A contractor based in County Down, Northern Ireland has been appointed to deliver a new multimillion pound terminal at the Port of Tilbury in London.

GRAHAM, a national firm that specialises in building and civil engineering will begin constructing Tilbury2, on the north bank of the River Thames, immediately.

The contract involves the creation of the terminal and associated facilities on land at the former Tilbury Power Station. When operational in Spring 2020, Tilbury 2 will be the UK's largest unaccompanied freight ferry port and the country's biggest construction processing hub. In addition, the creation of a new and significantly larger rail head will allow the port to accommodate the longest freight trains of 775m.

GRAHAM has been awarded the contract for both the Terrestrial and the Marine Package. The Terrestrial contract incorporates a Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo), highway works, the relocation of the existing railhead, and a fixed structural steel bridge to the linkspan. The Marine contract includes works within the tidal estuary beyond the existing sea wall/flood defences, including a floating pontoon, link-span/articulated bridge, associated pilings and river bed preparation for the berth.

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Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports Group which own the Port of Tilbury, said: "Tilbury2 is a significant project for our business and our customers. We are very pleased to have the expertise of GRAHAM to help us create this new port for London and the south east. GRAHAM are experts in what they do and have demonstrated this in their recent maritime projects in Hull, Grimsby and in Folkestone. There is a great deal to do over the next 12months and we look forward to opening our new port in 2020."

Michael Graham, Executive Chairman at GRAHAM added: "The Tilbury2 project is a complex scheme that will facilitate the expansion of the Port of Tilbury and support its continued local, regional and national economic growth. We look forward to working collaboratively with The Port of Tilbury and local stakeholders to deliver this transformational scheme.

"At GRAHAM, we are committed to delivering lasting impact and the Tilbury2 project is an example of a development programme that will not just enhance the Port's offering to importers and exporters but will deliver long-term regeneration and create significant new employment opportunities."

Tilbury2 is central to the Port of Tilbury's £1 billion investment programme during 2012-20. Tilbury has doubled the size of its business in the past 10 years and is projected to double the volume of cargo across the quay (from 16 million to 32 million tonnes) and increase direct employment (from 3,500 to 12,000 jobs) over the next 10-15 years.

(JG/MH)