15 February 2019
Attendees from the Sustainable Business Partnership’s Utilise Plus programme enjoyed an informative visit to Shoreham Port this week to learn about sustainability at the Port. Sustainable Business Partnership CIC is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that works with businesses, social enterprises and public sector organisations to help them reduce costs and environmental impact through improving resource efficiency. The Sustainability Business Partnership also works with organisations in the environment and low carbon sectors to help them develop their businesses and create a local, low-carbon economy.
Delivered by the Sustainable Business Partnership CIC, the Utilise Plus program provides a range of services to small and medium-sized enterprises across England to build energy efficiency awareness and knowledge. The programme offers access to a range of resources such as events, workshops, grant funding and fully-funded energy audits. Utilise often hold 'Sustainability Tours' with local businesses in interesting venues that have implemented energy saving measures that delegates can view, with the aim of inspiring them to pursue their own energy-saving projects.
As an Eco-Port, Shoreham Port regularly reviews its levels of sustainability and environmental impact, developing strategies to anticipate and respond to environmental challenges, including climate change, air quality and energy conservation as well as noise, waste, and water management. Shoreham Port were very pleased to welcome the group for a tour and demonstrate the ways in which the Port has adapted for a more sustainable practice.
The event on Wednesday morning began at Nautilus House with an informative presentation from Brian Rousell, Director of Engineering. The mobile sustainability tour was then hosted by Tony Parker, the Port’s new Director of Infrastructure and Climate Change. Attendees were driven via a waste cooking oil-powered Big Lemon coach along the northside of the Port and round to Basin Road South to visit various sustainable sites around the Port. The tour began with a visit to B&N Fish Sales and continued to Brighton Terminal where attendees visited the Operations Department. Here they had the chance to see the timber stores and learn about the efficiency and environmental advantages of the Port’s Track-a-Pack system. The tour then continued with a trip to the Port’s silo complex where much of the grain from Sussex and Surrey farms is stored and then exported. The group then proceeded further down the road to the Port’s Pump House to learn about the new impounding pump controls and their advantages for energy use reduction.
Jack Dale, Programme Manager at the Sustainable Business Partnership CIC commented “At the Sustainable Business Partnership CIC, we're very privileged to be able to work with so many organisations who put sustainability at the heart of everything they do and Shoreham Port is definitely up there with the best!”
“On our Sustainability Tour we learnt how they're the first port in the UK to have a dedicated Director of Infrastructure & Climate Change and we got to see their wind turbines and solar panel installations (and much more!) up close. Shoreham Port takes their environmental responsibilities seriously and undoubtedly deserves their 'Eco-Port' status.”
Tony Parker, Director of Infrastructure & Climate Change commented “It is a pleasure to work with the Sustainable Business Partnership CIC and to swap experiences and ideas on how to increase environmental sustainability for all.”
Category: Sustainability
