FEATURE
WORDS : DAVE ROBSON
Wind in their sails
Business is buoyant at PD Ports – and the boss says there ’ s more to come
PD Ports is confidently continuing its bold expansion plans in 2022 - buoyed by support from its owners .
So says CEO Frans Calje , who is certain this year will continue the firm ’ s encouraging resilience , despite the choppy economic waters caused by Covid .
In a message to stakeholders , Mr Calje has outlined the many highlights of 2021 – as well as pointing to new investment and contracts in 2022 .
And he says that owner Brookfield ’ s pledge , in November 2021 , to retain ownership of the business , after speculation it may offload , was “ a decision based on the strength and huge ongoing potential of PD Ports and the Tees Valley .”
Reflecting on 2021 , Mr Calje said that despite the ongoing challenges caused by the pandemic , “ we have continued to grow our business and its contribution to the Tees Valley and wider UK economy , playing a critical role supporting the government ’ s levelling-up agenda .
“ In doing so , we have also taken important steps towards achieving our long-term vision to establish the River Tees as the UK ’ s most successful port region by 2050 .”
Mr Calje reflected on the granting of freeport status to the Tees Valley after an enduring commitment to ensuring the region achieved the strongest possible bid .
He said : “ We were delighted to see the results of this commitment in March 2021 when we welcomed the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer to Teesport to announce the Tees Valley Combined Authority ’ s successful Freeport bid - a key milestone in delivering our shared ambition to create 38,000 new jobs and add £ 3.2bn to the economy within the next three decades .
Buoyant - PD Ports is well-placed for further success .
“ This builds on our long-standing commitment to supporting the regeneration of the South Bank development , now known as Teesworks , which has also included contributing parcels of land to support access arrangements in and out of the Teesworks site .”
The port operator enjoyed a number of other successes , including : > Securing new long-term deals with major global companies , including ICL , Viterra , British Gypsum and Diffusion Alloys .
> Securing , after 18 months of talks , a contract with Strabag to manufacture , in Hartlepool , more than 30,000 concrete segments for the HS2 rail line .
> Seeing , after only 12 months , volumes at its £ 9.2m Teesport Bulks Terminal rise by more than 60 per cent , helping underpin Teesport ’ s position as the UK ’ s sixth largest port by tonnage and number one major port in England for exports . Such successes helped bring in a string of awards , including Maritime UK ’ s Business of the Year - recognition from the highest industry body nationwide that demonstrates the value the port operator brings to the Tees Valley .
But Mr Calje points to present initiatives and future plans as evidence PD Ports is well-placed for further success .
Its new “ Port Community System ” – an IT system developed with the Port of Rotterdam – offers a single source of real-time , dynamic information to enhance operational efficiency . PD Ports also achieved Business Continuity Management ISO 22301:2019 accreditation without any advisories – a remarkable performance , Mr Calje says , which “ underlines our resilience as a company and reaffirms our reputation as a trusted business partner .”
Sustainability is a focus for PD Ports , which remains on course to achieve “ net zero ” across its Tees-based port operations by 2027 .
This year , a £ 2m investment to power its principal gantry cranes with renewable electricity instead of diesel will be completed , as well as the conversion of 150 port operation assets to run on sustainable HVO biodiesel . And alongside project partners
Teesside University , GE and Connected
110 | Tees Business