Pinns points to green growth

Sea-going vessels are back in action at Pinns Wharf in Barking Creek, after a five-year absence, boosting trade and air quality in the capital.

Earlier this month Swedica Hav and RMS Ratingen arrived at the wharf, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, which was acquired by Corbyn in 2019.

In partnership with technical teams at the Port of London Authority (PLA), the firm has invested to make it possible for larger ocean-faring vessels to dock there once more.

It’s now the starting point for the export of bulk cargoes of construction materials and recycled aggregates to Scandinavia and the Baltic.

James Trimmer, PLA director of planning & environment, said: “Getting exports moving again at Pinns Wharf will keep many hundreds of lorries off London’s busy roads, improving safety as well as air quality.

The news coincides with a recent wave of positive developments for freight on the river:

• Seeding green change: Thousands of tonnes of oil seed rape from the Port of Tilbury grain terminal are to float their way along the Thames to ADM Erith’s processing facility. Twice a day during the week, the Polla Rose is relocating 500 tonnes of oil rape seed seven nautical miles upstream from Essex to Erith in the London Borough of Bexley, as part of a new service launched in December.
• On the right track: An extra weekly Freightliner train service launching this month will see 3,000 tonnes of construction materials leave the Port of Tilbury for FM Conway’s facility in Theale, Berkshire. The move is part of a five-year extension of an agreement between the two organisations for aggregate handling at the port.
• Back of the net: Roof parts for Fulham FC’s new stand at Craven Cottage continue to arrive by barge. The truss deliveries are the most significant use of the western part of the river for freight in decades.
• Sewage-buster: The construction of the capital’s super sewer, the Thames Tideway Tunnel, also continues to utilise barges to move parts and waste materials to and fro. The project needed to tackle discharges of untreated sewage into the river is due to be completed in 2025.

Robin Mortimer, PLA Chief Executive added: “The river is all set to play a major part delivering sustainable economic growth.

“Our staff and the wider port community have all played a vital role keeping shelves stocked during the pandemic.

“It’s clear that building back better must mean unlocking the river’s full commercial and environmental potential. It was instrumental in establishing London as a global centre for trade and can do so again.”