Officially named by Thurrock MP, Jackie Doyle-Price, London Titan will keep the river clear of obstructions and channels clearly marked for all to use. Titan has been specially built to be capable of working from Richmond in west London all the way out into the Thames estuary. Her work is vital on a river that is home to the UK’s second biggest port, busiest inland waterway for passengers and freight and a centre for sporting and recreational activity.

The PLA’s biggest single investment in over 20 years, London Titan was designed by naval architects MacDuff Ship Design, working with PLA marine engineers, masters and crews. She was built at Manor Marine’s shipyard in Portland, Dorset to Lloyd’s Register class.

Shipping minister Robert Goodwill MP said: “Britain has a proud maritime history and this investment by the Port of London Authority will help ensure the sector continues to thrive. The government is doing everything possible to back this industry as part of its long-term economic plan to create jobs and growth.

“The River Thames is enjoyed by Londoners and visitors to the capital. The London Titan will help it continue to meet the needs of the growing number of businesses and passengers who rely on it all year round.”

Recent Thames investments include: two new MBNA Thames Clippers ferries, a new pier at Plantation Wharf, Battersea and an extension to Bankside pier. Downriver, developments continue at the Port of Tilbury’s London  Distribution Park and at London Gateway Port, where a new third berth is being built.

Jackie Doyle-Price, Thurrock MP said: “The Thames plays a vital role in the Thurrock economy, so naming this boat, which keeps the river safe and open for business, is fantastic. Many people forget that the Thames is a major shipping channel. Thurrock is home to the major operations at the Port of Tilbury, Cobelfret and Vopak. In fact, more cargo is landed at the terminals in Thurrock than comes in via Felixstowe or Dover.

“The PLA investment in London Titan underpins operators’ confidence to invest, generating jobs and growth and underlines that fact that the Port of London remains a key part of the economic infrastructure of London and the South East.”

Robin Mortimer, PLA chief executive said: “This is a unique river which is busy and getting busier. Over the 95 miles of the Thames we look after, we’ve now got the world’s largest container ships calling, passenger trips reaching  10 million a year and inland waterways freight, like construction materials and rubbish, now at a steady five million tonnes a year.

“We’ve got to keep the Thames fit and ready for all these vessels and with over 40,000 jobs depending on the Thames, London Titan is a vital upgrade to our fleet. She brings power wedded to manoeuvrability, enabling us completely to modernise the way we work on the river on a reliable, efficient and safe working platform.”

London Titan has been specially designed to work along virtually all of the PLA’s 95 miles of the tidal Thames. She is squat and  shallow enough to negotiate bridges as far upriver as Richmond, and robust enough to operate in the outer estuary. Titan’s duties include: mooring maintenance; laying and recovering navigation buoys; hauling wreckage from the riverbed; supporting diving and civil engineering operations; and plough dredging operations.

After having purchased a diesel-electric Terex® GottwaldModel 7 mobile harbour crane in the G HMK 7608 variant earlier this year, Porto di Carrara began operating a Terex® Liftace™ 5-31 reach stacker and two Genie® Z™-45J RT diesel articulating boom lifts. The Liftace reach stacker handles project cargo, including outbound heavy industrial machinery. The boom lifts help Porto di Carrara to further accelerate a variety of maintenance tasks.

Dr. Paolo Dello Iacono, Managing Director at Porto di Carrara: “Since the purchase of the first mobile harbour crane in 1985, we have gradually developed our business relations with TPS. As the productivity and reliability of machines from TPS have always impressed us, we have now opted for other technology from Terex.” Porto di Carrara is a leader in importing and exporting stone, steel products and project cargo and is currently linked to 85 ports on five continents. Dello Iacono: “Our handling volumes are constantly rising, and we are sure that the new reach stacker and boom lifts are the appropriate choice to face this challenge.”

“With the three new machines, our collaboration with Porto di Carrara has reached a new level,” says Giuseppe Di Lisa, Vice President Sales & Services EMEAR, TPS. Di Lisa continues: “We
are proud to have this leading terminal operator as a customer for our new generation reach stacker and for other technology from Terex. Porto di
Carrara’s choice of boom lifts from Genie proves the complementary nature of TPS products and confirms the role of TPS as a provider of system solutions.”

Antonello Cozzolino, Genie Regional Sales Manager Italy & North Afric adds: “Our machines are designed for a multitude of environments and conditions, and we are pleased that two of them are now operating in one of Italy’s leading ports. This shows the huge potential of both our products and Terex Corporation in markets around the world and the possibility of expanding
further into the maritime industry with the assistance of our team members from
TPS.”

The Genie Z-45J RT boom lifts offer a lift capacity of 227 kg and a working height of 16.05 m. They feature a standard 1.52 m boom for better positioning and smooth control as well as a 160° hydraulic rotation plus the boom. Equipped with a four-wheel drive, the eco-friendly diesel machines can be operated in rough conditions. Liftace™ reach stackers
provide low fuel consumption and wear, easy access to all maintenance points and a cab with a particularly user-friendly design. The compact and highly maneuverable machines offer a maximum load capacity of 45 t, travel speeds up to 25 km/h and a maximum lifting speed of 0.45 m/s. Launched in spring 2015, they have generated significant demand in Europe and America, so far above all from container terminals. Di Lisa: “The machine for Porto di Carrara is equipped with a special frame for efficient and secure handling of project cargo. This underlines the versatility of our reach stackers.”

The approval covers the first four warehouses to be built as part of the scheme at the Port of Britain. The four warehouses consented as part of Phase 1 provide nearly 1 million square feet of storage space with the largest being 360,000 square feet.

Commenting on the development, Mark Seaman, Finance Director at the port, said:

“The receipt of planning permission is a significant step towards the delivery of this latest major development at the port. There has already been significant interest from potential occupiers and the final design of each of the warehouses will be agreed with individual tenants to meet their specific requirements.

“The Port of Felixstowe Logistics Park is a unique proposition. Located within the port’s perimeter it offers tenants the benefit of a site in the UK’s largest container port, adjacent to the terminal at which the world’s largest and most efficient container ships call.”

The initial Logistics Park Masterplan contains provision for four separate units ranging in size upwards from 106,000 square feet. Phase 1 will occupy 51 acres of the total 68 acre site. The remainder will be built as part of Phase 2.

The logistics park will benefit from the same excellent road and rail connections developed to serve Felixstowe as the UK’s largest container port.

The planning permission was granted a month after the completion of the extension to Berth 9 at the port and the opening of a £4 million expansion of its examination facilities for foodstuffs.

The Berth 9 extension allows two of the world’s largest container ships to be worked simultaneously. In total, Felixstowe has nine container berths and handles nearly 45% of all UK container traffic.