Spectacular Engineering provided by Peel Ports Liverpool2 Projec

As a company based on the banks of the Mersey, Fine Controls is always pleased to hear of local growth in commerce and in this instance, the chance to follow the engineering showpiece that incorporates major expansion of the Port of Liverpool and the building of the new Liverpool2 terminal.

In May 2013, Peel Ports welcomed the news that Liverpool's maritime sector in the UK had received a £35m regional growth fund grant from the government meaning the major maritime operator could begin to realise its expansion plans at the Port of Liverpool.

The grant will be used to fund a project to dredge the approach channel in the Mersey Estuary which is part of the wider £300m Liverpool2 terminal project aimed at enabling bigger ships to dock at Port Seaforth which is expected to be open for business in 2015.

A Peel Ports spokesperson told Port Strategy: “By deepening the approach channel of the Mersey to 16 metres the RGF grant will allow access for post-Panamax size container ships as well as widening the tidal access window for a range of other river users. As a result the grant will support the creation, expansion and protection of thousands of jobs and businesses dependent on the river.”

The new Liverpool2 terminal is being built on reclaimed land in the River Mersey. It will enable some of the world’s largest container vessels - up to 13,500 teu - to call directly to the Port of Liverpool. At the moment vessel size is restricted by the lock access to the docks system.

Peel Ports says that making the Port of Liverpool accessible to these larger vessels will help to rebalance national freight movements in the UK.

Currently more than 60% of imported and exported containers destined for the North of the UK actually enter the country through ports in the South and South East, resulting in 150 million unnecessary road miles and 20 million tonnes of damaging carbon.