PD Ports has revealed its new £500,000 ($660,000) warehouse facility at Groveport on the River Trent.
The new 10,000 square-foot warehouse aims to boost trade efficiencies and reduce costs for port customers as part of a long-term plan to continue growing business on the Humber.
The facility will act as an interim storage location for cargo that will help improve turnaround time on vessels carrying weather-sensitive cargo. This includes fertilisers and steel hollow sections, allowing for temporary, covered quayside storage before transportation to a main warehouse facility on site.
The investment will maximise the efficiency of the ship-to-shore (STS) cranes being used to move cargo from the vessels onto the quay. This in turn reduces the time vessels stay in the port, providing a more cost-effective solution for customers.
“We are delighted to be able to offer this new facility that will directly benefit multiple valued customers at Groveport and further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing unparalleled levels of service without compromising on sustainability,” said Geoff Lippitt, Chief Commercial Officer for PD Ports.
“Working in partnership with our customers, we have been able to provide a solution that will save time and money whilst increasing efficiencies and, most importantly, offer an effective solution for handling their cargo.
“This new investment forms part of our wider plans to diversify the cargos we current handle and will make Groveport a highly attractive option for businesses dealing with weather-sensitive products.”
All Steels Trading is acting as one of the beneficiaries of this new storage location.
Laurence McDougall, Managing Director for All Steels Trading, added “After newly two years of disruption caused by the pandemic and all the associated operational constraints, I just wanted to communicate All Steel Trading’s pleasing satisfaction of the newly installed quayside warehouse at Groveport.
“The proximity of this large quayside warehouse, immediately adjacent to the berth, has significantly improved discharge speeds and, with vessel availability being so tight in the current market, off-loading speeds have never been so important.
“The introduction of this new facility has certainly helped to strengthen PD Ports’ and Groveport’s reputation in the market as companies making investments to advance their infrastructure to the benefit of its steel trading tenants and their supply chains.”
PD Ports has also recently launched its new Port Community System (PCS), alongside the help of its European partner the Port of Rotterdam.
Announced in September 2021, the digital solution from the partnership was created to improve efficiencies and boost the international competitiveness of Teesport and the River Tees.