Once upon a time, coal was a major commodity transported through British ports. But since the world released the damage coal was causing, we've been gradually replacing it in our energy system. One of the best replacements is biomass, which offers a lot of the functionality of coal but with a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions.
But another part of that story is about jobs and infrastructure and the economy. With less coal to move, the ports and freight infrastructure that supported the industry might have faced ruin. Yet through biomass imports, those ports have seen huge new investments.
Biomass UK wrote an article for Associated British Ports in recognition of that important partnership. You can read the piece in hi-res here.