Port owner Peel says end users and shippers will benefit from the economies of scale provided by the £300m facility.
An Irish Sea freight operator its increasing the frequency of its sailings to and from the Port of Liverpool thanks to the new Liverpool2 container terminal.
The changes by BG Freight, in response to the creation of Liverpool2 and customer demand, involve the deployment of an additional ship, allowing customers in Scotland and Ireland to tap into the benefits of deep sea vessels calling at Liverpool2 via an integrated approach to short sea shipping and cargo handling.
The £300m Liverpool2 project is close to completion. When fully operational the facility will be able to handle most of the world’s biggest cargo ships.
Earlier this week port owner, Peel Ports, took delivery of five huge cranes for Liverpool2 that arrived by barge from the manufacturer in China.
Peel says end users and shippers will benefit from the economies of scale provided by Liverpool2.
Using a “one-stop-shop” approach, deep-sea lifts from Liverpool2, feeder connections/shipping and port stevedoring are all handled by Peel Ports Group across Irish Sea hub locations, simplifying the process of getting goods to and from key markets.
The Manchester Ship Canal service has been extended to three sailings per week. In addition there is a fixed weekly return call from Liverpool to Ellesmere Port.
The frequency between Liverpool and Dublin has also been upgraded to twice weekly, as will Liverpool to Belfast and a new route from Dublin to Greenock, all offering winter-proof return connections and increased reliability on connections to other European ports.
Koert Luitwieler, chief executive of BG Freight Line, said: “We see this new schedule as a huge step forward which will enable us to offer very reliable shipping solutions for our customers.
“The increased frequency on the canal and the introduction of Ellesmere Port will drive more and more containers from road/rail to environmentally friendly waterways. All this will trigger a smooth and capable hinterland logistical chain ready to support Liverpool2 once volume begins to flow through the port.”
Another customer benefiting from the activity along the Manchester Ship Canal is Quality Freight. Its volumes have grown year on year at its site in Ellesmere Port and in response BG Freight have launched the first ever scheduled weekly call to its site.
Source: LiverpoolEcho