TEES VALLEY
PROUD OF
Relaunch – Youngsters on the revived Teesport Explorers programme .
his services to international trade and the UK economy .
But it ’ s the people at PD Ports , and their unwavering commitment , that Frans credits for allowing the company to enjoy an inspired start to the year , with awards including Maritime UK ’ s Business of the Year – recognition from the highest industry body nationwide .
“ Our people are our engine ,” said Frans . “ Without them constantly driving us forward , bringing new ideas to the table and challenging the way we work , we would not be the progressive and diverse business that we are today .
“ The UK ports sector has a critical role to play in international trade and in attracting inward investment to grow a stronger and more sustainable economy while supporting efforts to ‘ level up ’ across the north of England .
“ Here in the Tees Valley , we have a number of world class businesses with highly skilled people . We need to continue building on this good work both regionally and nationally to provide a solid platform for a progressive and bright future .”
To maintain momentum , PD Ports has intensified its focus on several key areas for the rest of 2022 , all of which will provide key markers en route to achieving its ambitious future vision .
Communities A commitment to local communities has always been of paramount importance
to PD Ports and , as 2021 winners of the Apprenticeships , Training & Skills award at the North East Business Awards , the company demonstrably continues to target initiatives that promote education and enable young people to achieve their aspirations .
As part of International Women ’ s Day , PD Ports celebrated the relaunch of Teesport Explorers , a pioneering programme aimed at raising awareness of maritime and logistics sectors in local primary schools . It also launched a company-wide diversity pledge to tackle issues around gender-imbalance in the industry .
“ Our industry as a whole has a historic gender imbalance , where women are significantly underrepresented ,” added Frans .
“ We must do what we can to tackle those issues and ensure that opportunities within our industry are accessible and attractive to all . I am delighted that we are continuing to build upon our long running , successful partnerships with the High Tide Foundation , North East School of Shipping , Tees Valley Logistics Academy and Teesside University , as well as launching our own programmes , including Teesport Explorers , to challenge this .”
Sustainability PD Ports has accelerated its commitment to sustainability and is on course to achieve its ambitious target of reaching net zero across all Tees-based operations by 2027 .
This year , the company will complete a £ 2m investment in order to power cranes within the Teesport Container Terminal using renewable electricity . It will also be converting more than 150 other pieces of equipment to run on a sustainable form of biodiesel .
The port operator also continues to expand its rail freight offering at Teesport as a growing number of businesses are turning to rail over road in order to meet their own decarbonisation agendas .
Future development For the remainder of 2022 and beyond , PD Ports will continue to work with new and existing customers to enable their own businesses to thrive . This includes advancing major projects such as the £ 650m MGT biomass power station and pursuing new opportunities in renewable energy to position the Tees Valley at the forefront of the Green Industrial Revolution .
Continued investment in new state-of-theart facilities and equipment will include new warehousing and major expansion of bulk handling facilities , as well as the progression of the Northern Gateway Container Terminal – a facility that will be capable of handling over 1m containers .
PD Ports has helped create 2,500 jobs and attracted over £ 1.4bn of private investment since 2010 , supporting over 22,000 jobs in the wider supply chain .
The port operator will now continue to build on this track record as it furthers its commitment to customers , sustainability and communities .
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