Holcim UK retires ship ‘Yeoman Bank’ after 34 years in Glensanda fleet

Holcim UK is retiring its ship, the Yeoman Bank, following it playing a vital role for over three decades of service in delivering aggregates to major infrastructure and construction projects across the UK and Europe.

Since arriving at Holcim UK’s Glensanda super-quarry in Scotland in January 1991, the self-discharging bulk carrier has transported around 36.4m tonnes of aggregates and has completed 1,918 voyages across its time in fleet.

This pioneer vessel of Holcim UK’s fleet has played a central role in the successful development of the super-quarry’s supply chain, which exports millions of tonnes of specialist aggregate materials to key projects by sea, all while reducing reliance on road vehicles for delivery.

The ship made its final voyage to the Port of Liverpool, which is owned and operated by Peel Ports Group. Marking its 195th voyage and nearly seven million tonnes of aggregates delivered to the port, the vessel has served the Port of Liverpool as part of a long-term strategic partnership between Holcim UK and the terminal. The Yeoman Bank holds the record for the longest standing vessel serving the port, and as the ship to have delivered the most cargo there in history.

“Bringing value to our customers through our partnerships with them is crucial, and we recognise that having a robust and reliable supply chain for our solutions is a central part of this. Vessels like the Yeoman Bank are very important in our ability to provide significant quantities of high-quality materials to major projects in the UK, both on and offshore. We remain committed to investing in our logistics capability and operations to drive the best efficiency, and to continuously meet the needs of our customers as the construction industry grows into a sustainable future.”

Kaziwe Kaulule
Managing Director of Holcim UK’s Aggregates and Construction Demolition Materials division

In addition to supplying the UK from Glensanda, the vessel has also been key to Holcim’s wider European supply chain to the UK. This includes transporting over nine million tonnes of rock gypsum from Garrucha and Carbonneras in Southeast Spain to the Royal Portbury Dock, Avonmouth.

Simon Turk, Holcim UK Marine Logistics Director, said: “The Yeoman Bank has been more than just a vessel; it has played a vital role in our supply chain for over three decades. Its consistent service into the Port of Liverpool, along with our long-term, strategic partnership with Peel Ports Group, has supported the delivery of construction materials to some of the UK’s most significant infrastructure projects. As we look to the future, we remain focused on working collaboratively to support sustainable and efficient integrated logistics solutions to make sustainable construction in the UK a reality.”

As the largest quarry in the UK, Glensanda provides millions of tonnes of granite aggregates to infrastructure and construction projects across the UK and beyond. Exporting all products by sea, the super-quarry is a key strategic location for Holcim UK to bring high quality building solutions to its customers to support them to make sustainable construction a reality.