ABP breaks ground on £7m new bulk store at town’s port

Associated British Ports (ABP) has broken ground on a new £7m bulk store at the Port of King’s Lynn.The facility is being constructed for ABP customer Azelis, an innovation service provider that supplies speciality chemicals and food ingredients to more than 2,000 customers in the UK.ABP said this marks the largest investment it has made in King’s Lynn to date, “highlighting the company’s commitment to enhancing infrastructure and supporting the growth of the regional economy”.

At 106m long, 44m wide and 10m high, the new bulk storage facility will be designed to accommodate both loose salt and bagged products, and will be situated at the junction of Edward Benefer Way and Estuary Road. External works also include 5,000m2 of heavy-duty concrete paving.The design and construction will be carried out by Britcon, a multi-award-winning, carbon-neutral construction company with regional offices across the UK.Notably, this will be the first bulk storage warehouse in East Anglia to be constructed under the new industrial frameworks contract, which sets a new standard for future developments the region. Following the completion of the new bulk store, which is scheduled for May 2025, Azelis will install a cutting-edge bagging plant and relocate to the site, which they will lease.This move will optimise Azelis’ operations and support their asset-light model through extending the current relationship with ABP. Paul Ager, divisional port manager for East Anglia at ABP, said: “ABP is delighted to be making its largest investment in the Port of King’s Lynn to date, with the construction of this new store and for a new customer at the port.“King’s Lynn is the preferred Norfolk port for forest products, agribulk, manufacturing and recyclables, and is already well-equipped to handle agribulks and aggregates.“With this new business we should see the movement of more trade through the port, which will benefit the wider economy.” Nick Shepherd, managing director at Britcon, added: “We’re pleased to be working again at the Port of King’s Lynn, and continuing our long-standing collaborative relationship with ABP.“We have developed a methodology to minimise our impact and maintain critical port operations.“Our design and construction solution includes LED lighting, the reuse of 3,000 tonnes of recycled aggregates and a sustainable surface water drainage system to reduce carbon and improve environmental outcomes.”