Peel Ports has formally opened the UK’s first fully-automated steel terminal at the Port of Liverpool following a £9m ($13m) upgrade.

The investment is a response to increasing customer demand for shipping via Liverpool and to provide both increased capacity and improved handling facilities at the existing terminal. Liverpool is the closest deep sea port to the West Midlands, where approximately half of the UK’s steel is consumed.

Located at the Port of Liverpool’s Canada dock, the terminal features a fully automated warehouse and interactive customer web portal, which mean customers will have round-the-clock instant access to the ordering process. Real time stock availability, precision coil selection and a vehicle booking system will give customers best value by minimising back office processing and paperwork, handling, and haulier turn-around time. The terminal also includes an automatic weighing facility and instant customer reporting means that customers will be able to track their order real-time from ship to door.

David Huck, Port Director of Peel Ports said:

“This is a very exciting and significant milestone for Peel Ports because it puts us at the leading edge of steel storage and distribution. The facility will revolutionise the efficiency of the UK steel supply chain as no other port in the UK is currently able to offer a comparable service. Along with our close location to UK manufacturing bases we believe this investment will provide significant cost and other supply chain benefits to our customers.”

Supporting the investment is a new partnership with major logistics company Denholm Handling.

Its Commercial Director Kieran Hall said:

“We’re delighted to be joining forces with Peel Ports, bringing our warehousing, distribution and handling expertise at the Port of Liverpool under a shared and integrated customer service platform. The inevitable rise in steel imports means there will be increased demand for both space and efficiency which this new terminal will offer.”

Accredited to ISO 9000, 11,000 and 18,000 standards, the site provides 24,200 sq m (260,000 sq ft) of internal storage and 9,300 sq m (100,000 sq ft) of external storage. There is 80,000 tonnes of capacity within the automated coil facilities and a total throughput capacity of 500,000 tonnes annually. There is 11.5m draft water alongside.

A similar development is also confirmed for Peel Ports’ other steel terminal at the port of Sheerness in South-east England.