Walsh and Tilbury announce major expansion
Two new freight hubs for Port of Tilbury as 20-year agreement is signed.
By Marc Allen, Maritime Direct UK
Leading provider of road, river, and rail freight solutions, Walsh, has signed a 20-year agreement with the Port of Tilbury. In a press release, Tilbury’s parent company, Forth Ports, said the long-term agreement will help meet the capital’s demand for construction materials in the most sustainable way possible.
The deal will enable Walsh to create two new freight hubs in the port, the first will be a logistics terminal with an aggregates processing plant and the second a rail-linked freight terminal. Walsh plans to bring 400,000 tonnes of secondary aggregate into Tilbury by sea and river each year from china clay producer Imerys in Cornwall. The material, known as Cornish Granite, is rated as one of the most sustainable aggregates in the UK.
Peter Ward, Commercial Director at The Port of Tilbury said: “Walsh are an important and long-standing customer, and we are very pleased to be working with them on this strategic expansion and investment in their business. The Port of Tilbury has unrivalled multimodal transport connections and businesses located at the port which together create a Construction Hub that benefits everyone…”
Walsh and Port of Tilbury have worked together for decades and both businesses are investing significantly in the new operations at the port. Walsh will move into 34-berth in March 2021.
Joe Gifford, Managing Director of Walsh said: “We’re delighted with this deal which further extends our river, rail and road network across the South East… With aggregate recycling at its maximum in the capital – a success story we’re also proud to be part of – our new partnership with the Port of Tilbury means we can bring in Cornish Granite that would otherwise be discarded…”
