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Port of Middlesbrough keeps mine project on track

[ September 29, 2020   //   ]

Local freight logistics specialists AV Dawson’s Port of Middlesbrough is importing 1km of tunnel segments for Anglo American’s Woodsmith Project on the North Yorkshire Moors, in partnership with heavylift forwarder FH Bertling. 

The Woodsmith Project, which was recently taken over by Anglo American, has been manufacturing tunnel segments in a purpose built plant at Wilton International in Redcar to build a 35km tunnel that will carry polyhalite fertilizer from a new mine to the River Tees for export.

However, the rapid pace of construction has meant that segments have been required faster than they could be produced at Wilton so some have been imported from Sassnitz, Germany to keep up with the tunnel boring machine.

The segments were transported as a breakbulk cargo, with each stack individually lashed and secured to the floor of the vessel, unloaded at Port of Middlesbrough with onward transport to the construction site provided by AV Dawson’s road transport team.

Gary Dawson, managing director of AV Dawson said: “Like many people in Teesside, we recognise that Woodsmith Project is a major opportunity for the local area and have therefore made ourselves available to support the teams behind the project since the start.

“Building the relationship early on has been really beneficial for all parties. Many businesses involve the logistics supply chain very late in the day and often this will result in missed opportunities to ensure the logistics is designed to be as efficient as possible.

“This particular element of the project has been in planning for around 12 months. We have worked in partnership with FH Bertling and Strabag to thoroughly assess a number of solutions for importing these reinforced concrete segments and transporting them over to site, and between us have developed a cost effective solution that protects the quality of the product.

“After a long planning process, it was fantastic to see the first of these four ships arrive and this part of the project become a reality.”

Paul Snowdon, Bertling UK said: “We selected AV Dawson’s Port of Middlesbrough as the discharge point as the team there demonstrated a real appetite to work with us, as well as providing a strategic location and flexibility to ensure high quality standards were maintained throughout the project cycle.”

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