December 7 - The Able Group has completed a GBP6 million (USD8 million) project to upgrade its Able Seaton Port (ASP) facility in Teesside, North East England.
Following a programme of dredging work - to a depth of 9.5 m - the port has the capacity to give the majority of vessels 24-hour access to its facilities. ASP will now seek to grow its marine decommissioning, offshore wind installation and large-scale project cargo handling business.
Able's executive chairman, Peter Stephenson, stressed that his company's investment in the port was set to continue, saying: "The group is committed to meeting new challenges and embracing new opportunities and the increased depths at Able Seaton Port will mean that we can now accommodate some of the largest vessels operating across a range of different business sectors."
In May this year, as was reported here in HLPFI, Shell's 24,000-tonne Brent Delta platform was moved from the Shetland Isles to ASP.
Stephenson said: "The very fact that we were successful in being awarded the contract from Shell for the largest ever single lift load in on the newly constructed Quay 6 demonstrates the capabilities of ASP and the company in this growing market.
"There will be more to come and we are also confident of winning new work linked to the renewable energy sector."
