Port of Liverpool operator Peel Ports invests £10m in upgrade of 95-year-old dock entrance to assist vessels entering and leaving the port. Tony McDonough reports

Peel Ports has invested £10m in new outer lock gates at the Port of Liverpool.

Installed at the 95-year-old Gladstone Dock, the new gates will play a key role in enabling the safe navigation of local vessels. This will increase reliability and improve operational efficiencies for port users.

Gladstone Dock was completed in 1927. Several famous ships have passed through the dock since then including anti-submarine warfare and minesweeper ships during World War II.

Peel Ports appointed contractor Ravestein BV, which specialises in the fabrication of heavy steel structures, to install the new gates. The gates are expected to be in action for the next 50 years.

Construction took place in The Netherlands with each gate weighing 300 tonnes and measuring 20m x 20m wide. Ravestein BV commissioned a specially designed barge to make the voyage between The Netherlands and Liverpool.

Phil Hall, Mersey port director at Peel Ports, said: “This latest investment signals our dedication to future proofing our operations at the Port of Liverpool, as well as our commitment to providing a safe and reliable passage for vessels.

“The new gates will be used for decades to come, helping to create a more efficient and speedy service for cargo owners.”

This latest project was delivered as part of Peel Ports’ newly launched partnership programme. This has facilitated collaborations with leading consultancy firms to deliver multimillion-pound sustainable infrastructure projects.

At a Mersey Maritime event last week, the company put the call out to Liverpool city region firms to join its supply chain. 

In May Peel Ports announced plans for a new £28m warehouse facility at the Port of Liverpool, the firm’s biggest single investment in warehousing this year. It will offer 300 metres of dedicated quayside and cranes to optimise vessel discharge.