Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises is a winner at Humber Renewables Awards

Vicky Powell, director of UK offshore operations at RWE, presents the Ports and Logistics Company of the Year Award to Andrew Oliver, left, and Ben Walker, of Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises, the group company behind Port of Grimsby East.  Picture: Allan McKenzie.

The Humber Renewables Awards have celebrated the first port on the Energy Estuary!  

Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises, the parent company behind Port of Grimsby East, was named Ports and Logistics Company of the Year. 

Judges heard how it has strengthened capability over the past year, upgrading berths and wider quayside handling, expanding storage facilities and streamlining cargo operations – boosting throughput, reducing turnaround times and increasing resilience.  

Port of Grimsby East – the town’s rebranded fish docks – was the original quayside launch for offshore wind work in the region, forming the foundations for what is now an operations and maintenance cluster centre of excellence. 

Andrew Oliver, chair and incoming chief executive, said: “We’re a traditional fish dock but we’ve transformed ourselves into a thriving operations and maintenance base. We have vessel operations, a training school, ship engineering and a boat lift, so a full range, real diversification, alongside the property we also rent out.  

“All of this is supporting traditional fishing heritage in Grimsby, and lots of people. It hasn’t happened overnight, and I should pay respect to my predecessor, Martyn Boyers, who had the vision for this. It has been a long journey, and there’s still a lot to do, but we’re delighted with the recognition.” 

GFDE has just celebrated 30 years of the ‘new’ Grimsby Fish Market, with the organisation responsible for a standalone 25-hectare multi-faceted operation within Associated British Ports’ Humber estate. It employs a total of 42 people.  

Training arm OTC Grimsby was also shortlisted for Small Business of the Year, and the event also brought accolades for port users Orsted, with its Uncrewed Surface Vessel based in Port of Grimsby East, and Xceco’s Bailey Bradley, who was named Leader of the Year.  

RWE, with its Humber Gateway base located on Port of Grimsby East, also won the Health & Safety Award for its Personal Choices Programme, and was named Large Company of the Year and Offshore Wind Company of the Year, beating tenants Prior Power Solutions and Specialist Wind Services. Humber Gateway’s ‘One Day Service’, its Subsea Cable Stabilisation project and Specialist Wind Services’s strategic partnership with Blackrow Group were also shortlisted for the Innovation category, underlining the activity levels on the port.  

Mr Oliver added: “Collaboration in central to the business’s approach. We work closely with port users, offshore operators, local authorities and regional stakeholders to co-ordinate logistics, plan future capacity, and support skills development in the local workforce.  

“Evidence of long-term strategic value is clear, the business has positioned the port as a hub for renewable energy logistics, attracted new clients, created jobs and built scalable infrastructure to support future growth. Our strategic planning ensures that Grimsby remains a vital, resilient and competitive gateway for maritime and offshore sectors for decades to come.”