Director of Sustainability Grace Rawnsley, centre, accepted the award on behalf of the PLA,
The Port of London Authority (PLA) won the Clean Maritime Operator award at the Maritime UK Awards 2024, held in Belfast on Wednesday evening.
The Maritime UK Awards brings together 500 industry professionals annually to celebrate the sector's achievements. The Clean Maritime Operator Award recognises a maritime organisation that has taken action to move its UK operations towards zero-emission targets.
Commenting on the award, PLA's Director of Sustainability, Grace Rawnsley, said: "We're delighted to win this prestigious award, which recognises the considerable efforts made by our people – and most of all, all the operators, terminals and river users – in delivering a cleaner, lower carbon and sustainable future for the Thames."
Some of the PLA's sustainability highlights that led to winning the award included the fact that the organisation is on track to reduce carbon emissions to Net Zero by 2040; its Thames Green Scheme, which rewards efforts made by businesses to reduce their environmental impacts; and its Thames Environment Fund, which has issued grants totalling £48,235 this year to seven different projects boosting nature and wildlife along the Tidal Thames, from sailing and rowing clubs to universities and wildlife charities.
The award also recognises the work the PLA and our partners have done on the Maritime Hydrogen Highway: a ground-breaking three-year, £2.1 million development programme, aimed at developing a national hydrogen highway network; its Clean Thames Manifesto, which brought together stakeholders to commit to more ambitious timescales for cleaning up the tidal Thames; and its partnership in SEA-KIT's ZEPHR - Zero Emissions Ports Hydrogen Refilling Survey Vessel's project.
A film has been launched to showcase ZEPHR (Zero Emissions Ports Hydrogen Refuelling), a project to design, manufacture and operate the first green hydrogen-fuelled Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) on the River Thames, including local green hydrogen production and storage.
Set in the PLA's head office, London River House, and featuring Julia Makin, PLA's Joint Head of Sustainability, and John Dillon-Leetch, PLA's Port Hydrographer, the film clearly outlines the project and the role the PLA is playing.
Part of the Zero Emissions Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition, announced in February 2023, the vessel is being designed and built by SEA-KIT, funded by the UK Government and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
Sphere Support from Newham at Fulham Reach Boat Club.
The PLA has partnered with the Kitchen Social programme, providing young people with the opportunity to get active on the Thames this summer.
Kitchen Social works to tackle food insecurity faced by young people during the school holidays, providing a space to socialise, make new friends and receive free, nutritious meals.
Four Kitchen Social hubs have already taken to the water in the capital at Fulham Reach Boat Club and Phoenix Outdoor Centre, with two more clubs to be supported during the summer holidays.
Speaking on behalf of the Katherine Low Settlement, Mery said: "The opportunity to participate in rowing for the first time was incredibly rewarding for our young people; every aspect of our visit was brilliant."
Katherine Low Settlement, a Battersea charity.
John Jones, Communities Project Manager at Mayor's Fund for London, said: "We are a charity that champions opportunities for young Londoners facing the biggest barriers across the capital. We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Port of London Authority through our Kitchen Social programme to ensure that children who feel anxious about the school holidays are physically and mentally supported, learning life skills, and experiencing joy like all young Londoners should."
With funding from the PLA, 45 young people from Sphere Support (Newham), Avenues Youth Project (Westminster), Katherine Low Settlement (Wandsworth) and Dalgarno Youth and Community Trust (Kensington and Chelsea) have benefited from the sessions so far. This forms a key part of the PLA's vision to make the tidal Thames accessible to all and to see more people from diverse backgrounds enjoying sport and leisure on the river.
Strategic opportunities have been identified for the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham in East London, following the launch of the second phase of the PLA's Tidal Thames Masterplan.
Supporting the PLA's delivery of its strategy for the Thames (Thames Vision 2050), the Tidal Thames Masterplan is meticulously detailing the potential to boost trade, travel, sport, and the environment in the 22 local authority areas along the 95 miles of the Thames within the PLA's jurisdiction, from west London out to the estuary, thus providing an influential guide for investment.
As James Trimmer, PLA's Planning & Development Director, explained:
"This second stage of our Tidal Thames Masterplan, looking at these two neighbouring London Boroughs, is unveiling some interesting opportunities, allowing a panoramic view of the possibilities across east London in terms of river development. As we continue to roll out the process to other boroughs, the Tidal Thames Masterplan is fast becoming an essential guide for investment across all 22 local authority areas along the river's banks."
The next stage of the Tidal Thames Masterplan will be the consultations for the London Borough of Greenwich and Kent Borough of Gravesham, which will be launched imminently and take place over six weeks.
The PLA was pleased to welcome a delegation from Portos do Paraná, Brazil, on Wednesday 29 May for a briefing on developments in our port, the UK’s largest.
A group of senior leaders from the PLA, including our Chief Executive Robin Mortimer, met with the Portos do Paraná’s CEO, Luiz Fernando Garcia da Silva, and two of his senior leads (as pictured).
New electric cranes
Photo by PLA Pilot Niall Kelly
London Gateway welcomed the arrival of the second set of electric cranes for its Berth 4, which is in development and due to be operational this year.
The giant cranes, the largest in Europe, were transported vertically aboard the vessel ZHEN HUA 36. These cranes will not only handle current container vessels, but also the larger ones of the future, in a much more environmentally sound way.
The crane unloading process will take approximately six days and, during this process, there will be a 100-metre exclusion zone around ZHEN HUA 36 and a speed restriction of 8 knots will be in force.
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