Associated British Ports (ABP), Brett and construction supplies operation Tarmac are scaling up operations at the Port of Ipswich to support construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power station. The three companies have formed a coordinated logistics partnership centred on the port’s West Bank, combining marine, rail and specialist materials handling in a single supply chain for the project.
The arrangement is intended to support Sizewell C’s target for at least 60% of construction materials to arrive by rail or sea rather than road. The partners will use existing infrastructure capable of handling vessel calls, rail movements, material discharge, storage and onward distribution, providing a logistics platform that can expand as construction activity increases.
Rail forms a key part of the supply chain
The Ipswich operation builds on rail flows already established for Sizewell C. Brett is supplying Tarmac material imported into Ipswich by rail, while the project has already demonstrated its ability to move substantial quantities of construction material by train.
The first freight train reached the Sizewell C site in April 2025, carrying 960 tonnes of railway ballast. Operated by GB Railfreight (GBRf), the train formed the first of a planned 10,000 tonnes of ballast movements to the project. Material was unloaded and transferred by dump trucks into storage within the Ancillary Construction Area.
Developing a tri-modal logistics model
Rail access to the construction site depends on the upgraded Sizewell Branch Line, running from Saxmundham to Leiston, together with a temporary Green Rail Route into the construction areas. The branch is being upgraded with renewed track, signalling and level-crossing improvements to accommodate freight movements.
The temporary route is intended to take construction trains away from Leiston and deliver materials closer to where they are required. The rail infrastructure forms part of the wider effort to reduce construction traffic on Suffolk’s rural roads. Newly formed Heavy Haul Rail is also among the operators supplying the Sizewell C project, alongside established freight operators.
Port infrastructure provides the link
ABP’s Port of Ipswich provides the marine element of the new arrangement, with the West Bank offering space for vessel calls, unloading, storage and onward distribution. Its location also allows materials to move between marine and rail modes before being delivered to the construction site.
Brett brings an established presence in Ipswich and materials-handling capability, while Tarmac contributes construction materials, technical expertise and experience of national infrastructure projects. Tarmac’s supply to the nuclear sector is supported by ISO 19443 certification, which provides additional quality controls for products supplied to nuclear projects.
Local infrastructure supporting a national project
The partnership brings together three companies already operating in the Suffolk supply chain rather than creating an entirely new logistics network. Its proponents say this should provide greater resilience while allowing volumes to increase as Sizewell C construction progresses.
This partnership demonstrates how the expertise and relationships within the Sizewell C supply chain can help deliver both significant local economic and wider environmental benefits,” said Ashley Shorey Mills, Supply Chain Engagement Director at Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. “It seamlessly blends together established businesses at a scale and certainty required for a project of this size.”
The wider objective is to make greater use of rail and sea for the movement of high-volume construction materials, reducing dependence on road transport. For the rail freight sector, the development provides another substantial construction flow while the Sizewell Branch and Green Rail Route are progressively brought into wider use.