Woolwich's Barrier Gardens Pier - quieter, safer and greener

A £685,000 upgrade of Barrier Gardens Pier in Woolwich by the Port of London Authority (PLA), to make it safer and quieter, will also boost air quality on the Thames.

Owned by the PLA, the modernisation of the pier will improve its environmental performance, reduce noise and enhance crew safety.

Started last summer, an eight-month programme of work will enable larger vessels, such as London Titan, to dock directly at the pier, making it quicker and safer for crews to board and disembark. Other vessels will also soon be able to join the PLA’s flagship in tapping into onshore electrical charging facilities and no longer rely on diesel generators aboard ‘mid-stream’ moorings.

Additionally, it will facilitate easy access for engineering and maintenance work when vessels are at the berth.

The PLA’s fleet of 30 vessels helps keep a wide range of craft safe on the river, the UK’s busiest inland waterway. Users range from fast ferries to cargo ships and from stand-up paddle boarders to barges carrying building materials.

In late autumn, the pier’s floating walkway, known as the Bawley Bay pontoon, was floated down to Gravesend, to be modified for attachment to two new piles, driven into the riverbed last June.

Last week (25 January), she made her return journey, assisted by London Titan.

Pending the installation of new electrical wiring, which has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the newly extended pier should be in full operational service no later than the early spring.

Peter Steen, the PLA’s director of marine operations, said: “Extending the range of vessels able to berth safely at Barrier Gardens Pier has the important added benefit of cutting air pollution.

“It’s another key step forward in our efforts to achieve Net Zero targets on the river, demonstrating how careful investment can help build back better, creating long-term economic growth in a sustainable way that protects the environment.”

Project manager Nick Jordan said: “It won’t be long now before the pier is in full service – we just have to finalise the new power supply and then remove and replace the old fuel tanks, to make more space available on deck.”

Andy Osborne, PLA marine engineering manager, added: “This project is a good example of the practical action we are taking to cut carbon emissions.

“Plugging in vessels on shore will allow our engines to be pre-heated, reducing start-up emissions.”

The PLA’s Net Zero plan aims to reduce emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2025.

Watch the video below to find out more about the process.