A MAJOR new contract has been signed at the Port of Tilbury which will include the creation of a new multimillion pound processing plant to wash and grade aggregate brought from Cornwall for supply to customers across the South East.

The deal is a result of a partnership between the port and Walsh, the construction, demolition and excavation waste-based transport company.

Formerly Walsh and Sons Ltd, and founded in 1972 by Sean Walsh who began trading as a small earthworks company supplying plant and labour for local projects, Walsh is company embedded in Thurrock which was acquired by the GRS Group in 2018.

Walsh has signed a 20-year agreement with the port and will create two new freight hubs there – the first will be a logistics terminal with aggregates processing plant and the second will be a rail-linked freight facility.

Walsh will bring 400,000 tonnes of secondary aggregate into Tilbury by sea and river each year from china clay producer Imerys in Cornwall. This material – known as Cornish Granite – is a by-product of the china clay industry and is rated as one of the most sustainable aggregates available in the UK.

Walsh will move into 34 Berth at the port in March 2021 and will install a new multimillion pound processing plant to wash and grade the aggregate. Products include rock armour stone, type 1 sub-base, single sized granite, coarse sand, fine mortar sand and 6F5 recycled aggregate.

Commercial Director at the Port Peter Ward, said: "Walsh are an important and long-standing customer and we are very pleased to be working with them on this strategic expansion and investment in their business.

"The Port of Tilbury has unrivalled multimodal transport connections and businesses located at the port which together create a Construction Hub that benefits everyone. This is a strong start to the year as we get underway with the economic recovery following the pandemic and Brexit impacts.

"This not only supports the UK Government's 'Build Back Better' recovery strategy but also creates greener supply chains using water-borne and rail transport."

Joe Gifford, managing director of Walsh said: "We're delighted with this deal which further extends our river, rail and road network across the South East. It also puts Walsh in a unique position to meet London's need for construction materials in the most sustainable way possible.

"With aggregate recycling at its maximum in the capital – a success story we're also proud to be part of – our new partnership with the Port of Tilbury means we can bring in Cornish Granite that would otherwise be discarded and turn it into high-quality products to support London's development and regeneration."