PEEL Ports Group is calling for a ‘smarter approach’ to how construction materials enter and move around the UK, ahead of the upcoming budget.
The port operator said the first budget since Andy Burnham became prime minister represents an opportunity to help the construction sector regain momentum.
David Huck, chief operating officer at Peel Ports Group, said, “Despite being tasked with an ambitious pipeline of projects, the construction industry is seemingly struggling to overcome a combination of hurdles, from higher material costs to skills shortages, and the government has acknowledged even its own ambitions may not be achievable.
“We believe an obvious place to start is with how vital construction materials get into and move around the country. A more considered, sustainable and better-coordinated approach could open up growth right across the country, and that’s why we’re partnering with like-minded businesses through our Sustainable Construction Partners.”
Peel Ports Group’s Sustainable Construction Partner programme seeks to enable port-centric hubs to deliver lower cost, carbon and congestion impact. It brings four organisations together at dedicated deep-water consolidation hubs, including the Port of London Medway and Port of East Anglia. The hubs are already supporting the delivery of Sizewell C, the Lower Thames Crossing and other major projects.
This work follows the four companies’ collaboration on a wider research project into the UK’s construction supply chain. It assesses where the biggest barriers to efficiency and resilience lie, with full findings set to be published in early 2027.
Paul Roos, Ecocem’s MD for north west Europe, added, “The UK has a major programme of housing and infrastructure to deliver, and we already have proven low-carbon cement technologies that can help deliver it with significantly less CO₂. Ecocem has more than 25 years’ experience supplying low-carbon cement, including to some of the UK and Europe’s largest infrastructure projects. Our technologies integrate with existing cement manufacturing, concrete production and construction processes, delivering the performance the industry needs with significantly lower carbon. The priority now is to ensure these solutions are deployed rapidly and at scale.”
Martin Johansen, MD at Mibau Stema Group, said, “As one of Europe’s leading aggregates suppliers, we know that a resilient supply chain matters just as much as the materials themselves. Our fleet of self-discharging vessels already moves large volumes of aggregates through deep-water terminals across the North Sea and Baltic, taking pressure off the road network and keeping major projects on schedule. Working alongside Peel Ports and our fellow Sustainable Construction Partners, we want to bring that same model to the UK, consolidating materials at coastal hubs so housing and infrastructure projects get what they require without adding to congestion, cost or emissions.”
