Pd Ports News

PD Ports in the U.K. has ordered a new dredging vessel from Dutch shipbuilder Neptune Marine.The 71-meter-long hopper dredge, which has already been named the Emerald Duchess following a competition among PD Ports employees, was ordered for £23 million and will arrive at Teesport next summer.Currently under construction at a shipyard in Poland for commissioning, ahead of trials in the Netherlands in 2024, the Emerald Duchess will replace the Cleveland County, which had served…

Middlesbrough, UK headquartered PD Ports has launched a second rail service connecting Teesport direct with Scotland opening up further opportunities to connect global importers and exporters with the north of the UK.The new service, operated by DB Cargo, will run five days a week from the quayside at Teesport to PD Stirling Terminal at Mossend in Glasgow. The timings of the service operate in direct connection with the P&O Ferries service calling daily at Teesport from Zeebrugge and Rotterdam; providing a vital connection for shippers, shipping lines and forwarders looking for frequent, flexible and efficient routes to market.Having launched the first Scottish rail connection from Teesport in August 2015…

In the week that global maritime leaders gave the UK a vote of confidence, naming it one of the world’s leading maritime centres, PD Ports is urging UK businesses not to develop ‘Brexit blinkers’ but instead to explore significant new global opportunities as the UK negotiates its exit from the EU. Industry data shows UK export performance as a whole has been stronger outside the Single Market than within the EU over the last decade according to PwC’s UK Economic Outlook report. Although Brexit will bring challenges to the UK export market, there are equal opportunities to increase their focus on key emerging markets such as Asia in the medium and long-term, allowing businesses to take a truly global approach rather than limiting themselves to trade within the Union.

PD Ports initiated a series of voluntary consultative discussions with the ICS (North East Branch) and the Tees and Hartlepool Port Users Association (THPUA). Following these consultations PD Ports will be increasing all Port Dues Tariffs by 1.0%, broadly in line with current UK RPI, from 1 January 2016. This 1% increase to tariffs is a holding measure whilst the overall impact of the SSI closure as it impinges on the broader River is assessed. Since the closure of SSI UK and the loss of some 25% of port volumes PD Ports has, for its part, undertaken a number of measures to deal with the consequences of this very profound business reduction.

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has received an order for three Kalmar Gloria reachstackers and one Kalmar empty container handler to PD Ports' Teesport facility in the United Kingdom. The order was signed in July 2014 with delivery in December 2014. Jerry Hopkinson, PD Ports Managing Director - Bulks and Port Services said, "Kalmar's innovative technology, especially in the new cabin, was an important factor in our decision. At PD Ports, health and safety is our number one priority and these new machines will help us to further promote a safe working environment for our employees." The deal also reflects the port's focus on an ever improving service for customers, as well as increased throughput and enhanced efficiency.

McDermott International, Inc. announced that one of its subsidiaries has signed an option agreement with PD Ports which gives it the exclusive right to operate a spoolbase to serve projects in the North Sea. McDermott expects to have the facility available for projects in early 2015. Located in Hartlepool, in northeast United Kingdom, the spoolbase is expected to support McDermott’s reentry into the North Sea Reel-Lay market. The Port of Hartlepool is a well-established working port with a history of fabrication for the oil and gas industry and has excellent access from harbor to the open sea.

Teesport, recognized as the first port in the world to be fitted with a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) system, will upgrade to C-Scope, the next generation maritime surveillance system from Kongsberg Norcontrol IT. “The relationship between Kongsberg Norcontrol IT and Teesport is the longest running technology partnership in our history,” said Steve Guest, General Manager for Kongsberg Norcontrol IT’s UK office. Located five kilometers east of Middlesbrough on the River Tees, Teesport is one of the United Kingdom’s major ports and one of the largest ports in Western Europe. Owned by PD Ports, it handles both international and domestic cargo in excess of 38 million tons per year.

A&P Tees, part of A&P North East, has won an exclusive contract from UK dredge contractor CEMEX UK Marine, part of the CEMEX UK Group, for the drydocking of the company’s three trailing suction hopper dredgers over a five-year period. Due to the severity of the work undertaken by dredgers, it is expected that each vessel will be drydocked on a regular basis. The first vessel, the 5,022 m3 Sand Falcon already visited the shipyard during March/April this year, and the 2,700 m3 Sand Heron and the 4,000 m3 Sand Fulmar are due in the yard during July and August respectively.

PD Ports has announced the creation of 13 full time permanent positions for Teesport based apprentices. The new dock operations roles in both bulks and container related areas of the business will commence at the end of April, after the existing apprenticeship programme completes. The programme took over 18 months of training and is on track to achieve 100% success rate with all 13 apprentices achieving a NVQ Level 2 in Dock Operations. PD Ports initiated the programme in conjunction with the Redcar Development Trust…

SSI UK has recently achieved a major milestone having exported over one million tonnes of steel slab through PD Ports owned Teesport. The millionth tonne was loaded on to the Yasa Eagle on Friday 5 October as part of a 64,000 tonne shipment. The vessel sailed from Teesport on Sunday 7 October destined for Thailand. The latest shipment represents a significant uplift in the handling of slab through Teesport since the plant was mothballed in 2010, and one which has been achieved through the major investment of SSI. David Robinson, PD Ports’ CEO, commented: "This is a significant milestone reached and one which we are delighted to see achieved.

RichLand-LSP strengthens chemical logistics business unit with appointment of Graham Wall as Managing Director; Singapore-based logistics solutions provider looks to expand in South-East Asia region under new leadership. Leading chemical logistics solutions provider RichLand-LSP has appointed Graham Wall as Managing Director as it looks to expand its bulk liquid chemical transport operations throughout South-East Asia. Mr Wall brings 25 years of chemical logistics experience…

PD Ports has recently appointed Geoff Lippitt as Business Development Director. Geoff also joins the Company’s Executive Committee team, reporting to Chief Executive Officer, David Robinson. Geoff’s remit is to lead the commercial business development activities across the Company, which includes assuming responsibility for PD Ports’ commercial personnel reporting lines. In keeping with PD Ports’ core business strategy, this will allow for a more streamlined approach to the business’ customer relations activities and will enhance value for its stakeholders.

The Finnish Ambassador for the UK recently visited PD Ports owned Teesport, to see the facility’s latest cranes, purchased from a Finnish manufacturer. As part of his tour of north-east England and Edinburgh, Ambassador Pekka Huhtaniemi visited the port with his wife, Liisa Huhtaniemi, met with senior port officials and was taken on a tour of the dock estate and shown around the port on a launch boat. Mr Huhtaniemi then viewed the four new RTG (rubber-tyred gantry) cranes delivered to Teesport on 18 August.

The four new RTG (rubber-tyred gantry) cranes delivered to Teesport today are a key component of the current £16.7million expansion of the container terminals at Teesport and represent the biggest single equipment investment in the port since the container terminal opened in 2003. The Konecranes RTGs, manufactured in Finland and Poland for a total investment of around £5 million, are the first of their type to be supplied by Konecranes in the UK and will allow PD Ports to significantly improve handling capacity on the Teesport Container Terminal as volumes continue to grow. “By switching from the current handling system using reachstackers to these RTGs we can store many more boxes on the same area…

PD Ports has been recognised at the ASDA Carrier Awards for the second year in succession, winning the UK Container Carrier Award 2011 for the combination of its Logical Link and PD Logistics services. ASDA launched the awards last year to help it continue to raise standards amongst its logistics suppliers, and contestants had to demonstrate improvements in seven areas: colleagues, service, compliance, empty miles/positioning, equipment, fuel efficiency and innovation. Frank Antropik, PD Logistics General Manager (North) collected the award from Lee Hodgkin Carrier Manager – Imports, Supply Chain Operations at the awards ceremony at Queens Hotel, Leeds.

PD Ports has announced it has reached another major milestone at Teesport – handling its 150,000 container through its container terminals for the first time in history within a calendar year. Frans Calje, PD Ports MD Unitised, said: “To have reached this record number from a steady throughput of around 80,000 containers only some two and a half years ago is a testimony to the success of our portcentric logistics strategy and the hard work that went into making it a success. This latest achievement surpasses 2009’s container handling milestone at Teesport…

PD Ports, the operator of North East port, Teesport, has been named the Most Outstanding Service Carrier of the Year in 2009 by UK retailer, ASDA, at its annual National Carrier of the Year awards ceremony. The award was won by PD Ports for its Logical Link service - a coastal feeder container shipping service offering a next day connection between Felixstowe in the south of England and Teesport in the north, which runs three days per week. ASDA has used the Logical Link service since it launched in January 2009, to ship goods destined for its northern markets into Teesport, where the retailer operates a 360,000ft distribution center.

In November, PD Ports reached a major new milestone.  For the first time Teesport handled over 100,000 containers in a year.  This is the highest volume of containers ever recorded at Teesport on the North East coast in any calendar year.  Frans Calje, PD Ports’ managing director, unitised, said “We are delighted that in these difficult economic times our efforts have clearly out-performed the market.  We are really proud of what has been achieved at Teesport this year.  We expect to reach this benchmark earlier each year as we move forward.” (www.pdlogistics.com)

PD Ports has completed the first phase of its latest expansion programme to further develop its existing container terminal handling facilities at Teesport on the North East coast. This $3.2m investment involved the relocation of the Port’s existing Vauxhall cars import compound to make some 10 acres of additional land available, directly behind the existing TCT2 container terminal facilities. This land has been freed up to accommodate an increase in container volumes handled at Teesport.

PD Ports has been shortlisted for the International Bulk Journal Awards 2009, in the category of Best Ship Loading/Unloading System. The awards, which take place in Amsterdam on 23rd November, will see PD Ports compete against four other entries, which include U.S. construction company Agrico Sales and German mobile pneumatic conveyors manufacturer Neuero. PD Ports is the only UK finalist in its category and has been shortlisted on the basis on the installation of the Siwertell equipment at Immingham. The Siwertell 5000s offers the bulk market an environmentally friendly solution for discharging dry bulk products such as cement, grain and fertilizers, due to its ability to minimize dust emissions. This is achieved through the equipment’s totally enclosed conveying line.

PD Ports and Teesside University welcomed the first 15 delegates on the newly launched Foundation Degree, specifically created for those working within the Ports Industry. Launched in late September, the Foundation Degree, in Leadership and Management (Ports) is offered over two years on a part-time basis. Some of the students have not studied for over 30 years and the course will recognise that they need help to rejuvenate their learning skills. The 15 delegates span a number of diverse roles throughout the PD Ports Group.

PD Ports has received Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consent from the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) in relation to the QEII berth redevelopment at Teesport. This formal consent together with its associated licences enables PD Ports to proceed with the construction of the new 260 metre long berth, which is an integral part of MGT Power’s Tees Renewable Energy Plant development at the Port. The new berth will accommodate vessels up to 240 metres long and 38 metres wide…

PD Ports, a UK ports & logistics business based in Middlesbrough, confirmed that it is under new ownership, following the sale of 100% of its equity to Canadian-based Brookfield Asset Management. The sale was part of a broader transaction with Babcock & Brown Infrastructure (BBI) in which Brookfield, as the cornerstone investor, led a recapitalisation of BBI.   Brookfield has formed a new holding company Brookfield Ports (UK) Ltd to complete the purchase of PD Ports.  BBI was the previous owner of PD Ports from early 2006 until now. (www.pdports.co.uk)