Forth Ports chief to share vision for Port of Dundee at Courier event

Free online business briefing with Charles Hammond to take place next month

The man who has overseen several multi-million-pound investments in the Port of Dundee will share his future vision at a Courier Business Briefing next month.

Forth Ports boss Charles Hammond will outline his ambitions for the city port at the free virtual event which has the theme of Decom and Renewables: The Opportunity.

The event, held in association with Fairways, had been scheduled to take place in Dundee in the middle of March before Covid-19 led to its postponement.

Mr Hammond, who was appointed chief executive in 2001, will reflect on how the pandemic has impacted the company’s plans.

He said: “We are living and working through challenging times and it is important now more than ever to look to the future and to invest in the opportunities we know are there for the Port of Dundee.

“Over the past few months, we have seen how ports across the UK have played a key role in supporting our society with vital equipment, PPE, medicines and food into the UK.”

Forth Ports owns and operates seven ports on the east coast of Scotland – including sites at Burntisland, Kirkcaldy and Methil in Fife – and the Port of Tilbury in London, which is undergoing a £1 billion expansion.

It is the UK’s third-largest ports grouping providing integrated handling and distribution services and solutions to a wide variety of customers through its ports, handling a wide range of commodities.

Mr Hammond is also the chairman of the UK Major Ports Group and is a member of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board.

Last year, the Port of Dundee received its first major decommissioning project, the Curlew, and was selected by EDF Renewables for the assembly of 54 turbines for the Neart na Gaoithe wind farm project off the Firth of Forth.

It has continued to operate throughout Covid-19.

Another £40 million of infrastructure investments are due to take place at the port over the next three years.

“At the Port of Dundee, we will shortly begin construction of a second heavy-lift quayside in preparation for the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm project and the decommissioning of the North Sea’s oil and gas assets,” Mr Hammond added.

“Both these emerging industries look set to provide work for the city of Dundee for years to come and I’m looking forward to sharing our plans with you at the Courier event in September.”

The event runs from 8am to 9am on Friday September 4.

After Mr Hammond’s keynote speech, there will be a question and answer session with David Webster, senior port manager at the Port of

Dundee and SSE’s head of procurement and commercial major projects, John Casserly.

People can sign up for the free event at www.thecourierbriefings.co.uk

Charles Hammond, chief executive of Forth Ports.