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Manchester Ship Canal dock to become UK’s first green vehicle logistics hub

[ March 23, 2023   //   ]

Peel Ports Group has announced plans for a new £10million Green Automotive Hub at Queen Elizabeth II Dock at Eastham at the entrance to the Manchester Ship Canal.

From September, the hub will service a twice-weekly shipping route from Vigo in Spain to Eastham, supplying Stellantis’ nearby Ellesmere Port vehicle manufacturing site for battery-electric commercial and passenger vehicles.

Peel Ports and Suardíaz have invested a combined £10 million in recommissioning an existing berth at the dock and have begun installing ro ro equipment and infrastructure.

The hub, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, will sit on a 9.5-acre site on the River Mersey, adjacent to the Ship Canal, which Peel Ports also owns and operates.

It will take an estimated 14,700 lorry journeys off the roads in the UK and Europe annually, saving approximately 17.5 million kilometres (c.11 million miles) in road trips.

It is projected to reduce annual CO2 emissions by 30% and energy consumption by 37%, when compared to road transport.

Chief Operating Officer at Peel Ports, David Huck, said: “A key part of achieving our sustainable goals involves working collaboratively with like-minded businesses, so it has been fantastic to work alongside Suardiaz and Stellantis. The project is a progressive example of the collaboration required to make the maritime and logistics sectors greener.

“Our dedicated and stringent work to reduce our impact on the environment has seen several measurable successes in recent years, and this is the next innovative step as we work towards our goals.

“We have long advocated that reducing road miles is key to tackling climate change, but this can only be achieved by offering sustainable alternatives and choosing ports closer to end destinations.”

Suardiaz president and chief executive, Juan Riva, added: “This new service will commence as soon as the new facilities become operationally ready…I would like to thank Peel Ports for their proactivity and contribution to the development of this new multimodal solution for the Ellesmere Port factory.

“This game-changing move will remove trucks off the road, reducing road congestion and carbon emissions, and with our additional actions in using biofuels to power our ships and cold ironing, we are contributing to developing a sustainable supply chain which underpins the spirit in which Stellantis’ vehicles are manufactured.”

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