THE Port of Tilbury has released news of two positive initiatives.

The North Sea Container Line (NCL) has confirmed that it will commence a new, direct weekly container service from Norway to the UK on 23 September when MV "Rumba" will make its first call at London Container Terminal, Tilbury.

The service, both southbound and northbound, will link around 15 ports on the west coast of Norway directly with the UK, from Egersund in the south to Tromsø in the north.

The concept behind the new service is built firmly around the desire to offer a more cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative for the transport of fish from the west coast of Norway.

Bente Hetland, Managing Director of NCL, said: "First and foremost, the original ambition of NCL was to move fresh salmon off the roads and provide a route from the west coast of Norway directly to the heart of the UK market.

"After working on this project for some time, it is clear that there is also a healthy demand for a variety of other products between Norway and the UK."

Ross McKissock, Asset Manager from London Container Terminal, said: "This is great news for London Container Terminal as we start NCL's new and direct connection to Norway this month. Our excellent, Brexit-ready, facilities at LCT provides a fast, low carbon and cost-effective alternative to trucking, showcasing the major benefits of short sea routes.

"We are pleased to be working with NCL and John Good to help bring this concept to market and we look forward to supporting users of the service to optimise their supply chains into the UK's largest Reefer cargo and food market in the South East."

And a landmark week has seen the port launch the UK Paper Hub in Tilbury, a new all-in-one paper and forest product handling hub that is the first facility in the UK created to actively reduce all forms of waste in the supply chain.

UK Paper Hub is the collective brand covering Tilbury's handling, storage and distribution services for paper and related forest products (including graphical papers and newsprint, packaging paper and board, tissue and hygiene products, and pulp). The brand brings together the expertise and facilities of the paper handling terminals, previously known as Enterprise Distribution Centre (EDC) and London Paper Terminal (LPT), which the port owns and operates.

The port has ordered six new side shifting Terberg tugs and six Novatech translifters, in partnership with supplier Briggs Equipment which will all be in place by the end of the year.