Energy boost for expanding city’s port
Port of Sunderland is going green.
The council-owned port has secured a number of contracts with companies in the offshore renewable energy sector following a period of rapid expansion.
The port has recently finished a huge resurfacing project covering almost two acres at Endurance Park, formerly the Fina Yard.
Endurance Park was acquired in 2013 and the area has since been transformed.
The investment will provide Port of Sunderland with further opportunities to grow and will help it become ideally placed to work with companies in the offshore industry.
It will also help it expand its offering to the region’s automotive sector, which recently secured a major boost through the approval of plans to develop the 150-hectare International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP), on land just minutes from Nissan.
Port director Matthew Hunt said: “The area that has been surfaced covers about two acres at Endurance Park and a plinth along the Greenwells Quay river berth.
“We have also completed the refurbishment of the port’s direct rail lines that run across Endurance Park to provide two concreted lines with run rounds at both ends.
“The investment also means Greenwells Quay is now a perfect berth for project cargoes and the offshore market allowing our heavy lift crane to traverse the quay and lift straight to and from vessels and road transport. The improved and strengthened storage facilities at Endurance Park are also ideal for all kinds of projects, particularly for the offshore market.”
Sunderland City Council leader Coun Graeme Miller added: “The port is continuing to gain momentum, having seen cargo volumes double since 2010, and is continuing to see these figures rise year-on-year.”