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Liverpool’s new box terminal ready by 2015

[ March 6, 2012   //   Chris ]

Peel Ports said on 5 March that it had started the procurement phase for the construction of its new deep-water container terminal at the Port of Liverpool. The landmark terminal, which will handled two ships of up to 13,500teu, will be branded Liverpool 2 – echoing the Liverpool One retail and office development in the city centre – and will be open for business in 2015.

The construction programme includes a new 854 metre quay wall, in-filling of the new land, dredging a new 16.5 metre deep berthing pocket adjacent to the quay wall, installation of  ship to shore quay cranes and modern cantilever rail mounted gantry cranes (CRMGs).

The project has been advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union – a statutory obligation for a contract of this size – and is calling for a principal contractor for the development of the terminal and another for the dredging, infilling and quay wall construction work.

Further packages of work will be advertised during the second quarter of 2012, which will include design and consultancy services.

The £300m is the key project in the Mersey Ports Master Plan, the 20-year vision for growth and future developments at the Port of Liverpool and on the Manchester Ship Canal – launched by Peel Ports last summer.

Peel Ports Mersey managing director Gary Hodgson said: “There is no doubt that this facility represents a transformational project for the business. It will bring jobs and economic prosperity to the Merseyside region along with the rest of the North West. By any standard it is a significant development and a major investment. By commencing the procurement process today, we have shown our commitment to the building of Liverpool 2.”

“This is a clear message to the industry, to our stakeholders and to the community in the Merseyside Region and the greater North West that we are serious about the growth and investment we outlined in the Mersey Ports Master Plan consultation last year. It is great news for our customers and for the people of the North West of England, both of whom will see massive benefits from Liverpool 2.”

Hodgson assured the local community that the impact of construction will be minimised whilst the benefit is maximised.  He said: “Where possible, we will source goods and services locally, however when we need to source goods over a longer distance, we will seek to transport construction materials by sea directly to the Port.”

He added that, where possible, Peel Ports wouldl source goods and services locally, but where these needed to be moved over a longer distance, materials would go directly by sea.

Peel ports said Liverpool 2 would also improve transhipment to Ireland and Scotland, allowing shipping lines to benefit from lower costs and improved transit time and frequency whilst helping to equalise equipment imbalances. Cutting land mileage would also reduce total carbon footprint. It will also connect to hubs along the Manchester Ship Canal creating the UK’s first “green logistics hub”, claim the port operators.

The start of the procurement process follows the appointment of Douglas Coleman as programme director for the Liverpool 2 project. Coleman said: “The commencement of the procurement process is a landmark stage in the development of the Liverpool 2 container terminal, and we anticipate massive interest from companies throughout the ports construction industry. This is a technically complex project, but eminently achievable.”

He also explained the thinking behind the use of CRMGs instead of the more traditional straddle carriers. He said: “CRMGs are a highly-efficient use of space. We have given this great thought, and the adoption of CRMG technology also means that ships are going to be serviced very quickly.”

 

Tags: Freight, liverpool, Logistics, Peel Port, Shipping