A specialist steel storage terminal that will strengthen the North East manufacturing sector’s access to high-quality global steel supplies has welcomed its first shipments to the Port of Hartlepool.

The Hartlepool Steel Terminal, owned and operated by PD Ports, allows customers to discharge different steel products – including coil, steel plate, beams, pipes – on to the same berth, reducing both shipping and onward freight costs.

The 75,000sq ft facility has been upgraded to store steel coil with the installation of a specialist storage system – the KLP Roll Stop System by Lankhorst Engineered Products – which can hold individual coils of up to 30 tonnes and is globally recognised as a safe and flexible method of storing steel coil. The warehouse is also serviced by two 40 tonne overhead cranes.

The development means that the Port of Hartlepool is the only North East coastal port that can receive both short sea and deep sea volumes of steel coil, offering capacity for more than 50,000 tonnes of the product.

Shipments carrying a wide variety of steel products, including the first shipments of steel coil, will arrive in Hartlepool this month, including vessels from Brazil, Turkey and Germany.

Three jobs have been created at the Port of Hartlepool thanks to the investment in the facility, with a number of existing roles secured. The port has already handled 50,000 tonnes of import and export steel products in the first six months of 2023, a figure which is expected to grow significantly thanks to the new steel coil offer.

The project represents a diversification for the terminal building, which previously supported the oil and gas industries – the change to steel storage will allow importers to reduce their carbon footprint and provide a more cost effective logistics solution by reducing the road miles to northern customers.

Roy Merryweather, general manager – business development at PD Ports, said: “This new facility is a significant investment in our operations at Port of Hartlepool, making it a truly global terminal and one that will support North-East manufacturing businesses in sourcing their products from around the world.

“It will open up access to the best quality steel available internationally, including many grades that are not made in the UK.

“It offers flexible options for customers looking to ship steel products in and out of the port and strengthens our position as the port of choice for global steel manufacturers.”

The Port of Hartlepool offers customs warehousing for all steel products, for both internal and external storage. Maximum port restrictions for vessels is 190m loa (length) and 33m beam (width).