Port of Tyne welcomed Robert Courts MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Shipping Minister on Thursday 14 October 2021.
During the visit, the Minister met with the Port’s Lucy Armstrong, Chair and Matt Beeton, CEO, to showcase the ambitious Tyne 2050 Strategy, a long-term vision that will see the Tyne remain a gateway for regional transformation focussing on the economy, safety, people and the environment for decades to come. As part of Tyne 2050, the Port has committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 and, since its launch less than two years ago, carbon emissions have already been cut by some 27%.
The Minister also met with the Port’s Technology and Transformation Director, Dr Jo North, who provided an update on the UK’s first 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub – a hothouse for collaborating with industry to create innovative solutions to challenges across the international maritime and logistics markets. Mr Courts was also taken on a river and land tour which included viewing many of the development sites available in the 200 acre Tyne Clean Energy Park, one of the ‘most versatile’ clean energy sites in the North East. As part of the trip, the Minister was shown the impressive site for the Equinor Operations and Maintenance base which will service the world’s largest wind farm, Dogger Bank.
Matt Beeton, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Tyne said: “We were delighted to welcome the Minister to the Port and show the progress we’ve made on our ambitious Tyne 2050 objective. It’s imperative that the ports industry is progressive and innovative in order drive economic and social value and we believe we are at the forefront of that drive. That’s why new markets like offshore & renewables are coming to the Tyne and wider region.”
