The Port of Tilbury is one step closer to building Tilbury2 after it submitted an application to build a new terminal

The application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate to build a new terminal adjacent to the current port in Thurrock.

The proposed new port, known as Tilbury2, will be built on a 152-acre site which was part of the former Tilbury Power Station.

Tilbury2 is central to the Port of Tilbury’s £1bn investment programme, 2012-20.

This investment also includes the UK's largest warehouse at the port’s second extension site — the 70-acre London Distribution Park — for Amazon UK, which began operating this autumn. 

Tilbury has doubled the size of its business in the past 10 years and is projected to double the volume across the quay, from 16 million to 32 million tonnes, and increase direct employment from 3,500 to 12,000 jobs over the next 10 to 15 years.

International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, said: “Ports play a key role in the long term growth of the UK economy, with Tilbury being a great example of an ambitious, successful operation which is growing to deliver the capacity businesses need to export products from the UK across the world.

“As an international economic department, we will continue to champion the growth of our maritime sector, and we would certainly encourage local businesses to make the most of the fantastic connections Tilbury has to offer.”

Tilbury2 is expected to be finished by 2020.

Recent opposition to the expansion was made by local activists who created a petition to stop the expansion in order to save the local bugs.