The Port of Tilbury, London's major port, has submitted an application for a development consent order (DCO) to the Planning Inspectorate to build a new terminal adjacent to the current port in Thurrock. The proposed new port, known as Tilbury2, will be built on a 152-acre site which was part of the former Tilbury Power Station, the company said in its press release.
Tilbury2 is central to the Port of Tilbury’s £1bn investment programme, 2012-20. This investment also includes the UK's largest warehouse at the port’s second extension site — the 70-acre London Distribution Park — for Amazon UK, which began operating this autumn.
Tilbury has doubled the size of its business in the past ten years and is projected to double the volume across the quay (from 16million to 32million tonnes) and triple the direct employment (from 3,500 to 12,000 jobs) over the next 10-15 years.
Expansion is needed to cope with rising demand for construction materials and aggregates from the UK's building sector, imported and exported cars, as well as an increase in ferry traffic, which carries consumer goods, perishables (food and drink) and steel between Europe and the UK.
It is envisaged that Tilbury2 will be operational in Q2 2020 and will act as a satellite of the main port. It will comprise a:
roll on/roll off ferry terminal for importing and exporting containers and trailers
facility for importing, processing, manufacturing and distributing construction materials
storage area for a variety of goods, including exported and imported cars
new national strategic rail and road connection into the site.