Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading ports group, has awarded the design contract for its ambitious Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF) to McLaughlin & Harvey. ABP’s vision for LEEF is to provide a facility that is suitable for Operations & Maintenance (O&M) activities and construction support for the offshore
An exciting new stage of a ground-breaking solar generation system at Portsmouth International Port has been reached, with 888 solar panels now been switched on. The scheme has been managed by Portsmouth City Council’s in-house energy services team, supported by Portsmouth International Port‘s engineering department. Installation began in February 2022 by specialist
DP WORLD recently announces that work has started on site to build a new fourth berth at its London Gateway smart logistics hub. The resilience of the UK supply chain will be strengthened by the £350m project, which builds on DP World’s £2bn investment in Britain over the last decade.
Construction firm, R G Carter has recently completed the construction of two new secure inspection facilities for Hutchinson Ports along the East Anglia coast. R G Carter won the bid to design and construct both secure inspection facilities at two of the UK’s most important ports, Harwich International in Essex,
Portsmouth International Port’s terminal transformation has officially begun, as contractors Knights Brown started construction on Monday (23 May) on a new carbon neutral terminal extension, which will strengthen the city’s position a major UK port and is one of the UK’s first Levelling Up projects to get underway. The port
Move Provides Important Growth Opportunities and Business Synergies for Integrated Port, Logistics and Maritime Leader AD Ports Group, part of ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company with a broad portfolio of major enterprises, confirmed that it now owns stakes in two leading enterprises. AD Ports Group now holds
Hull City Council has today published a decision record that confirms that Royal HaskoningDHV has been appointed to provide planning consultancy support for the delivery of the Cruise Hull Yorkshire terminal project. The appointment of the specialist international firm comes following an open tender process in which bids were assessed
Project will increase the capacity of London Gateway logistics hub A Dubai-based logistics company has announced that it will begin work next month on a new fourth berth at its London Gateway logistics hub. The £300m scheme, which is designed to increase supply chain resilience and create more capacity for
Leading wet civil engineers Land & Water has completed dredging works on behalf of the Isle of Man Government as part of a wider three-year project which has removed over 22,000m3 of silt from Peel Marina. This has helped to significantly improve the water depths, improving the marina’s access and
“Smart ports are the only ports that will survive … Smart means to me: no waste of space, time, money and natural resources.” – Olaf Merk, Administrator for Ports and Shipping at the ITF of the OECD As the commercial success of a port creates greater prosperity for it’s community,
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading ports group, has awarded the design contract for its ambitious Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF) to McLaughlin & Harvey. ABP’s vision for LEEF is to provide a facility that is suitable for Operations & Maintenance (O&M) activities and construction support for the offshore energy industry, helping to transform the town of Lowestoft into East of England’s premier offshore energy hub. As part of the next phase of the project, ABP will invest around £1m in the detailed design of infrastructural upgrades of the site, including the addition of extra capacity to accommodate the next generation of larger offshore support vessels. The design phase is anticipated to last around 6 months with the construction following over the next 12 months and potential for vessels to begin using the facility from 2024. Andrew Harston, ABP Director for Wales and Short Sea Ports, said: “The winning design for LEEF will enable us to deliver this hugely exciting project and create a competitive edge for companies across the Southern North Sea (SNS) energy sector. “Having recently won ‘Best Project’ in the regional Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2022, LEEF has the potential to attract many supply chain companies to Lowestoft, bringing new jobs and prosperity to the area.” LEEF forms part of the Port Gateway project which is 1 of 5 projects that will benefit from Lowestoft’s £24.9M towns deal awarded in 2020 by the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities as a result of a successful Investment Plan submitted by East Suffolk Council. Craig Rivett, Councillor at East Suffolk Council, said: “We are proud to be supporting the Port Gateway development through the recently announced Town Deal. It is a vital project that will create a significant number of highly skilled jobs in the town for many years to come, whilst building on Lowestoft as the region’s hub for offshore wind operations and maintenance. “This development, once completed, will in turn provide further future opportunities for the supply chain as Lowestoft remains at the forefront of operational support for the renewable sector.” The Port of Lowestoft has a long history of servicing the offshore energy sector, as a home to O&M bases for Scottish Power Renewables and Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE). It also benefits from its strategic location and close proximity to Orbis Energy and PowerPark, where key offshore energy developers, operators and service providers are located. Seamus Devlin, McLaughlin & Harvey Civil Engineering Director, said, “McLaughlin & Harvey is delighted to have been awarded the design contract for ABP’s Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility. We bring experience from our ever-expanding expertise in civils and marine works, and look forward to commencing the design of this exciting project in the near future.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
An exciting new stage of a ground-breaking solar generation system at Portsmouth International Port has been reached, with 888 solar panels now been switched on. The scheme has been managed by Portsmouth City Council’s in-house energy services team, supported by Portsmouth International Port‘s engineering department. Installation began in February 2022 by specialist contractors Custom Solar, and incorporates roof-mounted solar panels across a number of buildings, a large battery and solar canopies. The solar panels mounted on rooftops around the port have now been switched on. They are now generating 400kWp of renewable energy that can be used to reduce consumption at the port, or can be exported back to the grid. This is just a third of the total number of solar panels installed at the port over the past year. Once they are all switched on, the power produced by all 2,660 panels will contribute around 35% of the port’s energy needs. This will be a big step forward for Portsmouth International Port’s ambition to reach net-zero by 2030. From L-R: Tony Denney, Custom Solar, Owen Hughes; Portsmouth City Council’s energy services team; Cllr Kimberly Barrett, Cabinet member for Climate Change and Environment at Portsmouth City Council and Elly Howe, Portsmouth International Port, stood in front of the equipment that turns solar energy into power the port can use When fully commissioned in January 2023, the 1.2 megawatt peak system will be the council’s largest solar and battery installation to date. The project has broken new ground for the council and in the national context. The port is the first in the UK to have solar canopies, and also recently won the ‘Commercial Solar and/or Storage Project of the Year’ award at Solar & Storage Live 2022 Awards. The system will also include a 1.5 megawatt hour battery, which is enough power to run a typical home for 4 months. It will capture green power that can then be used at the port at another time, such as to power lights at night. When complete, it is estimated that in peak conditions that 98% of the electricity consumed by the port could come from the combined solar and battery installation. Owen Hughes from Portsmouth City Council’s energy services team showing Cllr Kimberly Barrett the technology that turns the power from the sun into usable energy Cllr Kimberly Barrett, Cabinet member for Climate Change and Environment at Portsmouth City Council said: “It is the council’s priority to support clean growth. I’m delighted that we’ve met our target to begin generating clean energy at the port by the end of 2022. “I’d like to personally thank the energy services team at the council and the engineers at Portsmouth International Port for all their efforts. It shows that by working across the council, we can achieve our important ambitions. “When fully operational, the scheme will reduce annual emissions by 239 tonnes at this busy site. We’re committed to take positive action to tackle climate change, and this cut in emissions will boost our efforts to reduce carbon emissions across the city to net-zero by 2030”. James Hill, director of housing, neighbourhoods and building services at Portsmouth City Council added: “I am really pleased that our energy services team have been able to support the port with this exciting initiative. The team have gone from strength to strength with a range of services to support residents, businesses and our own local authority services to increase our use of renewable energy. “I would encourage anyone interested in their work to contact utilities@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. If you need further guidance in resident energy support, please contact energysaving@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.” This project is all part of an integrated approach at the port, that will eventually allow them to offer shore power for smaller ships, without having to take extra power from the local electricity grid. Councillors from Portsmouth City Council alongside staff from the Energy Services Team, Portsmouth International Port and Custom Solar, who all worked together to make the project a success Jerry Clarke, pilot and senior project manager at Portsmouth International Port added: “The port is owned by the people of Portsmouth, so we have an obligation to reduce the impact of our operations on the environment, whilst reaching the ambitions set out in our 20 year Masterplan. “Our team has worked incredibly hard to help enable this project to happen, and I’d also like to thank Brittany Ferries and their passengers for their patience over the busy summer months whilst the installation took place. “Combined with other sustainability initiatives, it will help us achieve our ambition of reaching net-zero carbon by 2030, and becoming one of the UK’s first zero emission ports by 2050. With government support, we really can make a clean maritime industry a reality”. The work is the latest in a series of solar and battery projects being managed by the council’s in-house energy services team. The team procured Custom Solar after a competitive tender exercise through the council’s recently established PV and Storage framework. Gary Sucharewycz, CEO of Custom Solar, said: “We are delighted to have won the award for Commercial Solar and Storage project of the year. To have been recognised at the main industry awards for such a prestige project that the team have developed from concept, is a great reward for everyone involved. “We have worked with a fantastic client in Portsmouth City Council to have successfully delivered the project through many challenges. We see this as a great case study for how solar and storage can be deployed in major operational environments, with solar car port canopy’s set to play a big role in clients generating their own power and assisting their net zero ambitions to be realised.”
DP WORLD recently announces that work has started on site to build a new fourth berth at its London Gateway smart logistics hub. The resilience of the UK supply chain will be strengthened by the £350m project, which builds on DP World’s £2bn investment in Britain over the last decade. On completion in 2024 it will lift London Gateway’s capacity by a third, giving it more room to handle the world’s largest vessels than any other port in the country. Ernst Schulze, UK Chief Executive of DP World, said: “I am delighted that we have taken the next step in delivery of the new fourth berth and made clear our commitment to investing in and regenerating the areas where we operate. Over the next 10 years we have earmarked a further £1bn of investment in this country.” “The construction of the new fourth berth is creating 1,000 jobs and London Gateway’s rapidly growing logistics park will employ 12,000 people when it is completed in five years’ time. Our investment is a catalyst for the regeneration of one of the most deprived areas in the UK, which is currently in the top decile of deprivation.” Seamus Devlin, McLaughlin & Harvey Civil Engineering Director, added “We are delighted to have been awarded the contract with DP World and to begin delivering this vital piece of national infrastructure. We bring with us extensive experience in the marine sector, and look forward to engaging with our local supply chain and creating jobs locally.” DP World operates the UK’s most advanced logistics hubs: two deep water ports at London Gateway and Southampton with access to freight rail terminals, and a rapidly expanding logistics park on the doorstep of the capital. By offering a choice of deep-water entry and exit points to and from the country, the leading provider of smart logistics solutions is giving greater flexibility to shipping lines, cargo owners and exporters. In a record for the port, DP World announced in July that London Gateway handled more than one million TEU in six months between January and June. When factoring in throughput at Southampton this performance contributed to a record volume of cargo in the first half of the year for DP World’s ports in the UK, with a combined total of 1,937,000 TEU.
Construction firm, R G Carter has recently completed the construction of two new secure inspection facilities for Hutchinson Ports along the East Anglia coast. R G Carter won the bid to design and construct both secure inspection facilities at two of the UK’s most important ports, Harwich International in Essex, and the Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk, to inspect goods such as fresh produce and plants entering the UK. Completing the new border control posts at Harwich within 42 weeks, the project was slightly larger in scale, and more complex in design and build compared to the second inspection facility delivered at Felixstowe. The new site at Harwich is situated close to a newly constructed port exit and features state-of-the-art, steel-framed buildings housing temperature-controlled conditions to maintain ambient, chilled, or frozen temperatures, dependent on the goods being inspected by DEFRA agencies. With over 100 years of construction expertise, the East Anglian-based construction firm has racked up experience working on the ports and similar projects in the past. One of the key tasks was managing their 200-strong workforce of staff and sub-contractors at Harwich International. James Wilson, General Manager and Director from R G Carter is delighted to be handing over another successful project to Hutchinson Port, he said: “This has been an exciting and truly collaborative project for us to be involved in and we are delighted to have delivered these essential facilities at these busy regional Ports. We are very proud to see them successfully open for operational use and hope they provide the very highest standards of efficiency required at this important checkpoint.” The Felixstowe project includes ten dock levellers and two loading bays, both featuring temperature-controlled rooms with commercial fridges and freezers. Both sites at Harwich and Felixstowe include high specification offices and welfare facilities for the Port and DEFRA staff. The completion of these projects has resulted in significant benefits to each respective Port. The site at Harwich also includes a new exit road which allows freight to access the facility and then exit directly on to the A120, reducing freight congestion and allowing for free-flowing traffic.
Portsmouth International Port’s terminal transformation has officially begun, as contractors Knights Brown started construction on Monday (23 May) on a new carbon neutral terminal extension, which will strengthen the city’s position a major UK port and is one of the UK’s first Levelling Up projects to get underway. The port has been awarded £11.25m funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to build new facilities. Due to an increase in cruise ships calling at the port the transformation is necessary to create capacity to manage an anticipated additional 250,000 passengers a year, in addition to the port’s current two million. The carbon neutral extension will feature: – a sky garden, where passengers can enjoy views of the port – new walkway from the current terminal to the new check-in area – interior living walls – expansive baggage hall – exclusive cruise lounge It will create over 2500 jobs nationally, including 550 in the city. Cruise ships are forecast to increase in Portsmouth with each call expected to generate up to £1.5m through port charges, passenger and crew spend on local goods and services such as hotels and attractions, and also supplies to the ship. Cllr Steve Pitt, Portsmouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Economic Development said: “This is fantastic news for the city, providing employment opportunities and promoting Portsmouth’s offer as the UK’s leading marine and maritime city. “Portsmouth lends itself ideally as a cruise port, with wonderful heritage assets and a spectacular waterfront for arrivals and departures. We expect the improved facilities to kick start further investment in the city, from hotel capacity to an increase in tourism spending. “We are determined retain our environmental values, so the terminal will be carbon neutral when completed. “We are proud of our position as the UK’s most successful local authority owned port, and this new extension will see the port go from strength to strength.” Mike Sellers Portsmouth International Port’s director said: “We are delivering on our masterplan, which focuses on making space so business can continue to thrive. “The extension is essential as we are currently relying on a temporary terminal to accommodate additional passengers, so this permanent addition is crucial as the port gets busier. It is also crucial that this development meets our sustainability ambitions, which is why the extension will be 100% carbon neutral – complementing our existing terminal. “Our increase in passengers is a result of responding to growth in the cruise and ferry industry, which the port is ideally positioned to deliver thanks to its enviable waterfront location. “We are delighted to secure business from major cruise lines, as the industry continues to grow in popularity there is a desperate need for more berth capacity so our expansion plans are critical to meet market demand.” Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt, Portsmouth North MP said: “I am delighted the port was successful in its Levelling Up bid, which will generate thousands of jobs for the region. “The success of Portsmouth International Port requires investment in facilities so it can meet industry demand. There is a real opportunity to provide employment now and for future years as it continues to grow as a major UK port. “The Levelling Up bid also includes additional funding for Linear Park, which will be a remarkable urban park with a rejuvenated Lido, providing another asset for the port’s passengers to enjoy. Portsmouth appeals to the small and mid size, luxury, boutique, expedition cruise sector who are looking for a port that sets them apart from the conventional mass market. The port is competing with European destinations and has an opportunity to secure additional revenue for UK GDP, with each cruise call is anticipated to generate up to £1.5 million to the region’s economy. Mike Crook, Divisional Director for Knights Brown said: “Knights Brown successfully completed the extension to the cruise berth in July 2020 that opened up much more of the cruise market to Portsmouth by allowing significantly larger vessels to berth. We’re thrilled to be back here and working with the team at Portsmouth International Port once again. We’re looking forward to getting the terminal extension underway and to helping the city council and port achieve their ambitions to bring investment to the area and benefit local people.” The transformation will be cutting-edge in environmental development, helping the port achieve its ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050. The port was part of a successful £20m bid called Transforming the Visitor Economy, which also includes funding for Hilsea Lido and the creation of the UK’s longest urban park ‘Linear Park’ in the north of the city. The creation of the longest urban Linear Park in the UK, connects the west of the city to the eastern edge, with enhanced cycling and walking facilities providing a tourist offer that is local, national and international. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
Move Provides Important Growth Opportunities and Business Synergies for Integrated Port, Logistics and Maritime Leader AD Ports Group, part of ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company with a broad portfolio of major enterprises, confirmed that it now owns stakes in two leading enterprises. AD Ports Group now holds a 22.32% stake in logistics firm Aramex PJSC (“Aramex”) and a 10% stake in UAE-based contractor National Marine Dredging Company PJSC (“NMDC”), which specialises in engineering, procurement, construction and marine dredging. With more than 600 offices in over 65 countries worldwide, Aramex is a global provider of logistics and transportation solutions, while NMDC is a marine industry leader, capable of operating and delivering major projects anywhere in the world. Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group, said: “These two leading companies provide a strong strategic fit with AD Ports Group’s vision to develop the maritime and logistics industries across the region and globally. Given the international scope of both Aramex’s and NMDC’s operations, we are confident that there will be significant opportunities for collaboration and growth when aligned with AD Ports Group’s diverse, integrated business model.”
Hull City Council has today published a decision record that confirms that Royal HaskoningDHV has been appointed to provide planning consultancy support for the delivery of the Cruise Hull Yorkshire terminal project. The appointment of the specialist international firm comes following an open tender process in which bids were assessed on a ‘best value’ basis combining both price and quality. As a result of this process, the council will now be able to progress the project in completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA), and subsequently submit a planning application in 2022 for the Sammy’s Point site. Councillor Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council said: “Hull needs a dedicated cruise facility in the heart of the Old Town so that we can greet cruise passengers with a five-star welcome and an immediate experience of Hull, in addition to the region’s world class visitor attractions. “This could also be a carbon reduction measure, reducing the need for journey to south coast ports. “A new cruise facility would be a huge boost to our plans to increase tourism and create new jobs, therefore this appointment is welcomed.” The proposed design includes Shore-Side Electricity as a carbon reduction measure which allows cruise ship operators to turn off ship engines while in port and rely on more efficient power systems to reduce overall emissions. Work will begin immediately to progress the scheme at a total cost of £ 182,185, running until 2025.
Project will increase the capacity of London Gateway logistics hub A Dubai-based logistics company has announced that it will begin work next month on a new fourth berth at its London Gateway logistics hub. The £300m scheme, which is designed to increase supply chain resilience and create more capacity for the world’s largest vessels, comes on top of the £2bn DP World has ploughed into the UK over the past decade. British ports have been under pressure from Brexit and coronavirus-fuelled stockpiling surges that have caused UK businesses to face vastly higher container shipping costs than normal. This has been one of the factors helping drive pressure on the construction materials crisis. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and chief executive of DP World, said: “As a central pillar of Thames Freeport, London Gateway’s new fourth berth will allow even more customers to benefit from world class ports and logistics, with unrivalled global connectivity, on the doorstep of Europe’s largest consumer market.” In the first six months of 2021 London Gateway saw record throughput of 888,000 20-foot-long containers – up 23% on the previous best performance for the first half of a year. The new fourth berth will raise capacity by a third and completion will coincide with the delivery of a new wave of 24,000 20-foot-long container vessels in 2023/2024, which will all be operated between Asia and Europe. Along with the Port of Tilbury and Ford’s Dagenham plant DP World London Gateway will form the Thames Freeport, which was awarded freeport status by the government earlier this year. DP World Southampton has also been awarded freeport status as part of Solent Freeport.
Leading wet civil engineers Land & Water has completed dredging works on behalf of the Isle of Man Government as part of a wider three-year project which has removed over 22,000m3 of silt from Peel Marina. This has helped to significantly improve the water depths, improving the marina’s access and functionality for years to come. Having previously removed approx. 40% of silt last year, using its specialist plant including long reach excavators on floating barges, Land & Water has now dredged the remaining materials between March and May this year. All silt has been transported to the drying lagoon which was constructed and lined by Land & Water last spring for storage and dewatering. The lagoon was carefully constructed to meet specific requirements, meaning that any remaining heavy metals and other contaminants can be safely contained. Now that the dredging is complete, the material will be allowed to dry before being removed to a licensed facility. The former greenfield site will then be returned to its original state. Charlie Oakes, Project Manager at Land & Water, said: “We are pleased to have completed this groundbreaking three-year project and to have supported the Isle of Man Government in its all-important venture to safeguard Peel Marina. “Having returned to the island in February this year, during the Isle of Man’s third national lockdown, I would like to thank the dedicated Land & Water project team who were willing to travel and stay away from their homes and families to ensure we could continue delivering high quality services to improve and maintain waterways across every part of the UK. “Going above and beyond for our clients is something that we pride ourselves on at Land & Water and I am proud to have witnessed the strength and commitment from the project team during such challenging circumstances.” The Peel Marina dredging project was only one of two major contracts to be allowed to continue working on the Isle of Man during the previous lockdown period. The Land & Water team complied with all Coronavirus guidelines by self-isolating on the island beforehand and taking the required Covid-19 tests. After showing its resilience and ability to adapt working methods to meet the ongoing Coronavirus restrictions, Land & Water has re-established the efficiency of Peel Marina for the future. The Peel Marina project is vital to the local community; this work promises to ease pressures put on the marina, ensuring that it is restored to its correct level for access and operation. This will continue to bring real economic benefits to Peel. With the works split across two phases, every stage of this project was carefully considered and structured to safely handle the materials removed from this site. Land & Water is proud to have contributed to a project which promises to bring about such positive change.
“Smart ports are the only ports that will survive … Smart means to me: no waste of space, time, money and natural resources.” – Olaf Merk, Administrator for Ports and Shipping at the ITF of the OECD As the commercial success of a port creates greater prosperity for it’s community, pollution levels tend to increase. Multiple emission sources including those from ships, port handling equipment (diesel engines), the process of unloading break-bulk and those generated within the city itself create a complex air quality landscape with many moving parts. How do we accurately assess it? Traditionally, expensive reference equipment has been used by government sources to monitor background air quality. These remain the gold standard at a legislative level, yet it is understandable that port authorities would hesitate to deploy them in a measurement campaign. Not only are they very expensive, but they are also large and do not lend themselves to being easily repositioned to suit different measurement needs. The other option has been to use passive diffusion tubes, a simple indicative technique. Whilst very low-cost and can measure longer-term average gas concentrations in a specific location, they cannot track changes in air quality over minutes, hours or days. Self regulation is vital for port authorities to understand their impact on air quality and to select actions to address emissions under their control. Yet, the financial burden of installing analytical equipment suitable for comprehensive monitoring has been prohibitive. Over the course of the last three years, South Coast Science has worked to develop a portable product capable of data quality that is comparable with the reference-level monitor, yet at only one-tenth of the cost. Robust measurement of pollutants such as SO2, NO2, particulates, VOCs and others can now be established with ease from products offering high accuracy and repeatability. All pollutant and device data is cloud-mediated and can be viewed online via a cloud dashboard. It is clear that this new technology in general remains less well established than the traditional reference instruments. South Coast Science has responded to this with a data correction algorithm and a policy of data transparency, which allows users and external specialists to interrogate and validate the data provided by the system. To this end, South Coast Science has developed an open-source platform that allows customers to do their own checks. The collaboration with global environmental consultancy Ricardo PLC is described in a short video here. The task of establishing baselines early on should be one of the aims of any measurement campaign so that subsequent pollution mitigation strategies can be measured and effectiveness established. For this purpose where priorities are yet to be decided, consulting services might be used to assist in focussing on the quickest wins with the most economical solutions. South Coast Science has worked with independent air quality consultants with many years of experience in various market sectors and would be happy to pass on details. For more information please contact David.Johnson@southcoastscience.com.
