HSBC UK helps Port of Poole purchase new environmentally-friendly crane with seven-figure funding package

Port of Poole has purchased a new environmentally-friendly crane after securing a seven-figure funding package from HSBC Equipment Finance.

Port of Poole is a busy South Coast commercial port operated by Poole Harbour Commissioners, an independent body that regulates and maintains the leisure, commercial and environmental activities of Poole Harbour. The port has used the funding from HSBC Equipment Finance to replace an existing crane with a more sustainable model with in-built energy reclamation technology.

As the largest natural harbour in Europe, and the second largest in the world, environmental issues are critical to the organisation. Poole Harbour is recognised as an internationally important Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as well as a Special Protection Area (SPA), containing several protected species including seahorses and colonies of birds.

Steve Wisdom, chief financial officer at Poole Harbour Commissioners, said: “We’re excited to have been able to purchase this new crane, which will enable us to save energy and reduce our carbon footprint. Sustainability is extremely important to us and environmental issues have always been at the forefront of our thinking, so it is fantastic to implement technology which supports this. This is the second crane HSBC Equipment Finance has helped us finance since 2015, and we’re very appreciative of the support we received in delivering the transaction, particularly from our relationship director at the bank, Jason Pitt.”

Poole Harbour Commissioners is the fifth largest Trust Port in the UK and plays a major role in handling essential cargoes between Europe and the UK. As well as regular bulk and containerised cargo vessels, scheduled ferry services operate between Poole and France, Spain and the Channel Islands, with a new service to Morocco set to commence during 2021.

Simon France, deputy head of equipment finance at HSBC UK, added: “We’re delighted to have been able to help Poole Harbour Commissioners find a more environmentally friendly solution so they can continue their vital work in maintaining the harbour and operating the port in a responsible way.”