Peel Ports invests £2m in the first deep water bulk berth to be opened at the Port of Liverpool in 40 years as it welcomes its first vessel. Tony McDonough reports

Peel Ports has opened a new deep water bulk berth at the Port of Liverpool as part of its ongoing development of the Alexandra Complex.

Costing £2m, this facility is the first of its kind to open at the port in 40 years and has already welcomed its first vessel, Andesborg. It will accommodate ships up to handymax sizes (bulk carriers with capacity of up to 50,000 tonnes).

Combined with the existing N3 Alex berth, the new addition will increase the vessel handling capacity of both the Alexandra Complex and the Port of Liverpool as a whole. Peel says warehousing space is currently available at Alexandra Dock.

This 534,000 sq ft complex, where a £28m warehouse was also recently developed, is designed to provide a full service for customers’ bulk storage and handling requirements.

Phill Hall, Mersey port director at Peel Ports Group, said: “This is a significant moment for the Port of Liverpool.

“The addition of the new deep water bulk berth will not only allow us to accommodate larger vessels, it will also improve the port’s overall ability to manage bulk cargo, providing more efficient cargo operations and helping us to keep supply chains moving.

“Not only does this project show our dedication to investing in infrastructure, when combined with our modern storage facilities the new berth ensures we can handle a diverse range of commodities and support customers with their needs.”

READ MORE: Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 to return to Liverpool in 2025

In late February Peel Ports announced it had secured £50m of investment from London-based PIC (Pension Insurance Corporation), an insurer of defined benefit pension schemes.

This takes PIC’s investment in Peel Ports to £83m after putting £33m into the business in 2023. This latest cash injection will be used to fund major infrastructure projects across its ports estate.