The umbrella organisation for the UK’s maritime sector, Martime UK has appointed Robin Mortimer as its new chair and Tom Boardley as vice chair.

Robin was nominated by the British Ports Association and UK Major Ports Group whilst Tom was nominated by the UK Chamber of Shipping.

Currently CEO at the Port of London Authority, Robin was previously vice chair and replaced Sarah Kenny who served as Chair from 2021.

Robin started his term on 1 January 2023 and will be working with members to help steer the sector through the next two years, with its response to climate change top of the agenda. Maritime UK will be working closely with the government on its refresh to the Clean Maritime Plan, due to be published in 2023.

Maritime UK’s current priorities are the environment, people, regional growth, competitiveness and innovation and works to bring coherence to the sector’s asks of government on these shared priorities as well as delivering programmes and initiatives to help move the dial within each area. Programmes include the Diversity in Maritime programme, careers and outreach programme and Regional Cluster Development programme.

Commenting on his appointment, Robin said:“I am honoured to be taking the Chair of Maritime UK and to be given the opportunity to serve the UK's maritime industries at such a crucial time.

“There is now a much greater appreciation and understanding of the maritime sector within the UK, and how we can support major national missions like, decarbonisation, levelling up and becoming a research and development powerhouse.

“Our task over the next two years is to embed that progress, deliver a robust and tangible Clean Maritime Plan, increase the impact of Maritime UK’s programmes in critical areas like people and bang the drum for UK PLC across the world. All of this whilst responding to challenging headwinds caused by underlying economic conditions and geopolitics.

“I am convinced that by working closer and closer together our sector will thrive, and I look forward to working with the member community to accelerate our progress toward Maritime 2050.”

Maritime UK is the umbrella body for the maritime sector, bringing together the shipping, ports, services, engineering and leisure marine industries. Its purpose is to champion and enable a thriving maritime sector. Maritime UK has responsibility for the coordination and delivery of industry recommendations within Maritime 2050.

Its members are Belfast Maritime Consortium, British Marine, British Ports Association, CLIA UK & Ireland, Connected Places Catapult, Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, Maritime London, Maritime UK South West, Mersey Maritime, Nautilus International, Port Skills and Safety, Shipping Innovation, Society of Maritime Industries, Solent LEP, The Baltic Exchange, The Seafarers' Charity, The Workboat Association, Trinity House, UK Chamber of Shipping and the UK Major Ports Group.

#LondonTrade - Port of London trade in 2016 reached the highest this decade, rising 10% to top 50 million tonnes for the first time since 2008.

The strong performance reflects continued growth at terminals along the Thames where a pair of newbuild Arklow Shipping cargoships docked as previously reported on Afloat. The volumes of oil, containers and building materials all rose markedly. Prior to 2016, port throughput had been increasing at between two to three percent, year-on-year.

Port of London Authority 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 this 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 principally in oil trades which rose by 22% from 10.9 million tonnes in 2015 to 13.3 million tonnes in 2016. Containers and trailers (unitised traffic) was 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 Thames Oil Port, the former Coryton oil refinery site now redeveloped as a fuel terminal. At the Port of Tilbury (see Afloat's story on Cruise & Maritime Voyages flagship), 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 - benefiting from its operational resilience in bad weather, as well as securing additional central and south American and Oceania services; testing of facilities on Berth Three at the deep-sea port also started at the end of 2016.