Aggregate Industries’ cement business is expanding by establishing a new cement storage facility for deepsea shipping lines at the Port of Southampton, UK. As part of a 20-year agreement, Aggregate Industries will be working with port owner Associated British Ports and industry-leading cargo handler Solent Stevedores, who will be operating the cement import facility.

This latest investment will help the business maintain a continuous supply of lower-carbon cementitious products throughout the south and southwest of England, and together with the expansion of storage capacities and enhanced infrastructure, the Port will be able to accommodate larger vessels and improve overall transport efficiencies. It constitutes an important first step in the cement leader’s ambitious strategy to transition to deepsea terminals, with a number of further import network improvements planned and due to be announced over the coming years.

Matt Owen, head of supply chain at Aggregate Industries Cement Division, commented: “This is a significant project for us. It constitutes the first stage in a wider programme of planned investments over the short to medium term in deep sea imports designed to enable us to serve growing demand.