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£10m crane investment on its way to Port of Immingham

2025-03-30 01:14:22 By

Simon Bird, ABP Humber region director, and the new cranes on the quayside in Germany awaiting export to Immingham.

A £10 million investment in cargo-handling equipment is on its way to Immingham.

Engineers from Associated British Ports have just returned from Germany where they have carried out final factory acceptance testing on three new mobile harbour cranes.

The hybrid Liebherr 420s will be arriving later this month from Rostock, at a cost £9.7 million, with an additional £500,000 spent on new grabs. The diesel generators poweing them can run on hydrogenated vegetable oil, with the option to switch to all-electric, reducing CO2 emissions as the port accelerates its green credentials.

Read more:ABP and Harbour Energy partner to provide CO2 import gateway at Immingham

Simon Bird, ABP regional director, had outlined a £30 million spend on equipment earlier this year. The order represents the largest shipment by the manufacturer to the UK. He said: “This is another great investment in the port. It offers our customers a range of equipment, these being specially optimised for vessels in the post-panamax class.

“It’s part of our wider strategy investment in future-proofing the Humber ports and giving our customers the confidence that the ports remain resilient, and we are giving them what they need in having reliable and efficient cranage.”

They are described as offering greater versatility, being able to be deployed on any quay, though primarily they will be used for bulk cargo and scrap handling. They have a 124-tonne lifting capability, and offer greater safety improvements in the driver’s cab.

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Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

Bristol packaging company to relocate to new site after more than 100 years

A Bristol company that manufactures packaging for some of the world’s largest drink brands is relocating to the north of the city after more than a century at the same site. Graphic Packaging International, which is headquartered in Atlanta in the US and operates globally, is moving from Filwood Road in Fishponds to a vast logistics building in Yate, it has announced. According to the firm, the relocation later this year will allow it to retain its current workforce and make a "significant investment" in new plant and machinery, as well as creating around 90 new jobs. The company has agreed a deal with logistics real estate firm Mileway for a newly refurbished 255,686 sq ft distribution warehouse - called Titan - on Armstrong Way. Property consultants Alder King and commercial real estate agency DTRE advised Mileway on the letting, while Savills Bristol acted for Graphic Packaging. Martin Sheppard, general manager, Europe and MENA for beverage packaging at Graphic Packaging, said: “We have a long and successful history of operating in Bristol which we were determined to continue. We are therefore delighted to have secured such an excellent new facility which will provide an enhanced and conveniently located working environment for our staff." Mileway completed an extensive refurbishment of Titan last year to provide 255,686 sq ft of warehouse and office space with 11 level access doors; 28 dock level doors; 10.7m eaves height; a large secure yard with 360 secure HGV circulation; and a separate car park. Chris Watkins, senior asset manager at Mileway, said: “Our refurbishment of this strategically located asset on Great Western Business Park has delivered a prime logistics building into a market experiencing robust demand. We are delighted that Titan will help facilitate Graphic Packaging’s continued growth in Bristol.” Andrew Ridler, head of industrial and logistics agency at Alder King, added: “Demand for this prime logistics building was strong from a variety of occupiers due to its size and proximity to the motorway network. It’s fantastic news to have secured the letting to Graphic Packaging, facilitating the expansion of one of Bristol’s longest-established manufacturing businesses, and in addition is great news for Yate.” READ NEXT

Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

PD Ports hits out at 'regrettable' legal battle with Tees Valley mayor

A dispute between one of Teesside’s largest employers and the area’s mayor has ratcheted up with accusations that the politician is risking public money in a legal battle. PD Ports has been in dispute with Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen over access to the South Gare area, with the battle set to come to court next year. The ports firm said it was “regrettable” that access to South Gare remains disputed. A legal case has been brought by South Tees Development Corporation, headed by Mr Houchen, over the access. The dispute comes after the mayor’s efforts to buy PD Ports last year founded when its Canadian owners Brookfield Asset Management called off plans to sell the company. Read more:Sage revenues reach £1.9bn Now, PD Ports has issued a statement saying that that South Tees Development Corporation had written to it in 2019 to say it would not “interfere with your continued occupation or to materially affect your day-to-day operations”. In the statement, the firm said: “We are confident that we have long established rights of access over the South Gare Road. In addition, historic legal documentation has been presented to STDC which shows our rights of access across the private road to South Gare in any case. Despite this and requests from our solicitors that STDC concede the South Gare issue in order to save both parties the expense of proving the historic use of the road at trial, STDC continues to deny PD Teesport’s rights over the South Gare road at significant cost to the taxpayer. “It is regrettable that in those circumstances access to South Gare remains a matter in dispute in legal proceedings commenced by STDC. However, PD Ports is confident that it will successfully obtain a declaration confirming its rights of access over the South Gare Road, in order to continue to maintain and protect South Gare, facilitating access for its tenants, licencees, agents, workman and all other persons entitled to use the road.” Tees Valley Combined Authority has been approached for comment. READ NEXT:

Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

Revealed: The 2022 Leicestershire ProCon Awards winners

The best construction projects in Leicestershire have been named winners at the 2022 ProCon Leicestershire Awards. There was a double win for Space Park Leicester and two wins for Market Harborough-based Corporate Architecture at the ceremony which took place Leicester’s King Power Stadium. Some 650 people attended the 19 th annual awards which had three corporate sponsors: Freeths, Salus Approved Inspectors and Unique Window Systems. ProCon chair Umesh Desai: “Huge congratulations to our winners and great respect too for our finalists. The judges had a difficult job due to the high quality of the entries. “Our thanks go to all the entrants and to our sponsors for their amazing support. It was wonderful to see another full house at the King Power Stadium” During the event a raffle was held, with proceeds going to the rugby children’s charity Wood Spoon. Regeneration Project of the Year, sponsored by Keepmoat Homes: Space Park Leicester, submitted by Pulse Consult and Shepheard Epstein Hunter Small Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Ashe Group: The Warren, Bitteswell, submitted by brp architects Medium Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Ashe Group: The Old Mill, Great Glen, submitted by Corporate Architecture Large Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Jessup Partnerships: Wyggeston Hospital Hub and Cottages, Leicester , submitted by Corporate Architecture Property Deal of the Year, sponsored by Procure Partnerships Framework: Europcar and Charles Street Buildings, Leicester, submitted by Charles Street Buildings Small Non-Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Gateley: Inglehurst Junior School Entrance and Extension, Leicester, submitted by Leicester City Council Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Gateley: Space Park Leicester, submitted by Pulse Consult and Shepheard Epstein Hunter Winners reactions: Regeneration Project of the Year: Space Park Leicester Space Park Leicester is a collaborative community of industry, academics and students working together to drive growth in space and space-enabled sectors. Dan Mason of Pulse Consult said: “We are delighted that the Space Park Leicester scheme has been awarded this prestigious accolade. Our client, the University of Leicester, are thrilled that their project has received the recognition that it deserves. The quality speaks for itself and it’s fantastic to see the former disused site brought back to life, with University colleagues and industry partners using the buildings and grounds at their full potential.” Small Residential Scheme of the Year: The Warren, Bitteswell The Warren is a bespoke family home designed to include new and innovative materials and technologies to reduce its environmental impact. Daniel Bent of brp architects said: “We are extremely proud that The Warren has been awarded as the winner of the Small Residential category. We would like to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication in making the project such a huge success. The whole team have worked extremely hard to design and build such a high-quality house and it has been a fantastic process from start to finish.” Medium Residential Scheme of the Year: The Old Mill, Great Glen The Old Mill is a low-density development of six new detached houses on the edge of Great Glen. Malcolm Foulkes-Arnold, director at Corporate Architecture, said: “On behalf of our client and ourselves, we are delighted to be declared winners of this year’s Medium Residential Award. It is always good to be able to breathe new life into something and create lovely and liveable spaces for our client and others to enjoy. The recognition by ProCon is much appreciated, especially as it comes from our peers in the industry.” Large Residential Scheme of the Year: Wyggeston Hospital Hub and Cottages, Leicester A new administrative and entertainment Hub and additional housing were added to the existing extra-care accommodation whilst a newly landscaped scheme was provided for residents to enjoy. Malcolm Foulkes-Arnold, director at Corporate Architecture, said: “On behalf of our client and ourselves, we are delighted to be declared winners of this year’s Large Residential Award. This project has been an excellent example of what can be achieved by strong collaborative partnerships. Our client’s Looking Ahead group provided regular feedback and support to the design team and contractors throughout the project, and this ensured that the needs of residents were kept firmly at the forefront at all times.” Property Deal of the Year: Europcar and Charles Street Buildings, Leicester This deal was for 16,752 sq ft of grade A office space at the Great Central Square development in Leicester. The deal was for Europcar’s new headquarters. Joseph Murphy of Charles Street Buildings said: “The letting to Europcar at No 1 Great Central Square confirms that Leicester, as a city, is capable of delivering best in class office space to internationally recognised tenants at an improved rental tone. CSB is pleased this has been recognised and sees the deal with Europcar as a springboard for further investment within the area.” Small Non-Residential Scheme of the Year: Inglehurst Junior School Entrance and Extension, Leicester Inglehurst Junior School’s new entrance lobby and reception area enhances the front of the school as well as improving security and safeguarding. Ian Lord, project architect at Leicester City Council, said: “At the outset of this project we had a clear vision to not only develop a new entrance, which would improve security and safeguarding at the school, but also create an extension that both celebrated the architectural quality of the existing building and dramatically provided an uplift to the street scene; revitalising an area in need of regeneration. Utilising innovation and modern technologies, key elements of the original late-Victorian building have been translated into a contemporary design, which has enhanced the status of the school within its neighbourhood and had an exceptional impact on its educational, social and cultural environment.” Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year: Space Park Leicester Space Park Leicester is a collaborative community of industry, academics and students working together to drive growth in space and space-enabled sectors.

Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

Belfast proves a strong draw for cruise ships with near-record visits this year

Belfast’s cruise sector has recovered strongly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic with 141 ships calling in the city during this year’s season. That is just shy of the record of 146 set in 2019 and represents 50 different ships from some 33 cruise lines, including 18 making their first visit to the city. They carried more than 250,000 visitors. The result is a far cry from 2020 when a scheduled 129 ships due to call at the port were cancelled by the pandemic. It is also a big jump on the 70 which visited the city in 2021 as the sector embarked on a cautious return to normality. The strong performance this year is testament to Northern Ireland’s growing popularity as a tourist destination, Cruise Belfast, a partnership between Belfast Harbour and Visit Belfast, said. “With our visitor numbers increasing again following the pandemic, this cruise season has been as runaway success as we welcomed both international and first-time visitors to Northern Ireland,” Mary Jo McCanny, Director of Visitor Servicing at Visit Belfast, said. “Belfast has built a strong reputation as a welcoming and exciting cruise destination and this busy season is reflective of the strong working relationships that Cruise Belfast has with global cruise operators.” Amongst the ships making their first visit to Belfast were the ‘Enchanted Princess’ and ‘Island Princess’ from Princess Cruises and the ‘Ambassador Ambience’ from Ambassador, a new British cruise line. Returning ships included the ‘Disney Magic’ which arrived with some 2,700 passengers and crew on board.

Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

Leonardo Helicopters' huge new £30m hub reaches milestone

A vast logistics hub being built in Somerset by defence and aerospace giant Leonardo has reached a major milestone, the company has announced. The flooring and structure of the £30m building within the grounds of the company's Yeovil site was recently completed, with the business marking the occasion with workers making cement handprints in the floor. The single-site logistics hub, as it is known, will help support Leonardo Helicopters’ global fleet by housing components and tools, according to the company. The hub is a collaboration between Leonardo and logistics partner Kuehne+Nagel, with real estate developer Graftongate and GMI Construction Group. The project involved the consolidation of eight existing warehouses into one all-encompassing logistics hub. Charlea Boucher, project officer at Leonardo Helicopters UK, who cemented her hands into the ground of the hub, said: "It has been amazing to see the rise of the Single-Site Logistics Hub during the final year of my business graduate placement at Leonardo in Yeovil. My great-grandparents worked on-site a few generations ago in engineering, so it’s great that this investment in the site is future-proofing Yeovil for years to come as I embark on the next stages of my career here at Leonardo." The hub will be equipped with rainwater harvesting tanks for brown-water services, meaning water is recycled for use throughout the building in a non-drinking capacity. It will also have LED lighting throughout the facility and a heat-recovery system that will be used in the main warehouse. A bank of electric vehicle charging points will be installed, which will support a new fleet of electric commercial vehicles that will distribute components from the hub to the company’s manufacturing facilities. Leonardo said so far, 61,000 tonnes of demolition material had been moved with 25,000 cubic metres of material re-used for the new building. More than 15,000 cubic metres of earth have also been moved with a total expectation of reaching 25,000 cubic metres, the firm said. The hub is set to be operational in 2023 and will be run under a 10-year commercial contract with Kuehne+Nagel, which will include an investment in plant and equipment installation and warehousing transition activity. READ NEXT Airbus delivers first A330neo plane to Virgin Atlantic

Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

Why Jeremy Hunt must commit to electrifying Midland Mainline and decent rail links between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham

The new Government must not drop a promise of electrifying the Midland Mainline and commit to improving east-west rail links across the Midlands. That is the call from campaigners who are urging Jeremy Hunt not to take his eye of a string of big projects that could cut congestion and CO2 emissions and bring vital business into the region. The new Chancellor will reveal his economic plan on November 17. Transport for the East Midlands, which brings together nine councils across the region, and Midlands Connect – a division of the Midlands Engine – have drawn up a wish list of eight schemes they say help prop up the regional economy as the country faces one of the toughest economic periods ever. They claim the region has missed out on billions of investment under both Labour and Tory governments since the turn of the century – which has seen transport spending drop from around 80 per cent of the UK average per person in 2001/2 to around 65 per cent today. Their list include funding the on-then-off-the-on-again plans to electrify the Midland Mainline north of Market Harborough. After pausing the plans in 2015, then cancelling them in 2017, the Government’s 2021 Integrated Rail Plan re-committed to electrify the line up to Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield by the early 2030s. The investment will enable East Midland’s Rails new Aurora Class intercity trains to run in electric mode – providing the wires south of Bedford are upgraded from 100mph to 125mph. The campaigners are also calling for improvements to the poor rail services linking Coventry with Leicester and Nottingham. There has been no direct link between Coventry and the two East Midlands cities for almost two decades. Midlands Connect recently put forward plans that would see direct services brought back with a new route through Nuneaton. Once in place, the changes would allow a direct, twice hourly service between Coventry and Leicester, cutting journey times from 54 to just 38 minutes. It will also create new links from Coventry to Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway and Nottingham. Journey times from Coventry to Nottingham would also be cut from 108 minutes to 70 minutes – a 35 per cent reduction. Other priorities included enhancements to the A46 Growth Corridor, improving safety and reliability on the A1, and improvements to the 56 mile A50/A500 Corridor running from Derby to Stoke. Campaigners also want to see money spent on the A5 Growth Corridor, the delivery of HS2 to the East Midlands and Leeds and improving connectivity across EMDevCo and East Midlands Freeport areas. Leicester Mayor and TfEM chairman Sir Peter Soulsby said investment in transport would support the Government’s the Levelling Up agenda among other things. He said: “There is uncertainty around the impact that the upcoming budget will have on public sector spending generally, but it’s imperative that the East Midlands does not fall behind any further when it comes to transport funding. “At present, if the East Midlands was funded at a level equivalent to the national average, it would have an extra £1.26 billion per year to spend on transport.

Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

Northern cold storage and logistics operation enters East Anglia with family firm buy-out

A major cold storage business with operations across the North has extended its footprint with an East Anglian acquisition. The Ice Co Storage and Logistics - the distribution arm of Hull-based J Marr Group - is headquartered in West Yorkshire, with further sites in Preston and Newcastle. It has bought Savage Haulage Ltd in a multi-million pound deal. It is described as one of the largest temperature-controlled storage and logistics businesses in its region, with sites in March, Cambridgeshire, and Thetford, Norfolk. The £5.9 million turnover company has been a family business for 60 years run by brothers Martyn and John Savage. Read more: Seafood processor swoops for neighbouring home delivery specialist Paul Martin, managing director of The Ice Co Storage & Logistics, said: “The acquisition of Savage Haulage provides us with greater geographic reach and capacity and allows us to benefit from greater economies of scale in the face of inflationary pressures which are eroding margins across the haulage and cold storage industry. Combining operations puts us on a firm footing for growth in the years ahead.” The Ice Co operates blast freezing and tempering services with a 51,000 pallet capacity, and has operations dating back to 1908, established to support the fishing fleet. Initially it was in Fylde, then Newark, with a game-changing acquisition of a site at South Kirkby, between Doncaster and Wakefield in 2006. Martyn Savage, joint managing director of Savage Haulage, said: “The Ice Co Storage and Logistics is a family company with the same values and ethics as ourselves. They are committed to continuing the existing operations, retaining existing personnel in the same positions and creating further opportunities in East Anglia as they take the business forward.” Savage had appointed accountancy firm Price Bailey and Tees Law, having agreed a sales mandate as part of exit plans for the brothers, with The Ice Co Storage adn Logistics emerging as preferred buyer after discussions with a range of trade operators and private equity houses. Stephen Reed, partner at Price Bailey, said: “The distribution and storage sector is highly fragmented with many owner-managed SME operators. Consolidation is occurring as operators seek to grow through acquisition and reduce unit costs through economies of scale and other operational efficiencies by combining resources and extending the range of services offered to customers. Ice Co Storage & Logistics is a natural fit with complementary customers and Savage Haulage offers them a tremendous opportunity for geographic expansion.” Lucy Folley, who led on the legals as partner at Tees Law, added: “The haulage and storage sector has faced inflationary challenges in the form of rising fuel, energy, and labour costs. Following a slowdown in consolidation during the pandemic, we are now seeing a strong resurgence in interest in mergers and acquisitions as businesses seek to capitalise on strategic opportunities and enlarge their geographical footprints.” FRP, the business advisory firm, and Hull-headquartered Andrew Jackson Solicitors, acted for The Ice Co Storage and Logistics, with Price Bailey and Tees Law advising Savage.

Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

Midlands to Cornwall flight route announced by Eastern Airways

Eastern Airways has announced a new flight route connecting the Midlands to Cornwall. From February 10 the regional airline will operate a daily service between East Midlands Airport and UK holiday destination Newquay. The carrier said the hour-long flights, which will begin to coincide with school half-term breaks, would be operated year round, on a “low-emission” 72-seater ATR aircraft. Bosses at Eastern Airways described the creation of the route, which is the only one to connect the Midlands to the South West, as ”a major step”. The travel hub sits within 30-minutes of Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and an hour of Sheffield. Commercial director Roger Hage said: “Adding the new destination of Newquay-Cornwall, this significantly improves access to the UK staycation destination of choice. “We want to ensure the right services are being offered, given Eastern Airways is all about supporting the regions of the UK, connecting people and places, so growing our Cornish network and capacity is a crucial part of increasing connectivity and aiding economic recovery to both business and the UK’s vital tourism sector where sustainable.” Sam O’ Dwyer, managing director at Cornwall Airport Newquay, said research and passenger feedback had shown “much demand” for a link into the Midlands region from The Duchy. Ms O’ Dwyer added: “Eastern Airways has been serving Cornwall since 2020 and these latest announcements provide a clear indication of its continued commitment to ensure our customers have more choice available to them when travelling within the UK throughout the year.” In addition, Eastern Airways has also announced it will double the frequency of its service between Newquay and Humberside Airport, launched earlier this year, from April 2023 to four flights a week, to cover next year’s summer period. Read next:

Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

Cost of living crisis scuppers workplace parking levy plans

A council has dropped plans to make many companies pay a levy on their city centre parking because of the uncertainties caused by the cost of living crisis. Leicester City Council had been considering charging most employers with more than 10 spaces £550 per space per year under the proposals. It had said changes were needed to cut congestion and meet tough climate and air quality targets, and raise money to provide sustainable transport for new housing developments. Between 450 and 600 firms would have been affected and, pending government approval, it could have started in early 2023. Deputy city mayor Coun Adam Clarke said current political and economic circumstances make it impossible to proceed with the plans. He said: “We made a commitment in 2019 to consult on a levy in Leicester, and at that time we could not foresee the political uncertainty and dire economic situation the country is facing today. “We have concluded that we cannot implement a WPL (workplace parking levy) during this ongoing national cost of living crisis, which is causing such uncertainty and concern for so many people and businesses in our city. “The consequence of this of course is that we won’t have the funding needed to radically improve public transport for so many of our residents, which would in turn help to tackle the climate emergency. In truth, simply maintaining the current levels of service will be a huge challenge.” The council said transport improvements in recent years included creating a Leicester Buses Partnership and growing the city’s fleet of electric buses with more than 100 more planned. It said the redeveloped St Margaret’s bus station was the first to be net zero. Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “We have made enormous improvements in Leicester in recent years thanks to successful bids for funding that we have had to compete for against other local authorities. “However, our long-term aims require significant and reliable ongoing funding that is not currently available. “We can only hope that before too long there will be a Government in place that will have the vision to transform public transport in this country, and will provide the funds to do it.

Ports & Logistics2025-03-30 01:14:22

Amazon says it has invested more than £3bn into East Midlands since 2010 and created 8,000 jobs

Retail giant Amazon says it has invested more than £3 billion into the East Midlands in a little over a decade. According to a new in-house report the global retailer said since 2010 its investment had contributed an estimated £3.1 billion to the region’s GDP and created 8,000 jobs with 200 apprenticeships. It said across the region more than 6,000 SMEs had worked in partnership with the business since 2010, recording more than £190 million in exports. Breaking the figures down, Amazon said it had put £1.2 billion into its logistics network and warehouses in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, along with £1.7 billion into Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire. It has put smaller investment into Lincolnshire. Nationally the US company said it had put £43 billion into the UK since 2010 and created 75,000 jobs, contributing an estimated £36 billion to UK GDP. Across the UK it has 24 big fulfilment centres and dozens of delivery stations. It has recently completed a year-long expansion at its Coalville site in north west Leicestershire, which has increased the capacity of the site by a third without increasing the one million sq ft footprint of the building. A four-storey tower has been built inside the fulfilment centre, increasing floor space and also enabling the 1,000 or so workers there to manage a greater variety of products. Vivek Khanka, the general manager at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, said the business was supporting local businesses, creating jobs and making a positive contribution to the regional economy. He said: “We help more than 2,000small businesses across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire sell on Amazon and reach customers around the world, and we also continue to support community organisations across the region through donations and volunteering.