Peel Ports Group announces £10m upgrade for Birkenhead Docks to ‘significantly expand’ its cargo-handling capacity. Tony McDonough reports

Peel Ports Group will create an extra 460,000 sq ft of cargo capacity at Birkenhead Docks in a £10m upgrade of the facility.

Although the Wirral Waters scheme has seen significant non-maritime development including residential and office space, Birkenhead remains a critical part of the River Mersey’s commercial port operations.

Operated by Peel Ports subsidiary, Peel Ports Logistics, what is called Birkenhead Port will see major expansion of its cargo-handling capacity in the next few years and people living in Liverpool Waters will continue to enjoy the sight of ships coming and going.

This terminal will serve markets across the UK and overseas. The upgraded facility will handle a diverse range of freight, including bulk, steel, timber, containerised cargo, heavy lift, project cargo, and renewables and offshore equipment.

A dedicated container handling and devanning operation, offering both indoor and outdoor storage, is already in place.

Operations will be supported by a dedicated on-site logistics division, providing a complete service offering from vessel chartering right through to final delivery by road.

Investment in new plant and machinery for the terminal is also well under way – including the installation of a new Liebherr 180 crane.

Development opportunities are being explored across the site, including the potential for two cement silos with a total capacity of 14,000 metric tonnes.

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Seb Gardiner, managing director of Peel Ports Logistics, said: “This investment reflects our commitment to bringing the Eastfloat Terminal back to life – we are both restoring its heritage and transforming it into a vibrant, modern logistics hub.

“The Mersey region is firmly at the heart of UK trade, and restoring Eastfloat will allow us to keep meeting the demands of the most complex and challenging cargo movements.”