ports as well as the coastal regions they operate in. n The ferry sector, recreational marine activities and cruise sector were particularly hit during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cruise ports and operators are working hard with all levels of government and various health bodies to ensure activities can resume safely. n The marine leisure industry has a revenue of over £3bn and over 1.1m marine leisure craft. It is estimated that each year over 14m people participate in yachting and marine leisure activities.

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Tourism is an important activity to ports, as well as in coastal regions. The ferry sector, recreational marine activities and the cruise industry were badly hit during the Covid-19 pandemic. Any activities involving people and passengers across the economy have faced new challenges.

The cruise sector in particular has seen some major impacts and shipping lines are working with ports to overcome the challenges that have arisen as a result of the various health measures introduced by the various tiers of Government.

Consumer confidence is returning gradually and the industry is looking to bounce back as soon as is possible.

In the recovery phase, partnerships will continue to be important for the sector, building on a number of recent exciting

cruise and leisure related developments around the UK coastline.

Whether with councils, associations, trade organisations or tourism promoters, these partnerships employ joined-up thinking that goes beyond the traditional port boundaries.

In Wales, Saundersfoot Harbour is in the process of building Wales’ first International Coastal Centre, a tourismdriven project making use of redundant areas of the harbour and adjacent land to create an innovative tourism facility that will offer interpretation centres, major event space, short stay accommodation, commercial start-up units, covered plaza and restaurants. It will also include a replica of a three-masted heritage schooner that will support an outdoor

L E I S U R E / TO U R I S M / C R U I S E

theatre and a high ropes facility.

The £10 million development, made possible via funding from the Welsh Government, the European Regional Development Fund, and Coastal Communities Grants, is planned to be completed by Easter 2021.

The development will create over 95 new jobs both directly for the Harbour and indirectly at commercial units. “It’s a tremendous boost to the local economy and the local jobs market which will place Saundersfoot on the map as a must-see destination when visiting West Wales,” says Michael Davies, the harbour CEO. The Port of Dover, meanwhile, has enlisted the help of several tourism partnerships to promote the port itself and Kent more widely, developing a cruise partnership with Visit Kent to attract more cruise lines to Dover and more cruise guests to take excursions in Dover and Kent for when the cruise sector picks up again post-Covid-19. Local councils also have a part to play in developing ideas to attract more visitors.

“Dover has a popular waterfront and iconic local attractions,” says Doug Bannister, CEO of the port. “With our partners we would like to create a more exciting and attractive offer for encouraging people to visit, stay and explore the waterfront, our marquee events and the wider area.”

Mr Bannister is aiming for a much stronger ‘destination feel’ for Dover, allowing it to evolve from a purely transitory location to a place where people want to visit and stay.

“With our partners we would like to create a more exciting and attractive offer for encouraging people to visit” Doug Bannister, CEO of the Port of Dover

“This will give us more options for encouraging particularly pre- and postcruise stays in the area as well as attracting a larger number of visiting yachts to the marina,” he says.

Like Saundersfoot, Dover has also invested in developing its infrastructure to encourage visitors. Its £250 million Western Docks revival includes a waterfront transformation incorporating a new marina for resident and visiting yachts surrounded by new public access areas with the potential opportunity for bars, cafés and restaurants.

Trade body boost Cowes Harbour Commission sees great potential in nurturing relationships with trade organisations such as Maritime UK and the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership. In July 2019, the two bodies launched Maritime UK Solent, a new regional cluster organisation, to champion the region as a globally significant maritime cluster.

“This move recognises the importance of the marine employment and leisure market to the overall prosperity of ports and local economies,” says Capt Stuart McIntosh, harbour master and chief executive, Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC). He adds that partnerships are also needed between Government and trade bodies to ensure that the cruise and leisure sectors have the right policies in place to encourage and assist initiatives.

On the cruise front, Cowes has connected with Cruise Britain to broadcast Cowes as an up-and-coming, authentic small-ship cruise destination for small to medium-sized luxury cruise ships on Northern European itineraries.

“The North European circuit for smaller boutique cruise ships is a growth market and one that Cowes Harbour Commission is actively pursuing,” says Capt McIntosh.

“CHC will continue to work with key partners to promote Cowes to attract increased numbers of visitors to Cowes and the wider Island.”

Cornwall took a more inward-looking view of partnerships when it abolished six district councils and a county council in 2009 to create a single unitary authority, Cornwall Council, which controls the ten local authority ports in the county. “We’ve been consolidating the ten ports and harbours and driving down costs with better bulk purchasing power,” says Chris Jones, maritime manager at Cornwall Council. That move alone realised a 22% saving in real terms.

Going a stage further, Mr Jones explains that a Harbour Revision Order UK POR T S I 57

THE NATURAL CHOICE FOR

NORTH SEA ENERGY The naturally-sheltered waters of the Cromarty Firth guarantee 24/7/365 access and egress for a quick turnaround.

Laydown areas totalling 80,000sqm provide open storage space whilst deep water berths accommodate the largest vessels.

Port of Cromarty Firth has a proven track record for oil, gas and renewable energy projects, delivered by a world-class supply chain and a highly skilled workforce.

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L E I S U R E / TO U R I S M / C R U I S E Below: Road connectivity resilience, particularly for the larger cruise ports, needs addressing.

has been submitted to the Marine Management Organisation to combine all ten ports and harbours together into one group.

“I’m trying to put all the ports and harbour on to a proper governance footing for the future. For those harbours that will never make any money, we have tried to drive down that deficit. For others, we are going to give them some assets,” he says.

Cornwall Council also negotiated with its planning department to accept its Maritime Strategy as material consideration for planning matters. “We are trying to get people to think outside of the box,” says Mr Jones.

Wider picture But partnerships – no matter how strong – cannot solve every problem. As an internationally renowned yachting and leisure port, Cowes has to keep a weather eye on the development of the sector.

While the superyacht market is ‘absolutely booming’, says Capt McIntosh, the UK yachting market is “very much a changing market and is fairly flat at the moment”.

Another seminal change has been the reduction in corporate entertainment because of a change in legislation, which has had a big impact on sponsorship of

the medium-sized yachting market.

Brexit uncertainty has also made it difficult for leisure and cruise ports to plan.

“The continuing uncertainty over Brexit has meant that the economic climate is not currently conducive to bringing forward the sort of bustling development we would like to see on the waterfront,” says Dover’s Mr Bannister. “There is a clear need to resolve the uncertainties surrounding Brexit in order to provide business and investor confidence and that is a role for national Government.”

There is also the question of road connectivity resilience, particularly for the larger cruise ports. At Dover, with so much freight transiting through the port every day – up to 180 kilometres – it is “extremely important that there is enough capacity and flexibility built in for tourist traffic and non-ferry traffic” to get seamlessly to and from the port.

“National Government needs to recognise that access to ports such as Dover is not just about transitory traffic heading to Europe for example, but is also about ports fulfilling their role as an economic generator for their area and that requires a road network that can service both transit and destination traffic,” says Mr Bannister.

“National Government needs to recognise that access to ports is not just about transitory traffic heading to Europe, but is also about ports fulfilling their role as an economic generator” Doug Bannister, CEO of the Port of Dover

UK POR T S I 59

F ishin g

The fishing industry is focused on sustainability and ever higher standards – supported by efficient and innovative port partners.

Places of investment and innovation Summary n Fishing ports are the foundation of a historic industry that is at the heart of many coastal communities. n Fishing ports are important to the UK’s food supplies, as well as being a key importer and exporter. n Through the BPA and Seafish, fishing ports have taken action to develop a responsible fishing ports and harbours scheme, to increase transparency in the supply chain.

6 0 I UK P O R TS

There can’t be many more ‘traditional’ industries than fishing – but there is nothing ‘traditional’ about the way the fishing industry works in the 21st century.

Today’s fishing ports are places of innovation and investment, leading the way on sustainability, tracking, quality, speed and efficiency.

“We have had a fish harbour here for more than 400 years and, provided stocks are maintained in a healthy state and properly managed, there is no reason for us not to have a fishing harbour here in 400 years’ time,” says Stephen Paterson, chief financial officer of Peterhead Port Authority. “This is a long-term and sustainable business, and what we want to do as a business is consolidate our position as Europe’s leading fishing port.”

The landing of fish is, of course, just part of the picture – the economic

spin-offs are massive, going beyond the actual buying and selling to fish processing and packing, refrigerated storage, transportation, and support services ranging from ice supplies to boat repair and maintenance.

At Peterhead, a new state-of-the-art fish market was officially opened by Prince Charles in 2018. This was part of a £51 million investment by the port authority which provided a fully integrated fishing hub based around a market providing 80% more floor space, with covered landing canopies for vessels discharging privately sold fish.

The work included dredging parts of the inner harbour to allow all current fishing vessels access to land fish at any state of the tide, strengthening of surrounding quaysides and widening the inner harbour entrance. The project was granted

FISHING Eyemouth Harbour Trust a traditional fishing port.

£5 million of funding from the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The market is fitted with solar panels on the roof and a computerised building management system which monitors and ensures the right level of refrigeration at all times.

Investment will continue – plans are being made to create a new seafood processing hub alongside the fish market.

Peterhead is the UK’s biggest white fish and pelagic port, with a large and thriving fish processing sector located around it, and there must be a continued focus on quality and efficiency, says Simon Brebner, chief executive of Peterhead Port Authority. Increasing demand for full traceability of the fish from sea to plate is also driving investment. The new fish market quickly attained the highest AA rating from British Reputation through Compliance (BRC) Global Standards and soon afterwards Peterhead became the first port in the UK to achieve the Seafish Responsible Fishing Port accreditation.

In September 2019, the market was awarded Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) chain of custody accreditation.

“These accreditations are vital in confirming the port’s reputation as a centre of sustainable seafood excellence,” says Mr Brebner.

Peterhead Port Authority quality manager Allison Sherrington says: “With

Fish grading machine Grimsby Fish Market is another that has “With the global demand seen some significant investment. for sustainable seafood “Recently we added a new high-tech fresh fish grading machine to enable us to rising all the time, the give a better service to fish processors,” certification strengthens says Martyn Boyers, chief executive of Port of Grimsby East and Grimsby the reputation of Fish Dock Enterprises. “The machine the market...” was part of a £240,000 investment into Allison Sherrington, improved facilities for landing and grading fish, which part funded by the European Peterhead Port Authority Maritime Fisheries Fund. All the fish that quality manager is put up for sale at the auction is sorted by species, then graded and weighed. key fisheries, and many of the vessels This investment increases our capacity to catching those species, attaining MSC grade fish and makes us more efficient.” certification, the next logical step was for Grimsby has also compartmentalised the market here in Peterhead itself to gain the fish market area and developed chain of custody certification. fresh fish processing activities with two “It gives customers complete confidence companies and frozen fish facilities for a that those species with the well-known third. “Compartmentalising was done in white tick on blue logo landed to the tandem with the reduction of fish through market are sustainably caught and fully the auction and the reduction of vessels traceable. landing to Grimsby. We have utilised the “With the global demand for sustainable spare space to create processing areas seafood rising all the time, the certification that generate income that keep the fish strengthens the reputation of the market market and auction viable.” and individual businesses and opens up The transition in the fish market has new business opportunities for all. We are been successful and additional facilities now working towards SMETA, the Sedex are being considered, says Mr Boyers.

Members Ethical Trade Audit.”

In 2016, Grimsby Shipyard Services (GSS) was set up as a new business.

This was a £2.3 million investment into UK POR T S I 61

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FISHING Below: Newlyn Harbour: the fishing industry is based on a unique mix of traditional skills and new, innovative operations.

port facilities which included building finger piers and buying a new 200-tonne vessel hoist. “GSS has been successful lifting all types of vessels. The hoist enables us to provide lift facilities for repairs and maintenance for all sorts of vessels, but mainly fishing and offshore,” says Mr Boyers.

Newlyn refurbishment In the South West of England, Newlyn Harbour lies next to some of the richest fishing grounds in the northern hemisphere.

“Newlyn Harbour is the fulcrum of Cornwall’s fishing industry and Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners (NP&HC) aspire for it to become the UK’s leading fishing port,” says a spokeswoman.

NP&HC has recently completed a £1.3 million refurbishment project, part-funded by the European Maritime Fisheries Fund, to develop Newlyn Fish Market.

“The market is now fully refrigerated, powered by solar energy and techenabled to provide the range of services that the 21st century fishing industry requires in order to survive and thrive.

The auctioneering system has also been reviewed to reflect the developing preference for direct selling to retailers, processors or merchants who are able to add value through logistics and marketing.”

The recent acquisition of a majority stake by Ocean Fish in Newlyn Fish Market auctioneer W Stevenson & Sons will secure fish quotas for Cornwall, streamline processes and improve

customer service, says NP&HC. “While a fully modernised, fit-forpurpose fish market in Cornwall is strategically important, it also benefits the wider community of Newlyn because it enables NP&HC to support fish processing and other value-added activity in the vicinity, and reduce haulage costs for the local fishery.”

In turn, increased revenues enable NP&HC’s further investment in maintaining the fabric of the fishing quays and marketing initiatives to promote the quality of Cornish fish. One of these initiatives is the high-speed WiFi network that NP&HC has installed across Newlyn Harbour to provide free connectivity to fishermen.

Fishing ports have been among the hardest hit of any ports by the Covid-19 crisis. As fish counters and restaurants closed, demand fell away and prices dropped. Fishing ports usually levy a small charge on the price of seafood landed on their quay or sold in markets – so lower prices affect harbour revenue, whereas costs remain relatively fixed. While prices were low, many processors took the opportunity to freeze and stockpile seafood, a factor depressing prices beyond the immediate crisis. In addition to this, many catchers responded to lower prices by increasing supply, exacerbating the issue and using up quotas earlier in the year. The economic impacts of the pandemic will therefore linger longer at fishing ports. This prompted the sector to present a recovery plan to Government in April 2020.

Time sensitive Fishing is an industry where time really is of the essence. Any delay would have a knock-on effect on the quality and value of fish being sold.

Fish landed in Peterhead today can be found in shops and on menus across Europe tomorrow. That depends on a slick and streamlined system. Details are constantly updated on the port authority’s website of the fish landed by each boat; buyers check the website overnight, in advance of the auction opening at 7am. The market also receives consignments for sale by road from many other landing points – “because the best prices are here”, says Ms Sherrington.

Market floors are kept meticulously clean and are regularly swabbed and checked, strict health and safety rules apply to everyone, and CCTV keeps a check on the thousands of boxes as they are landed, auctioned and loaded out to trucks.

The public are welcome to visit any time to see the market – and, in fact, the fish market has attracted many visits, whether by politicians, schools or social groups. Peterhead’s profile has also benefited hugely from the BBC ‘Fish Town’ documentary series which focused on the port “and the extraordinary people working on land and at sea to put the fish on our plates”. Alison Sherrington has herself become something of a celebrity thanks to extensive coverage of her work and responsibilities at the new fish market.

UK POR T S I 63

C O N TA C T S

British Ports Association 30 Park Street, London, SE1 9EQ, UK Email: info@britishports.org.uk Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7260 1780 www.britishports.org.uk @britishports

UK Major Ports Group 30 Park Street, London, SE1 9EQ, UK Email: info@ukmajorports.org.uk Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7260 1785 www.ukmajorports.org.uk @UKMajorPorts

The British Ports Association represents the interests of its 100 full members and numerous associate members, who handle 86% of all port traffic, to the UK and devolved Governments, and national and international bodies. As membership comprises many ports, terminal operators and port facilities, all of varying size, location and nature, the Association is able to draw upon a wide range of experience and knowledge to represent its members’ interests.

The UK Major Ports Group (UKMPG) is the collective voice for the UK’s largest port operators. Ports are essential for the economic life of the UK, acting as the gateways for 95% of the nation’s trade in goods with the world. Three quarters of this trade is handled by the UKMPG’s nine members who collectively operate 40 ports all around the UK. This includes 13 of the largest 15 ports in the UK and the largest ports in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. UKMPG members together invest more than £500 million each year in UK ports and coastal areas.

Richard Ballantyne Chief Executive richard.ballantyne@britishports.org.uk Shenaz Bussawon Personal Assistant & Office Manager shenaz.bussawon@britishports.org.uk Mark Simmonds Head of Policy & External Affairs mark.simmonds@britishports.org.uk Sara Walsh Corporate Services Manager sara.walsh@britishports.org.uk Phoebe Warneford-Thomson Policy & Economic Analyst phoebe@britishports.org.uk

Advertisers index Associated British Ports Inside Front Cover Atkins Global Limited 50 Boskalis Westminster 30 DFDS 38 EH Hassell Limited 44 Forth Ports Back Cover Graham Construction 2 Guernsey Harbours 20 Marsh JLT Speciality 32 Moffatt & Nichol 14 New Waves Solutions 62 PD Ports 26 Port of Cromarty Firth 58 Port of Inverness Inside Back Cover Port of London Authority 6 VolkerStevin 4

Tim Morris Chief Executive Officer tim.morris@ukmajorports.org.uk Lianne Stephens Executive Assistant info@ukmajorports.org.uk

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Port of Inverness The Gateway to the Highlands One of Scotland’s most sheltered natural deep water ports, we can offer ships almost guaranteed access, irrespective of the weather. The Port lies close to the centre of the capital of the Highlands and has excellent links to the city and the surrounding wider region, with easy access to the A9 north and south bound. An ongoing plan of improvements has made the Port one of the most modern in the north with excellent covered storage and extensive laydown facilities. The entrance has been designed to accommodate extra-long loads, in excess of 80 metres in length.

We handle a wide range of cargoes for both import and export. We also have extensive experience of handling components for the renewable energy sector and heavy lifts across the quayside. Inverness is the Highland Capital and lies immediately adjacent to Loch Ness and other major tourist attractions. As a result the Port attracts cruise ships not only for excursion visits but given its excellent road, rail and airport links it is the ideal choice for cruise ship turnaround calls.

Port of Inverness Harbour Office Longman Drive Inverness Scotland IV1 1SU Tel: 01463 715715 Contact Sinclair Browne, Chief Executive sinclair@portofinverness.co.uk www.portofinverness.co.uk