Sheet Piling UK imports 25,000 tonnes of steel piles a year because no UK steel producer is prepared to make it.
PD Ports has agreed to store and handle up to 16,000 tonnes for the piling specialist at Immingham, on the Humber. The port will also provide clutch sealing, cutting and welding services.
Sheet Piling UK’s imports, which arrive directly into Immingham from Abu Dhabi, will now be stored and worked on-site before onward distribution. Previously, they were imported, transported via road, worked and then re-distributed. The new arrangement saves the need for the double-handling of cargo.
Sheet Piling UK originally started moving imports through Immingham in 2016. Managing director Andrew Cotton said: “This new stage of the relationship with PD Ports will strengthen our commitment to provide a flexible stockholding of steel sheet piles within the UK construction sector and make the supply of steel sheet piles to customers even more seamless and swift.
“We are proud of how resilient our supply chain has been during Covid-19 and Brexit but are not resting on our laurels. This new arrangement is a sign of our looking to the future and further growth and influence within our sector.”
PD Ports chief commercial officer Geoff Lippitt said: “At PD Ports we pride ourselves on exceeding customer expectations. By offering added value services, we can save Sheet Piling UK valuable time in administrative processing, provide a single, reliable point of contact and improve the sustainability of the supply chain.”
No UK steel mill has produced sheet piling since Corus closed its Heavy Section Mill (HSM) in Scunthorpe in 2004, selling assets of the sheet piling business to Arcelor of Luxembourg, although not the production facilities. At the time Corus UK had between 10% and 20% of the EU sheet piling market and 75% of the UK market.
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