Associated British Ports (ABP) has appointed ByrneLooby as lead engineering consultant to provide the design phase of the Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF).  This project will provide significant re-engineering of the existing quayside in the outer harbour, creating a modern port that supports the renewable energy industry.  ByrneLooby’s marine team will deliver state-of-the-art infrastructure that accommodates the next generation of offshore support vessels and provides facilities supporting O&M (Operations and Maintenance) and construction support activities, vital to the growing North Sea energy sector.  When complete, the project will offer 360m of berthing space for simultaneous use by three SOVs and deliver up to eight acres of flexible storage and marshalling area. In addition, it will enable the development of around 5,000 sq ft of new office space with direct quayside access. Building on its long history of servicing offshore energy customers, the Port of Lowestoft is close to one of the most significant clusters of offshore wind farms in the UK. It provides a convenient marine hub for offshore wind customers to maintain operations, repower, and construct offshore wind sites. In 2019, Scottish Power Renewables opened an Operations and Maintenance building in Hamilton Dock to support the 714MW East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm. The port is also home to the O&M base for Scottish & Southern Energy’s (SSE) Greater Gabbard Offshore wind farm, located 23km from the Suffolk coast. Ian Dobson, Head of Marine UK at ByrneLooby, said: “We are delighted to be awarded the design of LEEF for Associated British Ports as part of the realisation of the port masterplan.  “Our focus is on delivering this strategic project with sustainable and innovative solution-driven design that will realise the highest possible value for ABP. It will play a vital role in supporting ABP’s five-year-masterplan, re-invigorating the port, the locality and the region and providing its customers with a transformed next-generation port.”   Project Video  

Civil engineering specialist contractor GRAHAM has completed a £15m redevelopment of the Victoria Terminal 2 (VT2) ferry terminal ramp which services the Belfast to Birkenhead route. The existing berth has been upgraded to handle the next generation of modern Roll-On / Roll-Off (RoRo) ferry vessels, Stena Line’s new E-Flexer series ships. The project involved the installation of a new double deck linkspan that allows vehicles to be loaded or discharged simultaneously over two decks of the ferry. This investment will allow Stena Line to increase capacity, reduce turnaround times, improve customers’ experience and enhance connectivity to one of Northern Ireland’s key markets. As part of the works, GRAHAM’s project team also constructed new berthing infrastructure including dolphins, walkways and automatic mooring system, and a new approach ramp to the linkspan upper deck. To increase the efficiency of piling operations during the scheme, the project team designed and fabricated a hydraulic piling gate that was utilised on a floating crane barge on site, reducing the time taken to complete the piling works. Throughout the works materials were procured through the local supply chain and GRAHAM also recruited a new engineering apprentice to work on the scheme. The project forms part of Belfast Harbour’s long-term investment strategy in Port infrastructure and futureproofs Belfast’s ferry facilities. The new E-Flexer ships, which entered service earlier this year, will enhance freight capacity by 40%. At 215m long, the new ships will have a freight capacity of 3,100 lane metres and space to carry 120 cars and 1,000 passengers and crew. They will also utilise the most modern marine technology available and be the most sustainable vessels operating in the Irish Sea. Thomas Craven, Contracts Manager for GRAHAM, said: “We’re delighted to have been part of this important infrastructure project for Northern Ireland, which will unlock further potential for freight capacity between Belfast and Liverpool. “Our team called upon its vast expertise in port and marine engineering to deliver this first class terminal and associated infrastructure. The facilities will provide major benefits to Northern Ireland’s importers and exporters, improving the customer experience as well as enhancing capacity on the route.” The VT2 project follows GRAHAM’s recent work at the Port of Tilbury, where the firm delivered the UK’s newest and largest unaccompanied freight Roll on/Roll off (Ro-Ro) terminal. Trevor Anderson, Belfast Harbour said: “The upgrade of the Victoria Terminal 2 ferry terminal represents another significant investment by Belfast Harbour in Northern Ireland’s transport infrastructure and will provide world class facilities for Northern Ireland’s importers and exporters.  “The project is an important step in our ambition to become the World’s Best Regional Port. By supporting the introduction of larger vessels the investment also futureproofs Belfast Harbour’s ferry facilities and strengthens our long-term partnership with Stena Line.” Last year the contractor also completed the first phase of a multi-million-pound upgrade to the Port of Southampton’s Ocean Cruise Terminal and is currently delivering a £10m repair project at Swansea West Pier and a new wharf and land upgrades as part of a £40m redevelopment to the Port of Dundee. 

The government has announced an investment of £30 million to ensure the UK’s ports “continue to thrive” after Brexit. Making the announcement Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that the investment would ensure that trade continues to flow smoothly at UK ports after 31 October 2019. The Department for Transport is calling on ports across England to bid for a share of £10 million, as part of the Port Infrastructure Resilience and Connectivity (PIRC) competition, to help deliver upgrades which will enhance capacity and maintain trade flow. On top of this, the government is providing £5 million to 4 key Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) – made up of emergency responders, councils and other public services – in areas with key freight ports. This will help them build infrastructure improvements to minimise any potential traffic disruption at the border. A further £15 million will go towards longer-term projects to boost road and rail links to ports and ensure more freight can get where it needs to be faster. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We are leaving the on 31 October and we will be prepared whatever the circumstances. “As the continues to develop as an outward-facing global trading nation ready for a post-Brexit world, the resilience of our trading hubs is more critical than ever before. “This £30 million investment supports our ports in their work to boost capacity and efficiency, ensuring they’re ready for Brexit and a successful future.” The funding comes as part of the government’s £2.1 billion investment to step-up the country’s preparations for leaving the EU. The competition will be open until 6 September, after which successful bidders will be given up to £1 million each to deliver infrastructure improvements. For example, this may include providing more parking and container storage space or developing traffic systems to ensure the free flow of cars and lorries. The £5 million is targeted specifically at delivering infrastructure improvements to manage road traffic around maritime ports with important trade routes. It comes a week after the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced a separate £9 million scheme for local councils and to support their overall planning for Brexit in local areas and major air, land or sea ports. This funding could include supporting the hiring of additional staff or implementing regional communications campaigns. The Department for Transport continues to prepare for all circumstances after 31 October and has been implementing a multi-channel information campaign to ensure hauliers have the documents they need to carry goods into the EU.