Metals-Recycling Terminal opens
Wednesday 17 Nov 2004
A new rail connected metals recycling terminal has been officially opened at the Port of Newport. The terminal, operated by Sims Group UK, is equipped with the world’s largest industrial shredder, a new gantry crane that has one of the fastest ship-loading rates for a metals-recycling terminal anywhere in Europe, and a new railfreight facility.
The new railfreight facility was part-funded by a £1.72 million Freight Facilities Grant awarded by the Welsh Assembly Government. The grant was awarded to ABP and Sims Group in June 2003 and formed part of a major multi-million-pound investment programme in which Sims invested some £10 million in commissioning new equipment for the terminal, and ABP, for its part, invested some £3.5 million in major infrastructure works at the port.
The railfreight facility will handle in excess of 60,000 tonnes of scrap metal transported from Wimborne and Nottingham each year, saving the equivalent of nearly 52,174 lorry trips, or almost seven million road miles, over 10 years.
Speaking at the official opening, Andrew Davies, AM, Minister for Economic Development & Transport, said: "By removing more than 5,000 lorry trips each year from our roads, this new freight facility is good news for the environment. The Welsh Assembly Government is keen to encourage the use of all forms of sustainable transport, both public and commercial, and this is a major step forward in achieving this aim."
John Copping, Port Director, ABP South Wales Ports, said: “Sims is an established and growing customer of ABP Newport. In the last two years alone, throughput at its facility has more than doubled. Our investment has laid the groundwork for Sims’ expansion and the establishment of a strong export trade at the port.â€
Once processed, the metal is exported to steel mills all over the world where it is recycled back into metal products.
|
