Contractor McLaughlin & Harvey has been appointed to deliver the next phase of development that will see 13 news cranes installed at the terminal. Tony McDonough reports

Peel Ports has embarked on a multi-million pound expansion of its Liverpool2 container terminal with the installation of 13 new cranes.

Contractor McLaughlin & Harvey has been appointed to deliver the next phase of development that will significantly increase the footprint of the £400m facility at the Port of Liverpool.

It will see the installation of 10 cantilever rail mounted gantry cranes (CRMGs) and three ship-to-shore cranes (STS). The STS cranes are scheduled to arrive in November 2019 with the overall project expected to be completed during 2021.

There will also be additional reefer points installed to allow the terminal to handle even greater quantities of refrigerated containers at the Port of Liverpool.

Opened  in November 2016, Liverpool2 provides an ocean gateway for international trade to and from the UK. The deep-water facility is capable of accommodating the world’s largest container vessels and connects road, rail and canal networks linking directly to the heart of the UK mainland.

Mark Whitworth, chief executive of Peel Ports, said: “Since originally announcing our expansion plans we have gone on to secure some of the world’s major shipping lines as customers at the Port of Liverpool.

“That, and our growing customer base, is a vote of confidence in the North of England as a competitive route to international markets and a major port for global trade. We look forward to working with the team at McLaughlin & Harvey to deliver the next phase that will provide even more capacity to help meet growing demand.”