London’s Port of Tilbury is to buy 152 acres of land, where a power station was until it was closed recently. This will extend the size of the port to 110,000 acres.

As well as the extra land there will be an extra deep water jetty. The owners, Forth Ports intend to invest around £100 million to develop the infrastructure and facilities on the land. It has taken ownership of part of the 152 acre site and when the power station is demolished the remainder will be handed over to the new owners.

The new land will be used to meet customer and market demands for the Gateway to London, and will be connected to the national rail and road networks.

Forth Ports chief executive Charles Hammond said: “This is a significant land acquisition for the Port of Tilbury. As London’s major port, it is a key resource for companies who need to access London and the South East of England.

The Port of London Authority chief executive Robin Mortimer said: “The former power station site offers a fantastic deep water berth and the land is ideal for the port centric logistics in which Tilbury specialises.”

The Port of Tilbury is the major port serving London and the South East of England. A number of distribution and warehousing companies have bases there, forming a major hub. The port specialises n handling containers, Ro Ro, paper and forest products, grain and other bulk commodities as well as construction and building materials.

The port is an important part of London and the South East which in turn are core to the national economy with the bulk of economic production in the UK being focused there. The extension of the port is a sign of confidence in the future of the region as a whole.