Peel Ports has signed a deal with shipping operator BG Freight Line for a new freight service connecting Greenock, Belfast and Rotterdam with the Port of Liverpool’s £300m Liverpool2 terminal.
The route will open up global opportunities for Scottish exporters, particularly in the food and drink, chemical and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Liverpool2 is due to become operational by the end of the year and will be equipped to handle 95% of the world’s biggest cargo ships.
Peel believes the facility could revolutionise the UK logistics market by handling much of the imported freight that currently comes in through south coast ports.
Vessels on the new routre will call at the Port of Liverpool on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday each week.
Currently Liverpool handles 45% of the UK’s total transatlantic trade so the new shipping route will give Scottish firms direct access to the UK’s main trade hub with North America.
The US is Scotland’s number one export market accounting for £3.9bn of exports in 2013.
Scotland has ambitious aims for exports. In 2010 the Scottish Government announced plans to increase exports to international markets by 50% by 2017 from £22.81bn to £33.4bn.
Koert Luitwieler, chief executive of BG Freight Line, said: “The combination of our port network, our existing feeder services, and this new route allows us to provide international traders with a way to minimise costs, carbon emissions and congestion.
“As well as helping to meet increasing demand now, the extra option we can now offer importers and exporters will complement the Liverpool2 container terminal that will open in December this year.”
Global drinks company Diageo is one of the first producers to take advantage of the service.
Peter Samuels, category manager global freight, at Diageo, said: “We are very supportive of this new service as it offers an efficient short-sea logistics connection out of the west coast of Scotland into deep sea hubs such as Liverpool.”
Last week ECHO Business was given exclusive access to the Liverpool2 scheme currently under construction at Seaforth. It will eventually offer direct employment to 500 people with many more expected to be created in the wider logistics network.
source: Liverpool Echo