Annual trade in the Port of London last year reached its highest for a decade, rising by10% for the first time since 2008.

The strong growth reflects just
how busy terminals along the Thames have become in recent years. Volumes of oil, containers and building materials have all increased. Prior to 2016, trade
had been increasing annually at between two to three percent.

PLA chief executive, Robin Mortimer said: "Our long-term Vision is for 60 to 80 million
tonnes of cargo to be traded
every year through the Port of London – more than at any time
in the Thames' history.

“Passing 50 million tonnes in
2016 is a major milestone towards that goal.”

The tonnage of cargo handled at terminals on the Thames last year was 50.4 million tonnes, five million tonnes (or 11%) up on 2015.

Growth was highest in oil trades which rose by 22% from 10.9
million tonnes in 2015 to 13.3 million tonnes in 2016.

Containers and trailer (unitised traffic) numbers are up 7% to 18 million tonnes; aggregates and cement increased again from
10.7 million tonnes (16%) up to
12.4 million tonnes. Cereal
volumes also increased by 15%
to one million tonnes.

2016 saw the first cargoes delivered to the recently opened Thames Oil Port, the former Coryton oil refinery site which is now a fuel terminal. At the Port of Tilbury, a new chilled store for NFT was opened and the acquisition of land for port expansion was completed.

DP World London Gateway handled increasing numbers of ultra large container ships – operating between Asia and Europe – putting its operational resilience in bad weather to good use. London Gateway also secured additional Latin American and Oceania services, while testing of facilities on Berth Three at the deep-sea port also started at the end of 2016.