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Port of London (UK) (ID: 12343)
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Welcome to the Port of London This site contains information on the following aspects of the Great British Port Commercial Users Terminals, services and facilities, trade contacts, business directories, charges and interactive river map. Leisure Users Facilities, river history, river events, cruise ship arrivals, leisure directories. Maritime Users Nautical information and data for vessel navigation, for commercial and leisure mariners. The PLA Recruitment, statutory and corporate issues, PLA policy and strategy, contact details. PLA, Bakers' Hall, 7 Harp Lane, London EC3R 6LB - Tel +44 (0)20 7743 7900 Access Keys | Site Map | Search With excellent road and rail links, the Port of London, the Great British Port, is within only two hours travelling time of 30% of the UK population, who enjoy 35% of Great Britain's gross domestic product. This UK Port is the gateway to and from the markets of London and the South East of England. More than 80 terminals situated along the River Thames are geared to handle every type of cargo for import and export, including container cargo and bulk cargo, strengthening the London Port's key position as one of the leading European and world ports for international shipping. Port of London Handbook: Terminal Directory, Terminals by Commodity, Shipping Services, Port Community Services This section provides information on London's port facilities including details on container terminals, bulk terminals, cruise ship terminals, freight and port services including marine, pilotage, hydrographic and shipping services. Harbour Service craft patrol the River daily between Southend and Teddington. The duties of the Harbour Service include the inspection of licensed river works, river traffic control, advice and assistance to river users, byelaws enforcement and responding to marine and riverside incidents. For more information on the Harbour Service go to the Maritime area. Mileage Calculator Interactive River Map - Terminal Location Terminal Information Terminal Directory Terminals by Commodity Terminal Overview Cargo Types Transport Links Facts & Figures Joint Marketing Initiative Overview Fact File Port Location Port Development Services Harbour Service Hydrographic Service Marine Services Overview of Marine Services Salvage and Diving Service Moorings Lighthouse Service Driftwood Service Tosca Annual Report 2002 Lift-out Facilities, Plant and Equipment Hire PACE Pilotage Service Planning and Partnerships Port Services Interactive Connections Atlas - Shipping Services Shipping Services Vessel Traffic Services Waste Reception Web Services Screen Saver Interactive Image Port Charges Incentives PACE Charges Pilotage Charges River Charges PLA Credit Terms Conservancy Charges Mooring Charges River Tariff Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Cruise New Floating Cruise Terminal (May 2004) Cruise Ship Diary Capital Cruising Terminals Cruise Agents News Media Releases Port Community Port News Media and Press PLA Publications Contact Principal Addresses General Enquiry Operational Contacts Harbour Master (Upper District) Harbour Master (Lower District) Hydrographic Enquiries Pilotage Ship Movements Byelaws, Directions & Notices Craft Registration Marine Emergency Planning Marine Services Marine Engineering Commercial Contacts Trade Enquiry Press and PR Trade Shows / Exhibitions Navigational Navigational Warnings Chart Catalogue Miniplots Tide Information Live Tides Tide Tables Tidal Definitions Weather Information Chart Corrections Critical Depths Thames Bridges Heights Incident Report Form Depths on Tiers Surveys Published Surveys Periodic Surveys Hydrographic Survey Notes Ship Movements Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Ship Listings Port Communications Schedule II Checklist Marine Safety Navigational Safety Policy Supporting Policies VTS Policy Pilotage Policy Hydrographic Policy Enforcement Policy PMSC Compliance Navigational SMS SMS Manual Risk Assessment Report Public Consultation RUCFs SAR Coordination Safe Mooring Code Emergency Management Pilotage Pilotage Exemptions (general) How to get a PEC Reporting Guidelines PEC FAQ Notes for Exam Candidates Assessment Criteria Forms Administrators Info for PECs PEC Holders PLA Pilots Boarding and Landing of Pilots Code of Practice Pilot Card Regulatory PL Act PLA Byelaws PLA Directions Port Entry Guide PLA Notices to Mariners PLA Notices to Agents, Berth & Ship Operators Voluntary Tug Code Ship Towage Tugs News Media Releases Port Community Port News Media and Press PLA Publications Contact Principal Addresses General Enquiry Operational Contacts Harbour Master (Upper District) Harbour Master (Lower District) Hydrographic Enquiries Pilotage Ship Movements Byelaws, Directions & Notices Craft Registration Marine Emergency Planning Marine Services Marine Engineering For a full list of terminals and contact details see Terminal Directory. Brett Aggregates Ltd Purfleet Thames Terminal Brunswick Wharf RMC Materials Calor Gas Seacon Terminals Coryton Refinery ST Services Docklands Wharf Tarmac Southern Ford Motor Company Thames Europort Foster Yeoman Tilbury Container Service Hanson Aggregates Tilbury Power Station Jurgens Jetty TDG European Services Kierbeck Limited United Marine Aggregates Lafarge Aggregates Vopak Terminal Oikos Storage Ltd Welbeck Wharf Port of Tilbury Brett Aggregates Some one million tonnes of sea-dredged aggregates from specific areas of the North Sea and off the coast of the Isle of Wight are landed each year at Alpha Jetty, Brett Aggregates main terminal in the Port of London. Rail accounts for the onward transit of 40% of Brett s output from the terminal, with a full train load departing every day. An on-site block-making plant utilises 30% of the terminal s throughput to produce a number of products for Brett Paving. Additional aggregate is also landed and stored at Brett s Northfleet facility before processing and onward transit to the construction industry. To improve environmental efficiency, large-scale silt-handling units are being installed at both sites. These will recycle water from processing equipment and collect waste silt which will be compacted and disposed of in landfill sites. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Brunswick Wharf Pura Foods has operated its jetty at Purfleet since the group acquired the Van den Bergh Oils business in August 2003. The jetty receives more than 300,000 tonnes of edible oils a year, including sunflower, rapeseed, palm, coconut and olive oils. Bulk oils are delivered to a wide range of food manufacturing factories around the UK and overseas, as well as being processed at Unilever s adjacent facility the largest margarine factory in the world. The jetty s outer berth has a minimum depth of 8.25 metres alongside and accommodates vessels up to 40,000 dwt. HCH Marine operates from the 50 metre inner berth, from where it conveys edible oil products to and from other facilities on the Thames. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Calor Gas Terminal Throughput at the Calor Gas terminal on Canvey Island increased again in 2003, to a total of 145,000 tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Volumes are expected to rise again during 2004. The terminal plays a major role in the success of Calor as the leading distributor of LPG, having a dedicated jetty that accommodates refrigerated LPG imports from VLGCs of up to 200 metres l.o.a. LPG is stored in eight separate insulated tanks at -43 degrees centigrade and is distributed inland by road tanker and pipeline, with some re-exported by ship. Helping to ensure continuity of supply to Calor s UK customers, while maintaining the stability of LPG market prices, the terminal s strategic location provides the company with access to a network of worldwide LPG suppliers. It also plays a key role in the international storage and supply strategies of Calor s parent company, SHV, which operates LPG business throughout Europe, Asia and South America. LPG has traditionally been used to fuel homes and businesses not connected to the mains gas supply. However, Calor is continuing to develop new green applications for its products and has led the way in the UK with initiatives such as Autogas for road vehicles, Marine Gas for boats, and CFC-free refrigerants and aerosol propellants. A 17 kilometre LPG pipeline connects the Canvey Terminal to Calor s Coryton Filling Plant, giving an important environmental advantage by reducing the number of road tanker movements to and from the terminal. As well as the construction of the pipeline, recent investment has included improvements to product heating facilities to serve the increasing amount of exports to pressurised LPG carriers. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Coryton Situated on the north bank of the River, BP s Coryton Refinery has been part of the Thames landscape since 1953 and is one of the largest in Europe. Covering 370 acres, the site produces both fuels and lubricants, including the range of cleaner fuels - low-sulphur diesel, lead replacement petrol and low-sulphur lead-free petrol. BP believes its activities should not only generate economic benefits and opportunities to the community but that its conduct should be a source of positive influence, its relationships should be honest and open, and it should be held accountable for its actions. Investing in sophisticated on-site systems and projects, BP ensures that the refinery does not damage the environment and that its operations are to the highest safety standards. One example of the refinery s investment in environmental protection is BP s work with the Port of London Authority (PLA) in the setting up of TOSCA (the Thames Oil Spill Clearance Association), which provides a rapid response in the event of any oil spill. The strategic relationship between the PLA and BP at Coryton provides first-class management of risk. This includes working together on real-time simulation training for Coryton pilotage activities. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Docklands Wharf Docklands Wharf, Barking, saw sand volumes increase by 50% in 2003, as it established a strong presence in this business. The facility also handles scrap metal and steel rebars, and regularly handles railway lines for London Underground and the national rail operator Network Rail. Investment during 2003 included the purchase of a new hydraulic crane with 10 tonne grab, improvements to wharf-side storage facilities and the renewal of concrete surfaces. The wharf has one telescopic loader on site, and hires in additional equipment as required, to ensure flexibility of operations. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Ford Motor Company Following the closure of Ford Motor Company s Dagenham vehicle assembly plant in 2002, the company s Dagenham Jetty has dramatically increased its import volumes of built-up vehicles which are now all produced overseas. Three Cobelfret ro-ro sailings per day via Vlissingen connect the terminal to Ford sites in Cologne, Genk, Saarlouis and Bordeaux. The onward transportation of vehicles to dealerships around the UK is via the terminal s own railhead or through the company s in-house fleet of road transporters. Significant third-party activity further contributes to throughput and the company is seeking to maximise the potential of its resources by increasing traffic. A number of importers outside the automotive industry are already taking advantage of the terminal, which is handling and delivering materials and finished products to the UK manufacturing sector. Ford is also working with a freight forwarder which is bringing additional cargo through the terminal. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Foster Yeoman Foster Yeoman is a privately owned company originating from Somerset, where it has been actively quarrying limestone aggregates and producing construction materials for almost 80 years. In the mid-1980s, Foster Yeoman opened a new coastal quarry at Glensanda on the west coast of Scotland. Combined production from the two quarries is currently 12 million tonnes per year, with the potential to increase Glensanda by a further ten million tonnes or more per annum. Distribution from Glensanda is by sea and to facilitate the most economic distribution cost, Foster Yeoman has invested in a fleet of self-discharging vessels, each with a capacity of 97,000 tonnes - the largest gravity feed self-discharging vessels in the world. Around five million tonnes per year of Glensanda aggregates are distributed throughout the main European sea terminals, from Poland to Spain. Specifically to serve the south east of the UK, the company has established two terminals in the Port of London at Gibbs Wharf and Robins Wharf, thereby enabling direct deliveries to both the north and south sides of the Thames. Varying grades of aggregate are shipped either direct or via the company s Isle of Grain terminal, where it is stored and reprocessed for distribution either by barge or road. The facility is also available for the handling of third-party cargoes and has handled coal and other bulk cargoes. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Hanson Aggregates Hanson Aggregates operates two facilities on the Thames, at Dagenham and Victoria Deep Water Terminal, as well as a joint venture operation with RMC called Purfleet Aggregates at West Thurrock and a joint venture with United Marine Aggregates at Delta Wharf called Blackwall Aggregates. About 200,000 tonnes a year of processed marine-dredged aggregates are brought over the wharf at Victoria Deep Water Terminal, where new storage bays have been installed to increase efficiency. Throughput at Dagenham is expected to increase to 1.1 million tonnes in 2004, as the wharf will begin to take volumes previously handled at Delta Wharf, where it is winding down its operations. Major investment at the Dagenham site in 2003 has provided a new large-scale bagging facility. Installed in co-operation with a Hanson Group subsidiary - Hanson Pac-Products the operation supplies bagged materials to the DIY and small construction sector and has also contributed to the increasing volumes. In addition, the site s processing plant has been extended by the addition of stocking-out conveyors, representing an investment of ?620,000.This cuts down on the need for mobile plant at the site. Rail is crucial to Hanson s operations and each year 500,000 tonnes of sand and gravel from the London terminals is conveyed by rail to four major depots around London at Acton, West Drayton, Brentford and Heathrow. Plans have been drawn up to upgrade the rail facilities at the Dagenham terminal in 2004, with an extra siding to accommodate a special train supplying materials for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. In addition, Hanson has been providing large amounts of sand and gravel for the construction of London Heathrow Airport s new Terminal Five and is also supplying surfacing materials to the A13 and M2 improvement projects. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Jurgens Jetty Pura Foods has operated its jetty at Purfleet since the group acquired the Van den Bergh Oils business in August 2003. The jetty receives more than 300,000 tonnes of edible oils a year, including sunflower, rapeseed, palm, coconut and olive oils. Bulk oils are delivered to a wide range of food manufacturing factories around the UK and overseas, as well as being processed at Unilever s adjacent facility the largest margarine factory in the world. The jetty s outer berth has a minimum depth of 8.25 metres alongside and accommodates vessels up to 40,000 dwt. HCH Marine operates from the 50 metre inner berth, from where it conveys edible oil products to and from other facilities on the Thames. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Kierbeck Limited For the second year in succession, the level of throughputs at Kierbeck Wharf on Barking Creek exceeded 100,000 tonnes last year, almost exclusively in reinforcing steels. Kierbeck anticipates that it has the potential to continue with this level of throughput throughout 2004, wit imports coming from Latvia, Germany, Spain, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Belarus via Lithuania and Moldova via the Ukraine. The company continues to supply reinforcing steel and associated products for major prestigious UK construction projects, including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Lord Foster s Swiss Re Tower in the City of London and some of the UK s major road schemes, including the A13 and A120 improvements. Kierbeck is midway through the supply of 15,000 tonnes of processed reinforcement to the Dublin Port Tunnels project, the single largest order for steel reinforcement ever placed in Ireland. Improvements made to the wharf infrastructure during 2002/2003, coupled with recent investment in the provision of additional craneage, have made the facility more efficient for the handling of cargo. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Lafarge Aggregates Lafarge Aggregates, one of the UK's major suppliers of construction materials, has been operating facilities on the Thames for many years at Johnson s Wharf at Greenhithe, Lafarge Jetty at West Thurrock and Mulberry Wharf, Belvedere. In July last year, Lafarge commissioned a ?1.5 million aggregates and ready mixed processing plant at Johnson s Wharf, which is supplied with sand and gravel dredged from the East Anglian coast by 4,500 tonne dredgers. The gravel is washed and processed into different grades for use in prestigious local developments such as the Bluewater shopping complex and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. The new ready-mixed plant has an annual throughput of 45,000 cubic metres. Investment at Johnson s Wharf is set to continue to with refurbishment of the ship-to-shore conveyor. Lafarge began operations at West Thurrock in 2001. As a deep-water facility, ships can discharge at all times, regardless of the tide. Imported marine aggregates are mainly supplied by Britannia Aggregates, a joint-venture between Lafarge and Brett Aggregates. Annual output at the site exceeds 350,000 tonnes. Now under Lafarge ownership, Mulberry Wharf is used to import high PSV stone from France and Ireland for use in asphalt production plants in Hertfordshire. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Oikos Storage Ltd Investment during 2003 by Oikos Storage included lining a number of tanks at its Canvey Island facility for the storage of aviation fuel, which it expects to be a growing part of its business in the near future. The site is now fully capable of handling aviation fuel alongside petroleum products, lubricants, chemicals, waxes, hard oils and other specialist products. In all, the terminal has 100 tanks ranging in capacity from 10,000 to 20,000 cubic metres. With a depth of ten metres alongside, the 220 metre jetty can handle a variety of barges and sea-going vessels. Located within easy reach of the M25 via the A13 and A127, the site has top and bottom road loading facilities as well as direct access to the UKOP and GPSS pipeline systems. Fully licensed by Essex County Council and the Environment Agency for the storage and treatment of liquid waste, slop oils and oil/water mixtures, the facilities specialises in oil recovery and waste products management, with material to be processed arriving by road and sea. Occupying 165 acres, Oikos Storage is looking to make maximum use of the entire site, with potential to invest in new facilities for liquids or for other import, manufacture or distribution activities. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Port of Tilbury The announcement of yet another massive investment project at the Port of Tilbury will bring a major new customer to the Thames - and also spark a series of inter-related developments throughout the port. Tilbury, which is owned by the Forth Ports Group, is to invest ?31 million in a new terminal for forest products group Stora Enso, which will move its southern UK imports to Tilbury in a long-term agreement. This new deal underlines Tilbury s position way out in front as the UK s largest forest products port. The port is already handling over two million tonnes of paper and forest products through its various terminals annually, and the Stora Enso traffic is expected to push the total over three million tonnes. But this is just one facet of the port s extremely diverse portfolio. Tilbury, which reported volumes up 11% in the first half of 2003, holds a strong position across a broad range of cargo-handling operations, including short-sea and deep-sea containers, vehicles, grain, animal feedstuffs, general and project cargo, aggregates and scrap, as well being a major cruise port. Tilbury s location is a key advantage, with easy, direct road and rail links to London, the South-East UK and beyond. The focus is on dedicated terminals with highly trained workforces - but it is also on being a great deal more than simply a port. Tilbury sells itself as an integrated, multimodal distribution hub, offering solutions that enable its customers to get the very best out of their supply chains. Construction of the new facilities will take place alongside the relocation operations, and the new terminal is expected to be up and running by 1 July 2005. Tilbury has the benefit of Freeport status across its entire 325 hectare port complex, giving companies access to important cash-flow benefits. Imported goods can be stored within the port under the Freeport rules, allowing companies to defer payments of VAT and duty until the goods actually leave the port. This system helps avoid double handling and meet just-in-time delivery slots, and also allows value-added activities such as processing, finishing, packing or handling to take place in a tax-free environment. During 2003, the Port of Tilbury introduced a new management structure in which three key senior managers a Finance Director and two senior Asset Managers now serve under Managing Director Perry Glading, forming the Tilbury management board. Tilbury Automotives Vehicle imports through the Port of Tilbury are climbing steadily. After a very successful first five years at the port, Hyundai Car UK is to sign a renewed agreement with Tilbury, and is expected to import 35,000 vehicles during 2004. Hyundai operates its own dedicated storage and pre-delivery inspection PDI) centre next to its dedicated riverside ro-ro berth - the combined facilities representing heavy investment by both Port of Tlbury and Hyundai. The ro-ro berth has a minimum depth alongside of 10.5 metres and handles vessels up to 220 metres in length. The cars arrive at Tilbury on EUKOR Car Carriers vessels, which also generate significant volumes of other import and export cargoes - including other car imports. Tilbury also handles a weekly service by United European Car Carriers (UECC), bringing Ford Transit Connect vans from Turkey. Ford is due to move to a new six-hectare site on the Fortress Distribution Park as part of the series of changes at the port. A new arrival at Tilbury has been Japanese Import Auctions, which has taken on a 0.8 hectare site for grey imports. These vehicles are imported through the Hyundai berth and auctioned within the port once a week. The Port of Tilbury is looking to increase its automotive business and is negotiating with a number of possible customers. Tilbury Finnish Terminal Forth Ports invested ?21 million in the Finnish Terminal, which was opened in 1999.The 14-hectare terminal, at Berths 45 and 47, can handle up to 1 million tonnes of forest products a year in sto-ro, ro-ro and container configuration. It includes 62,000 square metres of purpose-built warehousing for paper. The paper is shipped into the Finnish Terminal by Transfennica, on three or four vessels a week. During 2003, the Finnish Terminal gained the environmental accreditation ISO 14001. Tilbury Interforest Terminal Interforest operates an 8.8 hectare paper import terminal at Tilbury with 60,000 square metres of warehousing, including a transit facility to handle the company s ro-ro cassette system. The terminal handles a throughput of around 500,000 tonnes of paper each year from North America and Scandinavia. Vessels are unloaded via the 230-metre quay which has a depth alongside of 11.6 metres. A floating pontoon has been installed to discharge stern ramp ro-ro vessels. The cargo handling fleet includes forklift trucks, tugmasters and translifters. Value-added services at the terminal include ships agency, stevedoring and freight forwarding, and there is also the advantage of Freeport facilities. In recognition of the efficiency and quality of its operations, the Interforest Terminal was the first facility in the Port of Tilbury to be awarded ISO 9002 accreditation. An ongoing investment/replacement programme ensures that Interforest s terminal equipment is continually updated. Finn Forest A 100,000 square metre warehouse opened in April 2003 has expanded Finnforest s warehousing and picking capacity by about 20%. The warehouse, at 46 Berth, was built for Finnforest as part of a ten-year agreement with the Port of Tilbury, and has given Finnforest purpose-built facilities in which to increase its throughput of timber products, plywoods and doors. Finnforest has recently introduced electronic warehousing and a paperless picking environment at the terminal. Tilbury Forest Products Once Stora Enso s new traffic is in place, the Port of Tilbury expects its total forest products business to reach three million tonnes a year - making it by far the biggest port in this sector in the UK. However, this is certainly not a case of all the eggs being in one basket. Forest products are handled at a number of completely separate business operations within the port, including UPM Kymmene/M-Real at the Finnish Terminal, Norske Skog,Westerlund, Finnforest, SCA at the Interforest Terminal, Stanton Grove and MBM. Tilbury Stanton Grove Stanton Grove has seen its forest products volumes climb rapidly since it began importing through Tilbury at the beginning of 2001. The Merseyside-based forest products specialist handles Canadian and European newsprint and kraftliner and fine papers from the United States at 42 Berth, where it occupies a 9,000 square metre warehouse. Cargo has increased from 35,000 tonnes in 2001 to a forecast total of between 90,000 and 120,000 tonnes in 2004. Stanton Grove began operations at Tilbury as part of its strategy to bring newsprint and other products through ports that are closer to the press rooms and end users - a strategy that is enabling the company to take trucks off the roads and reduce transportation costs to customers. It has about six main customers at Tilbury, importing shipments of between 5,000 and 60,000 tonnes, with the focus on flexibility and high levels of customer service. Tilbury Grain and AFS Terminal Wheat, barley, peas, beans and rapeseed exports, and maize, wheat and soya bean imports are handled in large volumes at Tilbury Grain Terminal. This important facility handles between 1.3 and 1.4 million tonnes a year, with about 800,000 tonnes of this being exports. Vessels are discharged by continuous bucket unloaders and suction to the silos or directly to trucks or both at the same time. Loading is carried out by conveyor with hold trimming equipment. The Grain Terminal offers drying facilities and other processing options. Rank Hovis,Allied Mills,ADM Milling, Cerestar and National Starch & Chemicals all operate mills next to the terminal, and are served by direct conveyor links. Animal feedstuffs are also a major business at Tilbury, with imports by Bunge (UK) amounting to about 300,000 tonnes a year. Tilbury Cruise Terminal More than 30 cruise vessel calls are expected at the London Cruise Terminal at the Port of Tilbury during 2004. Investment plans to refurbish the terminal are being considered and the Port of Tilbury is hoping to attract grant support because of its historical interest. The Grade II listed building dates back to 1930; over the years, many people setting out from the UK for a new life in Australia left from the terminal, while for many others coming to the UK from the Commonwealth countries, this was where a new life was to begin. Tilbury offers excellent access to London for cruise visitors, particularly thanks to the upgrading of the A13. The London Cruise Terminal provides a comfortable departure lounge, with separate baggage facilities and discreet but effective security measures. Tilbury London City Bond London City Bond (LCB) set up its warehousing and distribution facility for wine, beers and spirits at the Port of Tilbury in 2001 - and during 2003, the company relocated its UK head office to the port as well. The port s former police building has been refurbished for LCB, as the police are now based near to the port s entrance. Such is the demand for office space within the port estate that all available buildings are now let out. LCB s 39,000 square metre warehousing facility is next to 29/30 Berth.As well as receiving shipments at its two berths, which have a depth alongside of 11.2 metres, LCB s products also arrive through Tilbury Container Services. Tilbury s Freeport status is an important advantage for LCB, because it automatically guarantees a high level of security for these high-value commodities. Duty on goods stored within LCB s Tilbury facility is not payable until they leave the warehouse. LCB distributes goods all over the UK and also overseas from Tilbury. Tilbury Shortsea Intermodal Terminal Trucks are turned round in an impressive 25 minutes, an essential factor for the lines, which are serving customers on a just-in-time basis. All of this is underpinned by heavy investment in quayside equipment, and a focus on high productivity within a relatively small area. Both Geest and Seawheel are successfully growing their door-to-door business and their third-party and feedering volumes - while both lines are putting an increasing number of boxes on to rail. Purfleet Thames Terminal Volumes at Purfleet Thames Terminal were up again in 2003, as a number of new customers began shipping through the terminal. The terminal is owned by Cobelfret, which runs four ro-ro sailings a day to Zeebrugge and one to Rotterdam out of Purfleet. In 2002, Purfleet handled 277,000 trailers and containers, and 345,000 trade cars. In the first half of 2003, volumes were up to 150,000 trailers/containers and 170,000 cars. The 2003 total and anticipated volumes for 2004 are both expected to show a further increase. Investment at the terminal during 2003 included the purchase of a new 40-tonne capacity gantry crane, which was commissioned in the summer to complement the existing crane. This has increased handling capacity for boxes by up to 70%. An additional reachstacker was also purchased, and the terminal and gate were fully computerised with a new location system. Cobelfret operates 11 ro-ro vessels on the Thames, serving Purfleet and Ford s Dagenham Jetty. Larger vessels introduced last year have meant a substantial increase in capacity on all its routes; with five decks, the largest vessels can accommodate 157 megatrailers and 450 cars. Purfleet Thames Terminal is located on the north side of the Thames, close to the QEII Bridge and the M25 London orbital motorway. As well as easy access to the national road network, the terminal has excellent rail links, with two railheads inside its perimeter. Manufacturers using Purfleet to transport vehicles include General Motors (Vauxhall and Opel), Volvo, Mercedes, Rover, Mazda and BMW. An on-site pre-delivery inspection (PDI) and vehicle enhancement centre is open to any terminal user and provides a range of services, including retro-fitting of navigation systems, security system upgrades, racking, painting, body kits and spoilers to customise vehicles. Cobelfret has signed heads of agreement with P&O Ports to build and operate the new two-berth ro-ro facility within the London Gateway development, which will be in addition to its Purfleet facility. RMC Materials The merger of the former RMC Aggregates and RMC Readymix companies created a new company, RMC Materials, from February 2004. RMC operates eight wharves on the Thames, as well as a joint company operation with Hanson Aggregates, named Purfleet Aggregates. The RMC Group is the world s largest supplier of ready-mixed concrete, and its London terminals supply many major construction projects in the south east of England. Northfleet Wharf and Angerstein Wharf handle imports of sea-dredged aggregates from RMC Marine, where they are processed and sold on to the construction industry. Processed material is also supplied by barge to Cringle Wharf at Battersea, for onward sale. Asphalt plants are operated on-site at RMC Dagenham and British Gypsum Wharf in Erith, where hard rock is imported from other RMC Group facilities in the UK or from France. RMC invested ?8 million in a concrete products factory at Northfleet, to produce pavior and concrete blocks, which in turn has led to increased volumes through Northfleet. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Seacon Terminals Seacon has opened new added-value facilities a 2,000 square metre heated steel-handling building, equipped with gantry crane for the unwrapping of steel in a totally enclosed and insulated environment. Steel makes up about 50% of Seacon s volume, with the remainder being divided between other metals and forest products. Volumes through the terminal totalled about 750,000 tonnes in 2003. Operating its own fleet of five chartered 2,000 dwt ships, Seacon is developing business from Duisburg in particular. The box-hold ships are ideal for steel and newsprint, and smaller loads can be consolidated. The company s newsprint business benefits from its close proximity to London s press rooms, while the terminal is well located for national distribution of steel cargoes by road and rail. An all-weather berth allows the discharge of steel and paper cargoes under cover. For contact details see Terminal Directory. ST Services Served by two 228-metre jetties with a depth of 10.6 metres alongside at low water, the ST Services terminal at Grays specialises in the storage of hydrocarbons, having a total storage capacity of 290,000 cubic metres in 53 tanks ranging from 1,700 to 20,800 cubic metres. Continued investment in modern loading bays and the latest safety equipment to maintain its high standards of excellence has provided fully automated top and bottom loading facilities, backed up by a computerised pre-loading authorisation system, which are key to the terminal s highly efficient distribution operation. Close access to the M25 London orbital motorway provides customers with a fast and efficient means of receiving products in London, the South East and nationwide. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Tarmac Southern Tarmac Southern has had two Thames-side facilities since it began operations in 2002 at Mulberry Wharf, Belvedere. The Mulberry Wharf site, which is owned by Lafarge Aggregates, is going from strength to strength. During 2003, it supplied high-PSV materials as part of a major resurfacing contract for the M25 and A12 being undertaken by Tarmac s contract division, with a requirement in total of about 70,000 tonnes. In all, Mulberry Wharf handled about 100,000 tonnes in 2003 and a 15% increase in volumes is expected in this year. A hopper discharge system has been installed at Mulberry Wharf, which means self-discharge ships are now the norm. The company s other site at Riverside Wharf, Charlton, is going through changes, with supplies being predominantly made to external customers. With a throughput of about 100,000 tonnes a year, the site now provides back-up support to Mulberry, particularly providing flexibility for out-of-hours operations. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Thames Europort Operating out of Thames Europort - located just 800 metres from the M25 motorway on the south side of the River - Dart Line carried 235,000 freight units on its ro-ro services through the Thames in 2003, reflecting further growth year-on-year. Both Dart Line and Thames Europort, now part of the Bidvest group, are developing as an important link in the South African parent s logistics chain, which is expected to lead to further growth in business through Dart Line s frequent services to Europe. Dart Line operates three ro-ro sailings a day to Zeebrugge, two a day to Vlissingen and two a day to Dunkirk. As inland haulage costs continue to rise, shippers make substantial savings by using Thames Europort to access the European mainland. In addition, the eight-hour crossing counts as a rest break for drivers, helping to maintain hauliers efficient schedules. A camera inspection facility takes up to 16 shots of the trailers entering the Thames Europort terminal, providing speedy access and recording vehicle details for security and potential damage claims. An automated vehicle processing system - where drivers are issued with an electronic tag on entry to the terminal - was introduced last year and has further enhanced vessel loading and turnaround efficiency, as well as cutting paper wastage. During 2003, another 3.6 hectares of operational land were created at the terminal, providing additional standage areas for the Dart Line service. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Tilbury Container Services Tilbury Container Services (TCS) has achieved an impressive increase in volumes since the completion in 2001 of its ?30 million investment in its second riverside berth. Now TCS is expecting a boost in rail traffic, benefiting from further investment in a new dock-side railhead completed during last year. TCS - London s only dedicated deep-sea container terminal - is jointly owned by Associated British Ports (ABP), P&O Ports and Forth Ports. In 2001, the terminal handled 230,500 TEUs, which climbed to 276,500 TEUs in 2002. By the end of 2003, with a series of new services now established and business steadily expanding, throughput was expected to reach 347,500 TEUs. In recent years about 15% of the terminal s throughput has been handled by rail and with the new railhead complete, TCS s objective is at least to double this figure. This would deliver obvious environmental benefits and also allow a more even spread of landside container movement into and out of the terminal. doubling the number of straddlecarriers to 40, and purchasing two stacktrucks for handling empty containers. By spring this year, TCS will have taken delivery of two further Paceco ship to-shore gantry cranes of 60 tonnes lift capacity, similar to those commissioned when the new berth was constructed except that the new cranes will have a 50-metre outreach rather than 42 metres. TCS has 600 metres of riverside quay length in all, with minimum depth of 13.5 metres. The terminal also has 575 metres of quay within Tilbury s enclosed docks. There are 5,000 ground slots, a quarter of these being reefer slots, and the total site covers 83 acres. The terminal specialises in North/South deep-sea trades, particularly those with perishable cargoes requiring specialist refrigeration care. About 10% of total throughput is in reefer boxes. Having attracted a number of high-profile new services in the past two years, TCS continues actively to market its facilities and remains confident that there will be further new arrivals. Recent new services won by TCS include Mediterranean Shipping Company s (MSC) East Coast South America service, the European Pakistan India Consortium (EPIC) with its weekly calls to and from the Indian subcontinent and P&O Nedlloyd s Lambada service to South America. Less than a 15-minute drive from the M25 London orbital motorway and with dedicated Freightliner train services to destinations throughout the UK along with feeder links to Europe and Ireland, TCS is strategically placed for further growth. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Tilbury Power Station Tilbury Power Station currently imports 2.2 million tonnes of coal a year. A ?10 million investment to extend the jetty will allow its owner, RWE Innogy, to handle panamax size shipments from early-2004. The 210 x 10.5 metre extension on to the side of the existing 350-metre long jetty is due for completion in the spring. The power station s annual 2.2. million tonne coal burn is expected to stay the same - but the new extension will accommodate larger direct imports of coal from any source using panamax vessels, avoiding the cost of transhipment via smaller vessels. In addition, the jetty extension will open up opportunities for third-party business, particularly as RWE Innogy has a 100-acre non-operational site available next to the power station. For contact details see Terminal Directory. TDG European Chemicals Pharmaceutical oils, ethanol, general chemicals, solvents, mineral/base oils, vegetable and edible oils, petroleum products, agricultural products and drilling fluids are amongst the products stored at TDG s Dagenham site. The terminal has 253 tanks, ranging in size from two cubic metres to 11,000 cubic metres, including mild steel, stainless steel and epoxy lined tanks including temperature controlled and agitated tanks. Total storage capacity is 138,000 cubic metres. A TOPAS tank management system provides up-to-the-minute stock management of all the bulk tanks. TDG s deepwater jetty has a total of 34 dedicated jetty lines, including segregated and dedicated discharge/loading lines. An inner barge berth is also used for fuel and gas oils and vegetable oils. Products can be received and despatched around the clock by sea or road. Blending and dilution, filtration and packing facilities are provided on-site, supported by experienced chemists and a fully equipped laboratory to include testing, certification, monitoring and sampling. TDG Dagenham is ISO 9001:2000 accredited and a designated COMAH Top Tier site. UK-wide bulk and packed road distribution is offered from the terminal, which has benefited from two new dock link roads to the A13/M11/M25. For contact details see Terminal Directory. United Marine Aggregates United Marine Aggregates (UMA) operates terminals at Murphy s Wharf, Charlton and Pioneer Wharf, Erith. Both terminals receive, handle, process, store and despatch marine-dredged sand and gravel extracted from a number of specific dredging areas off the eastern and southern coasts of the UK. All material is delivered by self-discharging vessels and transferred by conveyor to stockpiles, at which point they are either loaded for sale or processed. The majority of the aggregate subsequently sold is used in ready-mixed concrete. Murphy s Wharf, covering 6.5 acres, is believed to be the largest marine aggregate terminal in Europe, producing between 1.6 and 1.8 million tonnes per year. Nearly half of all material sold from the facility is transported to customers by rail. UMA has budgeted for ?2 million in capital investment projects in 2004, including replacement silos, sand plant and site reorganisation. At Pioneer Wharf, 2003 saw capital investment in excess of ?1.3 million, where the process plant was replaced and improvements made to internal site roads. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Vopak Terminal Providing excellent coverage of the UK, Vopak has four bulk liquid storage locations situated in London and also at Ipswich, Teesside and Windmill (Barry, South Wales). In London the company operates two sites its main terminal offers 350,000 cubic metres of storage capacity at Thurrock, just downstream of the Dartford river crossing, while two miles upriver it has a 4,720 cubic metres carbon dioxide terminal with its own dedicated jetty, at Purfleet. In Thurrock, the terminal has three riverside berths with a low water depth of 10.5 metres providing first-class import facilities. This Top Tier COMAH site offers over 130 tanks, ranging in size from 50 to 10,500 cubic metres and suitable for storing aviation and transport fuels, chemicals, vegetable oils and liquid fertilisers. On-site facilities include a vapour recovery system that captures and reprocesses gasoline vapours, LPG gasoline blending capabilities and process control systems via automatic tank gauging and modern tank radar technology. In 2003, the terminal s Automatic Truck Loading System and site access monitoring was upgraded to improve product security even further. An ongoing project during 2003 and into the first quarter of 2004 involves significant investment to increase LPG gasoline blending capabilities and introduce another independent blender to the Thames. As the leading independent supplier of road fuels to many of the major independent fuel retailers in the south east of England, Vopak s London terminal is classified as a strategic location for the continued supply of road fuels in the UK. Providing a 24/7 operation and with the emphasis on minimising road tanker turn-round times, the terminal has more than 120 dedicated road loading points, including fully automated bottom loading facilities and remote ordering and access to the site. Its location, only a few minutes from Junction 30/31 of the M25, means customers have excellent access to the UK s national road network. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Welbeck Wharf The four-hectare Welbeck Wharf is owned by the Arcelor Group of companies, the world s biggest steel manufacturer. The site has over 15,725 square metres of warehousing, 4,800 square metres of which is covered storage for steel products, with a further 10,925 square metres of covered storage for processing and warehousing of its own material. Specialising in steel coils for the automotive industry, Welbeck is running at maximum capacity, with annual throughput of over 2220,000 tonnes. There is approximately 44,000 tonnes of steel stored on site at any one time, ready for onward delivery. A 175-metre quay can accommodate two vessel of up to 2,000 dwt, with a 110-tonne capacity Eiger crane allowing vessel turnaround times of less than ten hours. For contact details see Terminal Directory. Bookmark page Legal Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Terms and Conditions | Access Keys Facilities | Facts & Figures | Services | Port Charges | Cruise | News | Contact With excellent road and rail links, the Port of London, the Great British Port, is within only two hours travelling time of 30% of the UK population. Port of London (UK)