Scotland’s deepest container terminal expects to double its business in the next five years thanks to the opening of £400million ‘sister’ terminal – Liverpool2.
Owned by Peel Ports, Greenock Ocean Terminal, which recognised for its role in exporting goods including Scotch whisky and Scottish food stuffs, has projected that it will handle 200,000TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) containers a year by 2021, representing a 100 per cent increase on today’s 100,000 units.
Andrew Hemphill, Port Director, Peel Ports’ Clydeport explains: “The opening of Liverpool2 has transformed the playing field for us, bringing deep-sea connections much closer to Scotland and we are now in a unique position thanks to our Irish Sea Hubs.
“Mega ocean container ships can now call directly into Liverpool, which acts as a feeder hub to us in Greenock, Ireland and Manchester, allowing closer import and export routes to market.
“It is a more commercially viable, sustainable way to move goods around by sea. Our connections will take traffic off of Britain’s already busy motorways and offer a cheaper more environmentally friendly method of transportation.
“Once news spreads about our new capabilities I expect shipping lines will see our Irish Sea Hub as an attractive alternative to the status quo.”
The destinations of the containers that already come through the port vary, with many making their way to various whisky bonds along the Scottish West Coast to be loaded and brought back to Greenock for shipment to the Americas.
Located on the Firth of Clyde, Greenock Ocean Terminal has been at the heart of Scotland’s shipping industry since 1876, with the container terminal officially opening in 1969. The 50 acre facility has evolved over time and recently invested £1.6million in straddle carrier to improve operations for its global customer base, with further investment planned.
Future plans include extending the quayside by 150m to support larger vessels coming into Greenock. The site is also home to three iconic cranes that have become a key focal point in the Firth of Clyde’s skyline which have the ability to lift loads of up to 40tonnes and outreach across 13 containers.
