iSec has unveiled its vision for the next generation of logistics at Thames Enterprise Park, in what is north west Europe’s largest single regeneration project.
Thames Enterprise Park site is located on the site of the former Coryton oil refinery, on the River Thames in Essex. The site was purchased by a joint venture including Greenergy, the UK’s largest fuel supplier, and is now being developed by iSec, part of the Marcol Group, in partnership with Greenergy. Together iSec and Greenergy plan to develop a 415-acre/4 million sq. ft. “Superhub” on the former oil refinery site to include a Food Hub; Energy Hub; Sustainable Industries Hub and an Innovation Hub – creating up to 5,000 new jobs for the region.
Considerable progress has already been made to prepare the site for development, including planning consent granted for the remediation of the first phase of around 100 acres.
An outline planning application is due to be submitted to Thurrock Council by the end of 2017, with a consent anticipated in summer 2018. This will allow the first development plots to be ready by early 2019.
The multi-modal development will benefit from direct access to the River Thames and a railfreight interchange, as well as first class road links to London which is only 33 miles away.
iSec, the industrial development arm of Marcol, is one of the country’s largest owner of cold stores, and sees a clear strategy of locating “clusters” of food manufacturers and distributors in one dedicated Food Hub close to London.
Mike Forster, Development Director at iSec, explains: “The scale of the development will allow food distributors and manufacturers to locate in “clusters”, enabling more efficient supply chains directly into London and more widely. This gives potential for cost and energy reduction in a sector that is sometimes resource inefficient and in need of increased automation.”
The new Food Hub will give operators the chance to start from scratch and bring forward the next generation of logistics for the food industry, allowing them to incorporate future automation and technologies, such as industry 4.0, and bring chilled storage, distribution and manufacturing together on one site.”
The scheme will also include an Energy Hub targeting a variety of waste-to-energy uses. This could ultimately complement the energy requirements of operators in the Food Park, with the potential for a private wire network.
The final element of Thames Enterprise Park is an Innovation Hub providing skills, training and R&D facilities in a dedicated state-of-the art facility, with a mix of office, amenity and conferencing space aimed at enhancing training and job opportunities in the Thames Gateway.
Mike adds: “Each of the four elements of the scheme has the potential to support and sustain each other, with energy generated by the Energy Park being utilised by the Food Hub, waste food providing feedstock for the Energy Hub and waste-derived fuels from the Energy Park being utilised by Greenergy at the adjacent Thames Oilport.
“This provides a rare opportunity to deliver a sustainable, integrated and highly-skilled employment site in the South East that will help drive forward the economic success of the Thurrock and Thames Gateway.”
