PD Ports has successfully introduced fully automated weighbridge systems at Teesport and Hartlepool, increasing capacity to handle up to 7,000 tonnes of bulk cargo per weighbridge per day while improving safety and reducing turnaround times for customers.

Traditional weighbridge operations relied heavily on manual processes, creating the risk of bottlenecks, slower turnaround times and greater safety challenges. With demand for bulk handling continuing to grow, PD Ports identified the need for a smarter and more integrated solution.

The new systems feature automated traffic light controls, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras and driver self-service terminals. Fully integrated with Commtrac our terminal operating system, introduced at Tees Bulks Quay in 2023, to create a seamless digital weighing process.

Raising the standard in bulk cargo handling

Grant Honzik, PD Ports’ Director of Bulks Operations, said the weighbridge programme reflects the company’s commitment to delivering smarter, safer and more reliable services.

He said: “Automation has completely changed the way we operate at Teesport and Hartlepool. By removing manual intervention, we’ve cut turnaround times, reduced congestion and provided our customers with far more accurate and timely data. That’s not just good for efficiency – it underpins better decision-making right across the supply chain.

“Having five weighbridges fully automated at Tees Dock, alongside a new installation at Hartlepool, means we’re leading the way in creating a modern, technology-driven port environment. It’s about future proofing our operations and giving our customers confidence that we can meet their evolving needs.”

Teesport Bulks Automated Weighbridge

Putting customers at the centre

The upgrades have delivered a number of immediate benefits for port users:

Faster turnaround – reducing waiting times and keeping supply chains moving
Greater accuracy – consistent, reliable weigh data with fewer disputes or delays
Better customer information – enhanced digital reporting to support logistics planning
Grant added: “When you look at the scale of throughput – up to 7,000 tonnes in a single day on one weighbridge – it’s clear how critical this infrastructure is for our customers. The value isn’t just in speed; it’s in the confidence that their cargo is being handled safely, accurately and efficiently every time.”

Part of a wider strategy

The weighbridge initiative is part of PD Ports’ long-term strategy to modernise bulk operations through investment in digital systems, sustainable equipment and portcentric logistics services. This includes the rollout of the Commtrac terminal operating system, electric cranes, and a growing fleet of specialist logistics vehicles.

Grant said: “Our industry is changing quickly – customer expectations, environmental responsibilities and global competition all demand a smarter approach. By investing in automation and digitalisation, PD Ports is not just keeping pace, we’re setting new benchmarks for bulk cargo handling in the UK.”
Source: PD Ports

The third edition of PEIC brings together the international port community in Valencia to drive innovation in the sector
Opentop has successfully held the third edition of PEIC (Port Entrepreneurship International Congress), an event that has established itself as a key meeting point for innovators, investors, and companies and institutions from the international port community, within the framework of VDS (Valencia Digital Summit) held at the City of Arts and Sciences.

The day began with the official welcome from Mar Chao, President of the Port Authority of Valencia, and Antonio Torregrosa, General Director of Fundación Valenciaport, who highlighted Valenciaport’s commitment to port innovation.

This was followed by a round table on PIN, the innovative port network co-founded by Opentop, where the global PIN Challenge was presented. This session featured representatives from port innovation hubs such as The PIER (Halifax), homePort (Hamburg), Port of Tyne (United Kingdom), and Blue Economy Incubator from the Port of San Diego; in a session moderated by Salvador Furió, Innovation Director of Fundación Valenciaport. Additionally, new members were officially welcomed: thinkport VIENNA, the network’s first river port, and the port of Esbjerg (Denmark).

Throughout the day, the congress was structured around “Innovation Lighthouses” or thematic round tables that addressed relevant sector challenges: Blue Economy (featuring Biobright, Ocean Ecostructures, Sea Grown), supply chain efficiency (with Elonroad, Passify, and Aeler), safety and resilience (with Gaist, Cyraco, and Quantum Harbour), and energy transition. Each block combined innovative startup presentations with industry expert analysis. On stage were 20 startups—75% from outside Spain—that had been carefully selected following an international call launched in June.

A distinctive element of the event was the “Investment Squad,” a reverse pitching session where venture capital funds such as onenorth Ventures, Signal Ventures, Maersk Growth, and Freight Ventures presented their initiatives and investment theses to attendees, inverting the traditional format to facilitate more effective meetings.

The congress also dedicated special focus to energy transition in ports, with a keynote by Grant Brown from Hitachi Europe, and a specific round table on sustainability, decarbonization, and energy that brought together companies such as PowerUp Energy Technologies, Arrecife Energy Systems, and Walker Subsea Engineering.

Live demonstration sessions allowed eight startups to showcase their products and services interactively, including solutions for maritime identification (Hamsa ID), autonomous marine robotics (Marinerob), container management and optimization (Connectainer), port analytics (Ensemble Analytics), predictive techniques (Inguru Predict – HUPI), compliance management software (Stowlog), sustainable refrigeration (Cooling Photonics), and the award-winning Star Robotics, with a surveillance and security assistance robot.

The event concluded with a session on public-private collaboration featuring the European Space Agency (ESA), demonstrating synergies between different technological sectors; followed by closing remarks from the interesting day, delivered by Juan Manuel Díez, Head of Innovation at the Port Authority of Valencia.

This was followed by the presentation ceremony for the first “PEIC AWARD,” a prize chosen by attendees who could vote through a mobile platform.

Jorge Marcos, Lead Project Manager at Opentop, expressed his pride in the event’s development: “This third edition has meant international recognition for the open innovation we do at Valenciaport. We have brought great speakers and many attendees to Valencia, creating a unique networking space that brings together startups, corporations, and Venture Capital—three key elements that have come together in person at PEIC. The satisfaction expressed by all attendees about how fruitful the international congress has been greatly encourages us as organizers, because it reinforces our role in bringing entrepreneurship closer to the port community, and motivates us to start preparing the next edition.”

Events like PEIC 2025 demonstrate that Valencia is positioned as a hub for European port innovation, attracting talent, capital, and transformative ideas that will shape the future of the global maritime-port industry.

The PEIC 2025 congress is organized by Opentop, the open innovation initiative of Fundación Valenciaport with the support of the Port Authority of Valencia and the Valencian Government through the Department of Innovation, Commerce and Tourism, through EMENTI/2025/29.
Source: PEIC (Port Entrepreneurship International Congress)