The new container terminal will provide importers and exporters improved opportunities for getting their goods to market, due to its increased capacity and use of the latest quayside technology.
The tour coincided with Mr Cameron announcing a £150m partnership between Peel Ports and Culina Logistics to create the first canal-linked logistics park in the UK, further strengthening the region’s supply-chain capabilities. By linking directly to Liverpool2, the new facility will offer importers and exporters an all-water route to warehousing and manufacturing in the heart of the country, without using any road or rail infrastructure.
The Prime Minister also heard about the growing interest in Liverpool from shipping lines, including the announcement that Evergreen, the fourth largest container line in the world, is to begin a new service into Liverpool from the beginning of July.
As well as hearing about the new facilities for international container shipping, Mr Cameron was shown a range of Peel Ports’ other recent investments, including the £10m widening of the dock system to accommodate new vessels from a major US shipping line, the £7.5m extension to its animal feed store and the £3.5m upgrade to Gladstone Steel Terminal.
Mr Cameron said: “Liverpool2 will allow the biggest container ships in the world to unload their cargo via Merseyside. This is a really good example of where you need an active, industrial policy to help rebalance the economy. So many of the big container ships come into southern ports such as Southampton and Tilbury. Yet so much of that freight is destined for the north of the country. This new terminal in Liverpool will ensure that freight can come directly to the North of England. That is an active rebalancing of the economy. Rebalancing is happening but it needs to go further and it needs to go faster. Whether you are looking at investment, new business creation, exports – it is clear to me economic revival is on the way.”
Over the last two years, steel volumes at the Port of Liverpool have doubled, while quantities of animal feed were up 44% for the first three months of 2014 compared with last year. There has also been growth in container volumes on Manchester ship canal from 3000 in 2009 to 22,500 last year, with the number of container feeder services increasing from two in 2011 to six in 2014.
Mark Whitworth, chief executive of Peel Ports, said: “We were very pleased to have the chance to show the Prime Minister how the development at Liverpool2 is progressing and how it will contribute to the UK’s capacity for international trade. Keeping cargo moving from origin to destination is essential and we understand customer requirements to move their goods to market faster and more efficiently.
“What makes Liverpool2 special is its location and facilities, with our improved offering through the steel terminal being a perfect example of both. We have anticipated the future demands and growth of the industry, to ensure that our investment in infrastructure and technology is both flexible and adaptable to the current and future delivery-critical needs of our customers.”
The Gladstone Steel Terminal is now the UK’s most advanced steel handling facility, with the unique benefit of being able to accommodate Panamax size vessels with 12.8m deep berth running alongside the facility. Its proximity to the West Midlands also enables its customers to reduce transport costs and carbon emissions. The terminal offers a fully automated warehouse and interactive customer web portal, as well as real time stock availability, precision coil selection and a vehicle booking system.
The Port of Liverpool currently handles a diverse range of cargo, including bulk solids and liquids, RORO and containers. In 2012 it was named by leading industry journal Containerisation International as Port Authority of the Year in recognition of its progressive and innovative approach ‘beyond the port gates’.