PD Ports, owner and operator of Teesport, has secured a third long-term deal at its recently unveiled state-of-the-art bulks facility, accelerating future expansion plans due to demand from global manufacturers and shippers. 

The UK major ports group signed a long-term contract with a third global customer to secure the remaining bays inside the 300,000 sq.ft. Teesport Bulks Terminal based on the port estate. 

Opened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the £9.2 million investment by PD Ports to renovate and refurbish the former Steel Export Terminal in to the modernised Teesport Bulks Terminal, marked an important milestone in the revival of the Tees Valley, continuing to boost trade, investment and creating 44 new direct jobs with a further 250 jobs in the wider supply chain. 

This investment follows the £50M redevelopment of Teesport’s No. One Quay, supported by Regional Growth Funding, to enhance and expand rail-connected bulk handling facilities at Teesport.  

Now, less than one year on, PD Ports is planning to extend the facility further, signifying the port operator’s ambitions to seize new trade opportunities and secure further long-term private investment whilst supporting the government’s levelling up agenda.

PD Ports’ CEO, Frans Calje, explained how this significant milestone demonstrates the resurgence of the River Tees, and the impact major investments of this kind will have on driving the UK’s post-COVID economic recovery, as well as further economic growth for the Tees Valley region.

“It was catastrophic for the Tees Valley when the steelworks collapsed in 2015,” said Frans. “Overnight we, as PD Ports, lost a third of our business and this region lost one of its major component parts. Now, thanks to much hard work and investment, as well as an ongoing journey of diversification, we are stronger and more resilient as a business. As a result we are underway with our biggest recruitment drive in the history of our business – employing more people now than before the closure of SSI. 

“I am delighted to see the successful transformation of Teesport’s bulks handling infrastructure and service provision – which is underpinned by our growing customer base, which now includes three globally renowned partners, including Viterra.

“The fact that such established and world-leading businesses within the industry have selected PD Ports as their chosen logistics providers to move cargo through our new facility, further reinforces our proven track record of delivery, securing private investment in the Tees Valley region, driving the region’s economic value and creating new jobs.  

“As we look ahead, we are confident that by continuing to build on the strengths the River Tees offers, utilising our newfound Freeport status to attract further investments and embrace new opportunities, we can achieve our vision of making the River Tees the UK’s most successful port region by 2050.”