The Port of Tyne has handled its biggest ever cargo of wood pellets with the arrival of the bulk cargo vessel St Dimitrios from Vancouver in Canada.

About 62,000 tonnes of wood pellets will be unloaded in a five day operation — destined for Drax power station in North Yorkshire.

The 229m long vessel has sailed almost 8,846 nautical miles over 44 days from Vancouver with its cargo of wood pellets which are now replacing coal as a fuel in power stations to provide electricity for the UK National Grid.

Steven Harrison, Port of Tyne Chief Operating Officer, said: “The Port of Tyne has been pioneering handling of this type of cargo since 2010 — our skilled operation enables a cargo of this size to be discharged in only five days and stored in a purposely designed on-site storage facility.

“Our rail terminal then takes the pellets directly to the power station eliminating road miles and increasing efficiency.”

Since 2010 the Port of Tyne has handled almost seven million tonnes of environmentally sustainable wood pellets.