TTJ: HOW HAS BUSINESS AT SHOREHAM PORT DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST YEAR, IN PARTICULAR YOUR TIMBER AND FOREST PRODUCTS OPERATIONS?
Beth Evans-Gay: The Port handles a variety of different cargoes, including grain, recyclables and bulks, however the majority of our tonnage is directly related to the construction industry and thus 2024 proved to be another challenging year as a direct result of the ongoing turbulence across the sector. Despite this, for timber the Port was delighted to finish the year ahead of 2023 handling over 400,000m3 over the quayside and delivering a large proportion of this in our own haulage fleet across the UK.
TTJ: WHAT HAVE BEEN THE KEY DRIVERS FOR THE BUSINESS AND, IN PARTICULAR, DO YOU SEE THE GOVERNMENT’S PLEDGES TO DRIVE CONSTRUCTION IN THE UK AS POTENTIALLY GOOD FOR SHOREHAM?
BEG: As a Port reliant on the construction industry, we welcome the government’s pledge to drive the sector. In principle this is very positive news for our main commodities. We would like to see more clarity over the government’s major infrastructure projects across the UK and the funding committed to them, and we hope it can deliver a clear road map to meet house building targets across the UK. For Shoreham a large percentage of the imported cargo is for the repair, maintenance and improvement market. Instability and high interest rates and concerns over inflation have directly affected this market. A stable growing economy will only help pick up demand.
We have always prided ourselves on forming strong relationships with customers, working with them to adapt to fluctuations in demand and the ongoing economic pressures they face. This customer centric approach is key to the success of Shoreham’s timber handling business. We recognise the importance of understanding the entire supply chain and the pivotal part the Port has to play to provide an efficient and agile service to meet customer demands.
Our customers are able to purchase from a range of Swedish, Latvian and Finnish mills due to the regularity of the shipping lines that call at the Port. This model enables a variety of timber specifications and products to be on the quayside at any one time, enabling them to flexibly meet the changing demands in the market.
TTJ: HAVE THERE BEEN ANY DEVELOPMENTS IN TERMS OF THE TIMBER AND WOOD PRODUCTS YOU HANDLE?
BEG: Due to the regularity of the shipping lines that call at the Port, our customers are able to stock a wide range of timber products, including carcassing, fencing, panel products and shiplap. Whilst there were no significant changes in the products handled, one particular growth area was the increase in imported panel products, which are a fairly new product for the Port to handle. More widely on forest products we have recently seen a return of woodchip material for export.
TTJ: HAVE YOU SEEN PRODUCTS COMING IN FROM NEW PORTS OF ORIGIN TO SHOREHAM?
BEG: To service our key accounts in Shoreham we have seen a trial route from Varberg.
TTJ: HAVE ANY NEW SHIPPING LINES CARRYING TIMBER AND FOREST PRODUCTS STARTED USING SHOREHAM?
BEG: We continue to see our regular lines servicing the imported timber market from Sweden, Latvia and Finland. In addition to these regular callers the increase in the demand for woodchip has seen a variety of new exporters’ shipping lines servicing this spot market
TTJ: HAS SHOREHAM UNDERTAKEN ANY INVESTMENT IN STORAGE OR HANDLING FACILITIES RECENTLY?
BEG: Despite the ongoing uncertainty within the industry, we recognise the importance of continually investing in our facilities and handling equipment. We recently purchased a brand new Mantsinen 140m Hybrilift crane, a significant step forward in our operational efficiency and environmental performance.
This substantial investment reflects our continued commitment to providing firstclass services, using only the best equipment and resources to handle our customers’ cargo. Internationally recognised for its advanced design and sustainable performance, the Mantsinen 140M is a trusted model at ports worldwide, and Shoreham Port is the first in the UK to bring it into operation. With a maximum reach of 30m and a handling capacity of up to 900 tonnes per hour, it is exceptionally well suited to Shoreham’s cargo handling operations.
A key part of the service we provide to our customers is also stock management of their cargo. To remain ahead of our competition in 2024, we appointed a developer and commenced work on designing and building us a brand new stock management system that would provide us and our customers enhanced real time information and a clear chain of custody within the supply chain. The system is currently in the test phase, and we look forward to rolling it out towards the end of 2025.
TTJ: WHAT HAVE BEEN THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SHOREHAM’S HAULAGE OPERATIONS?
BEG: Shoreham Port Haulage was established just over four years ago. Since then, there has been ongoing investment in both our equipment and recruitment of haulage colleagues, and we now have 19 trucks and 35 trailers servicing customers up and down the UK. The purchase of additional trailers has facilitated the ability when required to preload the day before, enabling swift departure the next morning. In 2024 the fleet delivered over 185,000m3 of timber products from port terminals to our customers.
Whilst timber makes up a large amount of the cargo travelling on our lorries our versatile team transports a diverse range of cargo from refrigerated fish to steel.
TTJ: SHOREHAM PORT HIGHLIGHTS ITS STRATEGIES FOR STRENGTHENING ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE. HAVE THERE BEEN FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS AREA?
BEG: Our fleet of over 35 forklift trucks, which service the handling of timber, and our other workplace equipment are now fuelled by hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO). Whilst this type of fuel continues to be more expensive than traditional diesel, we are committed to reducing the port’s overall emissions, and between 2021 and 2024 we reduced total scope 1 and 2 emissions by 26.52% .
We are also extremely proud to announce that we were recently recertified as an EcoPort, marking 12 consecutive years of having this status under the Port Environmental Review System (PERS). One of only three ports in the UK to achieve what is the only port sector specific environmental management standard, this reflects our continued dedication to environmental performance; protecting the environment in which we operate and striving for a greener future.
Additionally, this spring we were thrilled to announce our success in winning £500,000 of funding from the UK Seafood Fund: Infrastructure Scheme, an initiative backed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to support the long-term sustainability of the UK fishing and seafood industry.
Designed to enhance sustainability, efficiency and welfare, our new project, coined Berth Zero, will facilitate installation of plug-in renewable electricity for visiting vessels, improved Wi-Fi connectivity and the addition of water dispensers. Projected to facilitate an annual reduction of approximately 900 tonnes of CO2, the transition to electric power sources also aims to enhance crew comfort and reduce noise levels, ultimately attracting more commercial fishing visits and boosting economic activity in the region.
TTJ: WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK FOR SHOREHAM PORT?
BEG: We remain cautiously optimistic about the construction industry and so far, we have had a positive year in terms of demand and timber flows through the Port. We have also seen a good pick up in the general bulks and the spot market, plus recyclable material exports and we welcome the recent pick up in grain exportation. As always it is difficult to predict if this positive trend will continue through the rest of 2025, but we continue to review how we maximise the use of land across the Port, looking at new commercial property developments and how we meet the changing market needs.
We continue to invest in plant, people and infrastructure to ensure we can continue to service and adapt to our customers’ cargo handling requirements as they navigate unpredictable market challenges.
