Port of Sunderland targets renewables business

Company News - May 29, 2012

The Port of Sunderland in the UK has added Mark Hassan to its leadership team in the role of sales manager, as it looks to establish itself as a location for offshore renewable energy and subsea engineering support.

The North East port, which has already secured work from some of the oil, gas and renewable industry’s leading forces, is looking to grow its reputation and capitalise on what Mr Hassan describes as its significant natural assets, to cement its place on the sector map.

Mr Hassan, who joined the port at the beginning of May from a role with Aberdeen-based project agency Asco Marine, will be responsible for driving the Port of Sunderland’s business development, as well as building upon the strong relationships the port enjoys with its current client base.

Mr Hassan said: “The Port of Sunderland has some incredible assets that I really do believe will allow it to compete on a regional and national stage.

“We have a strong reputation already for our project delivery, cargo handling and estates services, but there is the potential for us to further build upon this, and capitalise on the opportunities that the 260 acres of space and 3km of quay frontage we boast offer.

“The vast amount of space we have available, and our ability to tailor our approach to meet the needs of each client we work with means that we are able to offer a highly responsive service that will add value to shipping, offshore and engineering firms of all kinds.”

The 27-year-old started his career in shipping after moving from his hometown of Portsmouth to Aberdeen to take up a role as a trainee ships agent with Seletar Shipping, before going on to become one of two founding members of Asco Marine’s Project Agency.

Mr Hassan believes that the Port of Sunderland’s current ‘blank-canvas set-up’ means it is well placed to capitalise on opportunities and grow a reputation as a leading port not only in North East England, but across the UK.

He said: “We can offer something that most ports can’t in respect of our ability to react quickly and cater for our client’s needs. And our location, in respect of accessibility by road, rail, air and of course sea, as well as our closeness to the city centre means we offer something that is very different from many other ports in the country.

“I hope that a combination of this, and the new ideas that I can bring to the port will allow us to create a blueprint for something successful.”