LOGISTICS
Visit – PD Ports supported Green Lithium in welcoming Treasury Lords minister Baroness Penn , centre , to Teesport to learn more about the company ’ s proposed lithium refinery .
But alongside our practical , visible role as SHA , we have always seen a wider function for PD Ports in acting as a representative voice of the river , its businesses and communities .
Indeed , we see one of our key duties as influencing and driving investment in the region , banging the drum for Teesside wherever we have a platform , and working to create and maintain fertile grounds for development .
New horizons The energy transition and the move towards net zero will be the next industrial revolution .
The physical attributes of the region mean that Teesside is the only place where energy transition projects can happen on an industrial scale . The depth of the river , the available landbank and interconnectivity between the north and south banks of the river are all vital .
At PD Ports , we are committed to supporting future green industries , whether as a landlord or as a strategic partner in the region .
An excellent example is our backing of Green Lithium , which plans to build the UK ’ s first lithium refinery at a site within PD Port ’ s Teesport estate .
We are fully behind Green Lithium ’ s ambitions , which mirror our own to reach carbon neutrality across our Tees-based landside operations by 2027 . Projects such as this are levelling up in action , and we will look to provide positive support to any business looking to make Teesside its home .
Teesside has a lot to say and a lot to offer
Community spirit The people who live and work in Teesside are at its heart . Times are tough for many and as a business we are committed to making a positive difference where we can .
One area where we have strong partnerships is in the education and empowerment of young people , making them aware of the variety of career paths available to them , no matter what their start in life .
Collaboration is key to us reaching as many pupils as possible , and we are indebted to our partnerships with the Power of Women project , Spark Tees Valley and Tees Valley Education .
By providing key links with schools , teachers and teaching materials that link activity at PD Ports and the wider Tees economy with the national curriculum , these organisations support our Teesport Explorers programme , aimed at primary age pupils , and the High Tide Foundation for secondary age pupils .
The future is in the hands of our young people , and it is up to those of us in positions of influence to do what we can to help guide their educational paths and offer aspirational but achievable routes to success .
Elevating our platform We work with a wide range of stakeholders and have historically nurtured a solid foundation of working with governments and politicians from all sides to promote Teesside and lobby for investment and national support .
This year , for the first time , PD Ports attended both the Conservative and Labour party conferences , hosting panel discussion events with stakeholders from the ports and maritime sector .
Focusing on the role of ports in driving the UK ’ s energy transition , both conferences were an opportunity for us to make the case for the region and the importance of the River Tees and the wider region in the push for net zero and the nation ’ s international trade .
Led by our chief commercial officer Andrew Crowe and head of communications Kirsten Donkin , our delegation met with maritime minister Baroness Charlotte Vere , as well as the shadow minister for aviation , maritime , space and security , Mike Kane .
We were joined at the events by a number of key local collaborators , including John McCabe , chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce , Richard Ballantyne , chief executive at the British Ports Association and Richard Taylor and Sean Sargent , from Green Lithium .
My thanks go to everyone who took the time to join us in Manchester and Liverpool , helping us to raise Tees issues with influential people in government .
Teesside has a lot to say and a lot to offer – it is only by speaking up that we can make our voices heard .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 99