Port of Liverpool’s new £400m shipping terminal open for business

The multi-million pound Liverpool2 shipping terminal is due to launch today (November 4) at the Port of Liverpool.

The Secretary of State for International Trade, Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP, will be on hand to officially open the facility, which represents an investment of £400m from port operator Peel Ports.

It is hoped Liverpool2 will create as many as 5,000 jobs and provide a new ocean gateway linking importers and exporters to the heart of the UK mainland.

According to estimates, firms using the deepwater facility will be able to access a catchment of more than 35m people – nearly 58% of the UK population.

The new terminal will complement the existing Royal Seaforth Container Terminal at the Port of Liverpool, with each having the capacity to handle around 1m containers each year.

As one of the biggest private sector infrastructure projects in the UK, Liverpool2 was created in response to shifting trade patterns and shipping industry trends towards the use of ‘mega’ ocean-going container vessels.

Liverpool2 will be able handle the world’s biggest cargo ships.

Peel Ports CEO Mark Whitworth said: “Today marks the beginning of a new era for the Port of Liverpool. Our investment will help global shippers to transport cargo more efficiently to their end destination with lower costs, congestion and carbon emissions.

“Liverpool is in the right location, providing state-of-the art facilities and technology, and offers a real competitive advantage with a shorter supply chain and providing an all-water route right to the heart of the UK via the Manchester Ship Canal.”

He continued: “Liverpool 2 will create a new trading gateway in the UK. We are already exploring and succeeding in creating new opportunities for UK exporters, having recently signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a strategic alliance aimed at facilitating international trade and generating new business by promoting trade routes between Liverpool and the west coast of South America via the Panama Canal.”

Image: A view of the new deepwater container terminal

Today Liverpool commands around 8% of the UK’s container market, but that figure is forecast to grow to between 15% and 20%.

The chief operating officer of Peel Ports, Gary Hodgson, commented: “Being able to compete on the scale offered by Liverpool2 is only one aspect of how we’re transforming the port.

“Our real driving force is a commitment to customers, whether shipping lines or cargo owners, and helping them to achieve their business vision.”

He added: “As well as investing in the infrastructure and technology, we’re providing a more integrated service to our customers, whether that’s at the quayside, through port-centric logistics facilities or our wider network of ports.”