Peel Ports Group has appointed Nigel Kent as its first Head of Project Cargo, bringing the management of project cargo activities across its UK port network under a single team.
Kent, whose official title is Head of Group Strategic Projects (Project Cargo), will provide customers with one point of contact across the group’s ports. Previously, project cargo was managed separately at individual locations.
The move comes as Peel Ports sees growing demand for handling large and complex cargo linked to the UK’s energy transition and major infrastructure projects.
Peel Ports centralises project cargo operations
Kent moves into the newly created position from his role as Head of Commercial at Peel Ports Logistics, the group’s shipping and freight forwarding business.
He joined Peel Ports Logistics, formerly Quality Freight UK, in 2010 as Commercial Manager before becoming Head of Commercial in 2021. He will be based at Ellesmere Port and have responsibility across the group’s UK network.
“Previously project cargo used to be handled on a port by port basis, but bringing it together under one team gives customers a single point of contact, gives a clearer line of communication throughout projects and highlights synergies across our UK ports,” said Nigel Kent, Head of Group Strategic Projects (Project Cargo), Peel Ports Group.
Peel Ports expects the energy transition to generate further demand for port infrastructure capable of handling oversized and heavy cargo.
Kent said the group is already working with customers on projects that will not begin until the end of the decade.
The operator’s project cargo capabilities include laydown areas, reinforced quays, heavy-lift crane capacity and road connections for abnormal loads.
At King George V Dock at Clydeport, Peel Ports has handled components for more than 1,200 wind turbines since 2005. The facility processed more than 1,000 components during 2024 alone.
Peel Ports has also invested £3 million in a new egress road at the site to improve the movement of oversized cargo. Meanwhile, the group has announced plans for a new deep-water terminal and an additional 350 metres of quay at the Port of East Anglia to support future project cargo operations.
“Demand for project cargo is rising fast, driven by the energy transition and the wave of concurrent infrastructure projects planned for the UK,” said David Huck, Chief Operating Officer, Peel Ports Group.
