Port of Blyth: Overview and case studies

The focus of this lecture will be on the impact of ship design and scale on future developments at the Port of Blyth.  It will give an overview of the Port of Blyth, looking initially at the history of ship building, and moving on to how we have become a market leading Trust Port focused on the Offshore Energy sector.  Over the last 10 years the Port has successfully supported marshalling projects for Sofia, Inch Cape, Seagreen and Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) wind farms using innovative cable storage tanks and flexible vessel working agreements.  This has created a niche market position for the Port of Blyth, and there is a need to invest to manage future projects.  A £100m Port expansion plan is currently commencing to ensure we can cope with demand and safely manage new cable lay vessels, such as Jan De Nul’s William Thomson, that will appear in the market next year.   The lecture will give a brief overview of the engineering complexity of this significant expansion of the Port.

Alan Todd joined the Port of Blyth in 2004 and as Port Director and is responsible for overseeing the Operations and Engineering departments, as well as assisting the Commercial team on new customer opportunities.  He studied Civil Engineering at Newcastle University and graduated in 1992.  Working initially for Parkman Consulting Engineers (now Mouchel) he qualified as a Chartered Civil Engineer working on new quay wall design projects.  He previously worked for Corus as a specialist advisor in the construction of quay structures around the world and for Volker Stevin as a contracts manager on the design and installation of steel sheet pile walls.  Alan recently stepped down from chair of Blyth Tall Ship Charity which is a position he held for over 10 years.

Venue: Lecture Room STB 1.010, 1^st Floor, Stephenson Building at Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE1 7RU, commencing at 6.15pm with refreshments in Room STB 1.011 from 5:30pm.

Free to all IMarEST and RINA members and guests.