Port of Liverpool operator Peel Ports says a new £25m bulk storage warehouse close to the Mersey is fully booked up by importers even before it is completed. Tony McDonough reports

Importers have taken all the space at a new 237,000 sq ft storage warehouse at the Port of Liverpool even before the £25m facility is completed.

Half of the new multipurpose warehouse at Alexandra Dock was assigned for grain. The first of two vessels successfully offloaded the first shipment of grain on July 12, with a second shipment arriving later in the month.

When full, the shed will accommodate approximately 90,000 tonnes of cargo. Operator Peel Ports invested £25m in the development of the warehouse, which was designed by industry experts for the efficient storage of dry bulks.

Phil Hall, Mersey port director at Peel Ports Group, said: “We’re seeing very strong demand for storage at ports rather than further inland.

“In this case, it is due to the wet weather earlier in the year impacting the harvest, making the job much harder for UK farmers, and so as a nation we’re having to import more grain and animal feed to keep up with demand.

“But owners of all cargo types say they’re looking for efficiencies at every point in the supply chain, and we need to be responsive to that.

“Investing in and creating infrastructure that’s essential for the future has always been at the heart of our strategy, and this is a perfect example of us doing that – and good news for our customers as they look to reduce costs and improve reliability.”

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Customers utilising Alexandra Dock Warehouse will also gain access to customs clearance, inventory management and transportation services.

Installation of more than 6,000 solar panels on the warehouse’s roof has begun. This forms part of a larger project across the Port of Liverpool to install up to 63,000 panels – set to become the UK’s largest roof-mounted solar energy system.