The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, has visited the Port of Tilbury for the official opening of the country’s newest port, Tilbury 2, which is capable of handling containers and trailers.
Tilbury2 is a £250 million (US$340 million) investment by one of the largest port operators in the UK, Forth Ports Group on a former power station site spanning approximately 650,000m².
“It was an honour to officially open Tilbury2, the UK’s newest port, and meet with key workers and apprentices on site. Freeports are driving trade, investment and jobs right across the country and helping to capitalise on our newfound Brexit freedoms. It is hugely welcome to see the Port of Tilbury going from strength to strength, benefiting not only businesses and workers but also the wider Thames Gateway region,” commented Boris Johnson.
When fully operational in two months’ time, Tarmac’s construction materials terminal (CMAT) will use a bespoke 2 kilometres long aggregates conveyor system and a railhead capable of taking the longest freight trains at 775 metres, meaning construction materials can be delivered efficiently from vessel to the terminal for processing before moving onto building projects and public infrastructure schemes.
Charles Hammond OBE, chief executive of Forth Ports, said, “British financed and British built for a rapidly growing British company and delivered during the height of the pandemic. The burgeoning logistics cluster at Tilbury has been boosted by Thames Freeport status and is primed to be part of global Britain’s future as we look to drive forward sustainable growth, with manufacturing, next generation logistics and clean energy generation at its heart.”
