The Port of Workington is strategically located on the west coast of the United Kingdom, within Cumbria, offering direct access to the Irish Sea. This location places it at a key junction for trade between the UK, Ireland, and wider European markets.

Set on Cumbria's clean energy coast, the port is wholly owned by Cumberland Council. The council is also the Statutory Harbor Authority.

The Port of Workington currently spans around 100 acres (40.5 hectares) of land with a further 49 acres (29 hectares) of land available directly surrounding the port for future expansion.

Vision

By 2040, the Port of Workington is a bustling clean growth hub of energy production, manufacturing and logistics industries across 40 hectares of employment land. It is an exemplary green port spearheading local and regional growth at the heart of Cumbria's clean energy coast cluster.

The Port of Workington's advantages stem from its strategic location, capacity to handle bulk and diverse cargo types, proximity to key industries, and strong intermodal connections. These factors make it a vital asset for the region's economy and logistics network now and in the future.

Strategic location

The Port of Workington benefits from its position on the Irish Sea, providing direct access to both the UK mainland, Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man. It is a key port for trade with Europe, particularly Ireland, and offers a gateway for goods moving between the UK and international markets.

It serves as a regional port for Cumbria and the surrounding North West area, offering important access for industries in the region, including manufacturing, energy, and agriculture.

Intermodal connections

The port has significant intermodal transport connections, including direct rail handling capability that allow cargo to be transported efficiently by road, rail and sea. This rail connection is especially beneficial for the movement of bulk materials to and from industrial sites.

Almost £15 million has recently been invested to improve access to the port and for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) access via A66/A596 and onto the nearby M6 motorway and national road network.

Significant investment in the port's transport network will enable future economic growth and efficiency getting in and out of the port. This supports the established clusters in manufacturing, regional freight and supply chain resilience.

Proximity to key industries

The port is close to several industries in Cumbria, particularly those involved in energy (nuclear), construction, and manufacturing. This creates an advantage for the efficient movement of bulk materials and finished goods, both in and out of the region.

Bulk cargo handling capacity and deep water access

The Port of Workington is well-equipped to handle bulk cargo, including timber, steel, aggregates and liquid bulk, and for nuclear decommissioning and new build projects. It has facilities that are particularly suited for industrial freight, which is important for the region's manufacturing and construction sectors and future clean energy needs.

The port has a deep-water quay, which allows it to accommodate vessels with significant tonnage (up to 137 metres in length and draught of up to 8.5 metres), handling larger shipments than some smaller local ports.

Operational flexibility

The Port of Workington is capable of handling a wide range of cargo types and can adapt to the demands of different industries including obtaining any necessary accreditation for input. It has experience in handling both bulk and general cargo and can offer flexibility in port services.

The port also provides a variety of services, from cargo handling to warehousing and logistics, making it an important regional hub for both importers and exporters.

Clean energy and renewable energy focus

The area around Workington is known for its commitment to renewable energy and the port has the potential to establish large-scale energy production on site. This is becoming increasingly important as businesses and industries move toward more sustainable practices.

The port's role in supporting industries like wind energy, through the transport of equipment or materials, adds to its value in the context of green energy transitions. The port has the capacity to develop onsite energy generation to include solar, green hydrogen, energy from waste or biomass and sustainable aviation fuel. The port is also well positioned to be a critical hub for construction, commissioning and marshalling activities.

Existing manufacturing and skills base

Supporting Cumberland's comparative advantage in manufacturing employment, there are large amounts of land available to expand manufacturing operations on site. Currently, the port supports key logistics partner Thomas Armstrong Group for manufacturing operations and Robin Rigg for operations and maintenance (O&M) activity.

The land currently being remediated at Oldside and the wider 20 hectares of land available is suitable for further manufacturing activities.

Businesses investing in the port could benefit from access to this skilled talent pool, making it easier to recruit workers with the expertise needed to operate in complex industries.

Key employment sectors in Cumberland vs Great Britain, 2023

Comparison of the percentage of people employed in three key sectors.

Manufacturing

• Cumberland: 19%
• Great Britain: 8%

Construction

• Cumberland: 7%
• Great Britain: 6%

Health

• Cumberland: 14%
• Great Britain: 13%

The port has a quay length of 772.7m including the Prince of Wales Dock with seven berths. It can cater for a maximum vessel length of 137m, 20.4m beam, up to 8.5m draught, 12,000 dwt.

The port has 7,000m² of warehousing across 8 warehouses, 32,000m² of liquid bulk storage, extensive internal rail sidings, craines, reach stackers and weighbridge space.

Total cargo throughput is around 300,000 tonnes per year which consists of dry bulk (23% of current volume), liquid bulk, energy, project cargo, break bulk (forest products which account for 75% of current volume) and container sectors.

Key cargo types

Bulk cargo: 

• timber
• aggregates
• steel and scrap metal
• construction materials

Project cargo:

• heavy machinery
• industrial equipment
• renewable energy components (like wind turbines)

General cargo:

• consumer goods
• manufactured products
• breakbulk cargo

Specialised cargo:

• wind energy equipment

Nuclear project cargos:

• Sellafield and low level waste repository

The Port of Workington offers investors a strategic location with access to key industrial hubs, trade routes, and infrastructure growth in an area with a keen focus on clean energy, sustainability and regional development. This makes it an ideal investment opportunity for companies seeking a reliable, cost-effective, and future-proof intermodal logistics and transportation gateway. There are six key opportunity areas to invest in local and regional clean growth.

Nuclear and logistics

The port is ideally positioned to support the growth of the nuclear industry locally, for freight handling and as a logistics hub. It is able to support existing construction projects, new build nuclear power stations, as well as potentially a geological disposal facility.

Offshore wind and manufacturing

The 20 Ha includes the 5.75 Ha at Oldside included in the Town Deal project employment land could be available to the local manufacturing supply chain. The land available is also desirable for offshore wind original equipment manufacture (OEM).

Clean electricity and/or hydrogen

The port handles a significant import of dry bulk (biomass) per annum, this would position the port as an ideal location for an energy from waste or biomass power plant. It also has a land sufficient for an electrolytic or ammonia to hydrogen production plant.

Green logistics hub

Utilising the existing 7,000m² warehouse and storage space currently available, the port is well positioned for future hydrogen and ammonia storage and bunkering. Local logistics operators and road hauliers would benefit from hydrogen refuelling for hydrogen powered vehicles including HGVs. Green ammonia could be imported into the port for use in shipping and/or for converting into hydrogen.

7,000m² warehouse and storage space currently available.

Green port operations

Being a self-sufficient port is a key priority with aims of achieving this by 2030. The port and the council are actively working towards a green port model, aiming to achieve net zero operations through a mix of public grant funding and commercially viable investments. The required installed generation capacity has been estimated at around 20 MW and ongoing demand at 7 to 10 MW.

The required installed generation capacity has been estimated at around 20 MW and ongoing demand at 7 to 10 MW.

Green energy partnerships

The port will seek alliances and partnerships with local businesses such as Holmen-Iggesund Paper Mill, where there is the potential to capture significant clean heat energy which could provide the basis for a heat network investment serving the port and its customers based there.

Investment to date

The Port of Workington has been successful in securing sizable multimillion pound investments during the last five years. This investment is a catalyst for growth, inward investment and increased opportunities available at the port.

The port has a well-defined investment strategy, prioritising infrastructure improvements and commercial opportunities that align with regional and national economic priorities.

It is also an opportunity for future development to take place and also provides the opportunity for current and new businesses to have a presence at the port.

Its investment priorities are structured around key growth sectors, including clean growth across energy, logistics, and advanced manufacturing, ensuring it is ready to respond to market opportunities.

£43.8 million has been invested in Workington over the last five years.

£25.2 million has been invested from the government in activities directly related to the port.

£18.6 million spending in the town through the Towns Fund (not including Oldside).

These investments have been focused around different areas of the port including:

Transport and infrastructure

£4 million was spent on Siddick Bridge to significantly improve road access to the port over the Cumbrian Coast Line railway. The capacity of the network is significantly improved with large sized cargo vehicles access to the port which was previously not possible.

£10.6 million is currently being spent as part of the Workington Gateway scheme to improve connectivity and freight access by enhancing the truck road network and lifting restrictions on HGVs at the A66/A596 junction at Ramsay Brow.

A £1.2 million investment in a new heavy-duty access road within the Port improves connectivity between key loading, handling, and storage areas for heavy loads and machinery, enhancing the efficiency of logistics operations.

Land remediation

£4.5 million of investment is funding the remediation of 5.75 hectares of contaminated land at the adjacent Oldside site and remediation of 2.74 hectares land within the existing footprint. The land has been identified primarily for industrial and logistics related activities. Market demand testing has shown that there is high interest in using the land once the land has been remediated.

Equipment and facilities

A £750,000 investment in an additional warehouse facility increases throughput capacity, contributes to greater resilience, and ensures compliance with the new Border Operating Model. This will improve self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on external storage solutions.

Completed in 2025, the new cement silos will secure tonnage for the Port for the next 40 years and increase cargo throughput to approximately 100,000 MT per annum.

A new mobile crane costing £1.6 million will improve the Port’s capability to handle diverse cargo types efficiently.

A new pilot boat/harbour tug costing £1.2 million ensures the port can continue to fulfil its statutory obligations as a competent harbour authority for the foreseeable future.

The Government has put clean growth at the heart of its economic plans. As well as a legally binding target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the government has pledged further support ports wishing to establish themselves as sustainable regional hubs.

The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan outlines steps to decarbonise the electricity grid, aiming to lower energy costs and enhance energy security. The plan emphasizes the importance of private investment in renewable energy projects and aims to create favourable conditions for such investments.

A new industrial strategy will include a clean energy sector plan designed to accelerate the UK’s shift towards a greener, more sustainable energy system, while boosting the economy and job market with new green technologies and investments. Decarbonising the energy sectors, investing in renewable energy, growing skills and jobs and opening up opportunities in carbon capture and storage are all top of the agenda.

Regional importance of the Port of Workington

The Clean Energy Strategy for Cumbria emphasises themes of net zero, productivity and inclusive growth. The two strategic priorities are clean energy generation and business decarbonisation. The clean growth priority covers: offshore wind; nuclear; and hydrogen production.

Areas of focus include the ambition to become a significant provider for new nuclear power, expanding offshore wind capacity and supporting Cumbrian ports in this, and establishing Cumbria for a UK hydrogen carbon storage industrial cluster development - similar to Hynet and East Coast.

The port’s ambitions also align closely with Cumbria’s Local Industrial Strategy, setting out its ambitions for world class career opportunities in (advanced) manufacturing and retaining and attracting talent.

Cumbria has excellent green energy resources and opportunities for new energy sources with a large and growing concentration of offshore wind energy, existing major biomass plants and a small but growing hydro sector.

The Port of Workington is committed to delivering a clean energy port building upon local expertise. It is capable of delivering local and regional economic growth whilst delivering on the wider Net Zero agenda set by the government. The key reasons to invest and or utilise the Port of Workington are:

1. Key strategic intermodal connectivity.
2. Deep and highly skilled manufacturing and engineering workforce.
3. Established clean energy and logistics hubs.
4. Existing long-term commercial partnerships.
5. Continued government support.
6. Even more potential for growth.

Alongside this document, a Strategic Outline Business Case has been produced to guide future investment, backed by strong local political support. The port and council are well-placed to secure further public funding to deliver key infrastructure upgrades.

The port and the council also want to work with private investors, providing support in accessing further government funding, facilitating private sector access to finance, and structuring risk-sharing arrangements where appropriate to improve the commercial viability.