ABP announces £5 million investment in new Marine Control Centre at Port of Grimsby

ABP has confirmed £5 million investment in a purpose-built Marine Control Centre at the Port of Grimsby. The new facility, which will be arranged over four floors, will replace the existing Vessel Traffic Services centre at Spurn Point, which has become increasingly difficult to access by land because of the progressive deterioration of the peninsula.
ABP Director, Humber Simon Bird, said: “The Spurn Peninsula is now as low-lying and unprotected as at any time in living memory and maintaining road access has been difficult. In addition to this, the regeneration of Grimsby as a major port means it requires an additional level of marine oversight and control.
“As the Statutory Harbour Authority for the Estuary and for the ports of Immingham, Grimsby, Hull and Goole we have a responsibility to manage marine operations to the standards set by the Port Marine Safety Code so all users can navigate the river safely. It makes sense to combine these functions under one roof in a new purpose-built Humber Marine Control Centre.”
The building will be located on the port estate at Grimsby between the Fish Dock and Royal Dock overlooking the lower Humber and will provide capacity for ABP Humber’s marine department, including Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) and pilotage operations. The build will also involve an upgrade of IT and VTS equipment, as well as radar systems.
The project will also incorporate a number of environmental measures, including rain water recycling, motion sensors on LED lighting and solar panels and ground heat exchangers. In addition, a new VTS training centre will also be established at the port so ABP can provide initial and refresher training to internationally recognised standards for staff from across the group and, potentially, to the wider marine community.
It’s expected that building work will commence in late spring / early summer and will continue for approximately 15 months, when the existing buildings at Spurn Peninsula will be handed back over to the landowner Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
ABP Head of Marine Humber, Phil Cowing, continued: “Grimsby has become an increasingly important hub for offshore wind support and is a crucial link in the automotive supply chain and as such now requires its own marine control function.
“A plot was identified that was capable of housing a combined control centre with good access, services and resilience, while affording VTS Humber views over the mouth of the Estuary. It’s appropriate that this new facility is sited close to the entrance of what is the UK’s busiest trading gateway.”