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Liverpool 2 | Port of Liverpool | In-River Deep-Water Post-Panamax Container Terminal

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#1 ·
This discussion has been split off from the main Port of Liverpool thread. Please see that thread for discussion of Liverpool 2 that predates this thread.

Liverpool 2

Some facts -

* Named to follow on from Grosvenor's Liverpool ONE, in terms of having a similar impact on the local economy
* £300m investment
* New 850m river wall to be built
* 17 hectare / 42 acre area to be in-filled behind the new river wall to store shipping containers
* Capable of handling two Post-Panamax vessels simultaneously
* Annual capacity of 500,000 shipping containers over and above the port's existing capacity (around 600,000 containers)
* Target opening of 2015
 
#3 ·




Link

Peel Ports today announced it has commenced the procurement phase for the construction of its new deep-water container terminal at the Port of Liverpool.

It was also revealed that the landmark terminal, which will bring some of the world’s largest container ships to the Mersey, will be branded Liverpool 2 – and will be open for business in 2015, providing shippers and lines with a new and direct route to the heart of the UK.

The new terminal will accommodate two vessels of up to 13,500 teu at a time. It will allow shipping lines to connect to the UK’s major trade centres in the most cost efficient manner.

It will also facilitate improved trans-shipment links to Ireland and Scotland through Liverpool’s existing services, allowing shipping lines to benefit from a lower cost, reduced transit time and higher frequency service whilst enabling an equalisation of equipment imbalances that exist around the British Isles.

Importers and exporters will also benefit as the terminal will enable a much cheaper route to market whilst simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint of the total journey. These benefits arise from the significant reduction in land-based mileage that result from the container terminal being located in the centre of the British Isles.

This will be the largest boost to employment creation and the local economy since the development of the Liverpool ONE city centre retail complex, delivering over 5000 jobs.

Liverpool 2, which will have an estimated overall cost in excess of £300m, is the key project in the Mersey Ports Master Plan, the 20-year vision for growth and future developments at the Port of Liverpool and on the Manchester Ship Canal – launched by Peel Ports last summer.

The development consists of the construction of a new deep water container terminal in the River Mersey, thus avoiding the vessel size restrictions of the current container terminal.

Liverpool 2 will connect directly to a number of port centric logistics hubs along the Manchester Ship Canal via barge – resulting in the development of the UK’s first “green logistics hub” which will reduce costs, congestion and carbon footprint for businesses located in the North West of England, serving the North of the UK.

This will allow global shippers to access the UK’s major import centres via the most economic and lowest carbon route and provide Northern-based exporters with a more competitive route to market.

Peel Ports Mersey Managing Director Gary Hodgson said: “There is no doubt that this facility represents a transformational project for the business. It will bring jobs and economic prosperity to the Merseyside region along with the rest of the North West. The scale of these benefits is recognised by the name Liverpool 2 – with the new terminal being the biggest boost to the area since the construction of the Liverpool ONE development in 2008. We believe it is an appropriate brand, and one that will become known throughout the world as our new container terminal brings customers to the North West from all points of the compass from South America to the Far East.

“By any standard it is a significant development and a major investment. By commencing the procurement process today, we have shown our commitment to the building of Liverpool 2.

“This is a clear message to the industry, to our stakeholders and to the community in the Merseyside Region and the greater North West that we are serious about the growth and investment we outlined in the Mersey Ports Master Plan consultation last year. It is great news for our customers and for the people of the North West of England, both of whom will see massive benefits from Liverpool 2.”

Hodgson assured the local community that the impact of construction will be minimised whilst the benefit is maximised. He said: “Where possible, we will source goods and services locally, however when we need to source goods over a longer distance, we will seek to transport construction materials by sea directly to the Port.”

The construction programme comprises of a new 854 metre quay wall, the in-filling of the newly created land-mass, the dredging of a new 16.5 metre deep berthing pocket adjacent to the quay wall, the installation of ship to shore quay cranes and modern cantilever rail mounted gantry cranes (CRMGs) and associated supporting infrastructure works.

Specifically the advertisements issued today are for:

• A contractor to act in the role of principal contractor for the development of the terminal.

• A contractor to undertake a package of dredging, infilling and quay wall construction work.

Further packages of work will be advertised during the second quarter of 2012, which will include design and consultancy services.

The start of the procurement process follows the recent appointment of Douglas Coleman, one of the UK’s most experienced ports project directors, as Programme Director for the Liverpool 2 project.

Coleman said: “The commencement of the procurement process is a landmark stage in the development of the Liverpool 2 container terminal, and we anticipate massive interest from companies throughout the ports construction industry. This is a technically complex project, but eminently achievable.”

Coleman also explained the thinking behind the use of CRMGs instead of the more traditional straddle carriers. He said: “CRMGs are a highly-efficient use of space. We have given this great thought, and the adoption of CRMG technology also means that ships are going to be serviced very quickly. They are more modern than our current straddle carrier operation, and are a high-technology solution. This will be one of the UK’s most modern container terminals, and that includes the crane technology.”

The sheer scale of the Liverpool 2 project can be shown by the quantities of materials which are needed in the construction phase – with the quay wall requiring 30,000 metres3 of concrete, 15,000 metres of steel piles and 6100 metres of new crane rails. Dredging of the berthing pocket will remove around one million metres3 of material from the Mersey; and almost three million metres3 of infill material will be required to create the new container area.

Associated infrastructure will require the construction of 3500 metres of new road, 230,000 metres2 of surfacing and 2500 metres of fencing.
 
#6 ·
This is a massive leap of faith by Peel at a time when container volumes are dropping and new UK port capacity (London Gateway) has yet to announce a customer.
Interesting thing here is the apparent rail of an adjacent rail head.
However it may be that most of the containers will be moved away by barge to port centric facilities on the Manchester Ship Canal
 
#7 ·
This is a massive leap of faith by Peel at a time when container volumes are dropping and new UK port capacity (London Gateway) has yet to announce a customer.
Interesting thing here is the apparent rail of an adjacent rail head.
However it may be that most of the containers will be moved away by barge to port centric facilities on the Manchester Ship Canal
Totally impractical. For starters, the Ship Canal is dependent on the same tides that forced MD&HC (Peel) to consider, plan and build in-river terminals at Birkkenhead. The barges you seem to fear will be loaded in the tidal docks of Royal Seaforth and Gladston then locked out, at high-tide, into the river. The barges will then be towed up to the Canal locks at Eastham, and due to the nature of marine towing, very slowly. Then because of missing the high water window, likely have to wait twelve hours for the next opportunity to enter the Canal. I would guess that just one string of barges will enter the Canal at each tide. Remember, ships will also have to enter and exit the locks at Eastham on each tide.

I believe that the bulk of containers will depart the Liverpool quaysides via road and rail and it will only be small, but not insignificent, amount that will transit the Ship Canal. The Canal does however offer a security factor that will make it attractive to Northwest located shippers of vulnerable and attractive, to theives, cargoes.
 
#9 ·
I am probably missing something here but what is the problem with containers being transhipped at Seaforth onto barges serving the Manchester Ship Canal? Surely the larger our hinterland is, the more attractive our port will be? After all, the authorities at Manchester Airport don't object to people from Merseyside making use of it.

I have heard the argument that Felixstowe remains a relatively insignificant East Anglian town despite having Britain's largest container port next door but for a large city such as Liverpool, proximity to a principal transhipment node for imports and exports is clearly another string to the bow.
 
#26 ·
I am probably missing something here but what is the problem with containers being transshipped at Seaforth onto barges serving the Manchester Ship Canal?
Nothing, my reply was to what CAS posted and what seemed like a fear that the Ship Canal would steal most of the containers, transport them up the canal and trans-ship them from that location. I was merely pointing out that the canal is limited in capacity and that barges, like ships, need a tidal window to enter/exit the locks at Eastham. It is this same tidal window that the barges are limited by when entering/exiting the locks at Gladston and Langton. I am an enthusiastic supporter of the Ship Canal.
Surely the larger our hinterland is, the more attractive our port will be?
You're right, of course and I'm in full agreement.
I have heard the argument that Felixstowe remains a relatively insignificant East Anglian town despite having Britain's largest container port next door but for a large city such as Liverpool, proximity to a principal transshipment node for imports and exports is clearly another string to the bow.
And the Port of Liverpool trumps Felixstowe by being, not just a container and trans-shipment quay but a multi-purpose port offering services to many different types of vessels and their cargoes.
 
#14 ·
Here we go again.....


UK port operators blast Government over £35m Liverpool grant

Britain's leading port operators are up in arms over a Government decision to give conditional approval to a £35m grant that they claim skews the market in favour of Liverpool's Peel Ports.

Rival port companies argue the grant contravenes the Government's stated policy for the industry, published in January, that stresses how private companies compete "without subsidy".
Peel, which runs the Mersey ports, stands to be the major beneficiary of an application by Sefton Borough Council for money from the Regional Growth Fund to help finance a dredging project. The channel deepening is associated with Peel's plans to build a new £226m container terminal capable of handling some of the world's biggest ships.

Continues http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/9309555/UK-port-operators-blast-Government-over-35m-Liverpool-grant.html
 
#17 ·
Isn't it just? And also weird that despite shrieking about UK state aid they regard European level subsidy as perfectly fine and not also distorting of competition. I wonder why pounds distort competition when euros don't? Maybe when you're a tax-avoiding, subsidy guzzling, offshore-based cynic, you can complain about anything and everything and not realise others will view you as a hypocrite.

I hope it doesn't sound too extreme if I express the opinion that public policy on ports has yet to attain a state of absolute perfection, but companies who seek to benefit from public subsidy when it suits them, and threaten and shout when someone else gets a bit, are really protesting too much. They need to f*** off. We know just how much it has been costing the taxpayer to connect these southern ports to the motorway network so they can serve distant markets, and how little the tax-dodgers contribute towards just the final connection to the network.

Hats off to Peel, they are doing what successful entreprenuers have always done - taken some risks, had some confidence, and failed to just follow the crowd. They can see the irrationality of so many goods being driven up the national road network from south eastern ports, and good luck to them in providing a greener and more economical alternative to the people and businesses of the north and midlands, and indeed Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Who knows, maybe it will take a few years before it's fully utilised by the biggest ships that can use it, but no-one ever built a business by only serving guaranteed immediate demand. This development is vital to the future of the Port of Liverpool, and I'm really relieved and pleased it is proceeding.
 
#27 ·
Saw a report on Russia Today news channel about Nicaragua building another canal from Atlantic to the Pacific:
http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-N...0-Billion-Waterway-to-Rival-Panama-Canal.html

"At the moment the Panama Canal is in the middle of a $5.25 billion project designed to expand its size and allow for larger ships, but the Nicaraguan Canal will be built even wider and deeper in order to accommodate the largest ships that wish to pass through."


Peel cant be that daft that they didn't see this coming...

Also found an interesting story about how a French conglomerate got the Panama canal built instead of the Nicaraguan one..

http://smithgreg.com/walk-thru-history/2008/5/19/the-nicaraguan-canal.html
 
#28 · (Edited)
Saw a report on Russia Today news channel about Nicaragua building another canal from Atlantic to the Pacific:
http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-N...0-Billion-Waterway-to-Rival-Panama-Canal.html
The logical place for a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is Nicaragua. The US thought as much and in 1927 occupied Nicaragua with the US Marines. The proposed canal would have been a sea-level afair like the Suez Canal and would be built without the need for locks. The proposed canal would be in two stages joining at Lake Managua. One stage would join the Atlantic with Lake Managua, the other the Pacific with the Lake.

The US adventure into colonialism failed when Augusto Sandino mounted a successful rebellion against US occupation by conducting a guerrilla war against the occupying US Marines. The rest is, as they say, history. However, the dream of a sea level canal across the isthmus in Nicaragua has not died and may yet see it built.

Interesting to note that 90% of the worlds commerce is still conducted by ship.
 
#31 ·
Why did the recently closed Ambient/fruit Warehouse not work out?

Was it because continental growers (e.g. Spanish orange exporters) wouldn't change from trucks to shipping? is it more flexible to send a truck somewhere at little notice for example?
 
#32 ·
Dont think this was ever really explained.

My take (for what it is worth) is that Peel thought there was some speculative business to tap into.
If so they appear not to have heeded the warning from Tilbury who built a temperature controlled warehouse for a company called Van Bon, over 10 years ago,to tap into the palletised sea borne fruit but it never really was successful.
Port of Bristol also had a go. Again unsuccessful.
Interestingly Peel are now reportedly disposing of their, fairly substantial, temperature controlled warehousing complex in Sheerness in favour of an Offshore Windblade opportunity.
There was an article in Lloyds List recently which suggested that the traditional Deep Sea Reefer ship market is losing out to temperature controlled produce being shipped refrigerated containers.
Most of the UK's remaining palletised fruit goes into Dover or Portsmouth or is trucked over from the continent by ferry direct to market
 
#36 ·
Seaforth’s Liverpool 2 project receives £150m European Investment Bank loan

THE Atlantic Gateway project Liverpool 2 at Port Seaforth has received a £150m loan from the European Investment Bank.

Peel Ports new deep river terminal will have the capacity to handle the new larger, post panamax container vessels which are currently unable to dock on Merseyside.

The investment will help realise a project which is expected to bring 5,000 new jobs to Merseyside, remove over 150m miles of road and rail travel and give Seaforth an advantage over other UK ports.

The new port is envisaged to be operational by 2014.

Geoff Muirhead, Chairman of the Atlantic Gateway, said: “News of approval from the EIB of £150m loan for Liverpool 2 at Port Seaforth is great news for the North West of England generally and Liverpool in particular.

“This follows hard on the heels of the Government’s full approval for the construction of the Northern Hub Rail Improvement Project. “These two schemes are part of the Atlantic Gateway Programme and mark a very successful start to the campaign designed to lever massive economic benefit and jobs across the whole of the North West of England.”

Last year Lord Heseltine confirmed that the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) had made a conditional offer to help pay for the deepening of the river bed.

Hundreds of specialised marine construction workers will be drafted in to complete the dredging work.

Gary Hodgson, managing director of the Port of Liverpool, said: “I am delighted that a proposal which will support the financing of the Liverpool 2 project was approved by the European Investment Bank .”

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...ment-bank-loan-100252-31490563/#ixzz21uEGBlx9
 
#39 · (Edited)
Liverpool 2 Increases the port capacity by providing two mega berths against an outer sea dock wall. At once this puts the post panamax vessels outside the 'protection' of the enclosed dock system (at the most exposed seaward position) although at the same time reducing costs by not having the vessels negotiate lock systems, producing faster turn around times and transits.

Thank goodness this is all technically achievable and safe giving the port the chance to remain competitive and if it's good for business then Peel have flagged the possiblity of a third berth on a northern extension by the removal of the Seaforth Dock nature reserve.

My question. Is there anything stopping further dock wall berthing being provided south of Seaforth dock along stretches of dock wall adjacent to Gladstone, Alexandra, Langton, Brocklebank docks etc. The core question related to provision for post panamax vessels......Iam sure the technical issues of river and channel depth, tidal flows etc change further away from the river mouth. But my question still stands, if anyone has an answer.

I suppose the supplementery question is whether other classes of vessels could also be catered for outside the enclosed dock systems, further improving transit times, reducing costs etc. If its good enough for post panamax vessels and cruise liners, then what else?
 
#41 ·
There is talk of a breakwater being constructed to the west to protect these ships when berthed at the new terminal !
How far to the West one wonders?

By my interpretation of Wikimapia, it is 3000ft from the channel marking Brazil Buoy (near Fort Perch Rock) to the planned riverside quay . Since these ships will be 1000ft long and need to turn, it starts to get tight on space if a new breakwater is built out in the stream. As narrow as Pier Head.

The Brazil Buoy is near latitude/longitude 53.4475 N, 3.03738 W
which can be entered into bing maps or similar.

So is a breakwater proposed across the main stream and roughly at the site of the Brazil Buoy going Northwards? Or is it perhaps 800ft offshore from the new quayside? I seem to recall that the Mersey Training Banks in that area (locally known as the Revetment) are several times wider than their height. Of course a construction across the River would need to be much larger, but could be of much simpler construction.

Any new construction will immediately be colonised by wind turbines and by wild birds :)
 
#42 ·
Dont really know the answer to that one HB,another thing that will be colonised by a breakwater will be thousands/millions of tons of silt that it will attract every time the tide goes in and out,maybe it could be designed to only go so many metres deep under water and the have large gaps to let the silt pass through! just a thought,but wherever it goes its going to take some doing .
 
#44 · (Edited)
... maybe it could be designed to only go so many metres deep under water and the have large gaps to let the silt pass through! just a thought,but wherever it goes its going to take some doing .
It certainly will be a massive undertaking no matter how it is done.

It took about 50 years (1909-1960) to build the revetment between the Mersey Bar and New Brighton, during which time Britain's merchant shipping slipped from largest in the world and is today sixteenth place by consensus measures. A little under 2% of all the world's (ocean going) ships are owned or operated by UK companies today. Japan is six times that size.

I couldn't get the AIS page to load for me, but please could you confirm that the proposed breakwater will indeed (if it happens), be East of the main Mersey channel?
 
#47 ·
Port of Liverpool names main contractor for £300m container development

PORT of Liverpool owner Peel Ports today named international property and infrastructure group Lend Lease as the main contractor for Liverpool2, its £300m deep-water container terminal.

The terminal will be able to handle the biggest container ships in the world which will ply the oceans after the widening of the Panama Canal trade route.

The landmark terminal will be open for business in 2015 and is expected to generate thousands of jobs and economic growth for the region.

As principal contractor Lend Lease will be Peel Ports’ construction partner for the Liverpool2 development, and a key part of the project delivery team.

Peel Ports Mersey managing director Gary Hodgson said: “The naming of the principal contractor is a vitally important move in the construction of Liverpool2, and we are confident that Lend Lease, with an impressive track record on major construction projects across the globe, is the right company for the job.

“This facility represents a transformational project for the Peel Ports business.

“It will bring thousands of jobs and economic prosperity to the Merseyside region along with the rest of the North West.

“The Liverpool2 brand will become known throughout the world as our new container terminal brings customers to the North West from all points of the compass from South America to the Far East.

“By any standard it is a significant development and a major investment. By naming the principal contractor today, we have further emphasised our commitment to the building of Liverpool2.”

Lend Lease spokesman Michael **** said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and are particularly excited at working with Peel Ports, as they seek to redefine such an important entry point to UK plc.”

The new terminal will accommodate two vessels of up to 13,500 containers at a time.

It will allow shipping lines, exporters and importers to connect to the UK’s major trade centres in the most cost efficient and carbon friendly manner as a result of the container terminal being located in the centre of the British Isles.

Liverpool2 is forecast to be the largest boost to employment creation and the Merseyside economy since the development of the Liverpool One city centre retail complex, delivering more than 6,000 jobs.

It is the key project in the Mersey Ports Master Plan, the 20-year vision for growth and future developments at the Port of Liverpool and on the Manchester Ship Canal, launched by Peel Ports last year.

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...ner-development-99623-31858561/#ixzz26pWHIQYe
 
#48 ·
Market welcomes Peel Ports project start

Logistics experts in the region have welcomed the appointment of the contractor to build the giant container terminal in the Mersey as one of the most significant economic investments in years.

The long-mooted post Panamax terminal, for the modern class of container ships wider than the Panama Canal, is set to boost freight dramatically through the region when it opens in three years' time.

Howard George, partner at industrial agents B8 Real Estate, said: "The announcement of the appointment of the contractor for the new post-Panamax terminal, Liverpool2, should be one of the most significant investments decisions in the region for many years. This is not just a Liverpool story but a development that should benefit the whole of the North West. The key driver here is that the Port of Liverpool is the major Atlantic port for all areas of the UK north of Leicester and Birmingham. Freight which is currently imported into Southampton and Felixstowe will be both cheaper, quicker and greener to come into Liverpool. In theory this should result in significant development of distribution facilities in and around the Port and along the Manchester Ship Canal as companies reap the benefits.

"The clear benefits must be marketed by the Port to encourage and entice freight companies in the UK who have historically for many years used the Southern UK ports to shift over to Liverpool. The advantages are there and the challenge over the next couple of years will be to spread the word and the positive messages."

Daniel Burn, industrial director at Jones Lang LaSalle, added: "This adds to the good news coming out of Merseyside lately with expansion at Jaguar Land Rover and the commitment of GM to Vauxhall in Ellesmere Port. These and other good news stories are having an impact on the manufacturing supply chain and take-up with more occupiers seeking space in Merseyside.

"We have already seen retailers like Regatta and B&M Bargains move here as a direct result of the Port of Liverpool and the investment Peel Ports is committing and it will be interesting to see what happens in the coming years and whether others do the same."
 
#49 ·
Lend Lease wins £300m shipping terminal contract

Peel Ports has named infrastructure group Lend Lease as principal contractor for Liverpool2, its new deep-water container terminal at the Port of Liverpool.

The terminal, which will bring some of the world's largest container ships to the Mersey, is due to open for business in 2015. Built at Seaforth in the River Mersey, the new structure will avoid vessel size restrictions of the current container terminal, which is located within a closed dock system accessed by locks.

The container terminal is being funded by the European Investment Bank and Peel Ports' banks.

Gary Hodgson, managing director of Peel Ports Mersey, said: "The naming of the principal contractor is a vitally important move in the construction of Liverpool2, and we are confident that Lend Lease, with an impressive track record on major construction projects across the globe, is the right company for the job.

"This facility represents a transformational project for the Peel Ports business. It will bring thousands of jobs and economic prosperity to the Merseyside region along with the rest of the North West. The Liverpool2 brand will become known throughout the world as our new container terminal brings customers to the North West from all points of the compass from South America to the Far East."

Lend Lease will drive the overall programme, support operations, and collaborate with Peel Ports in managing site facilities and rules and working with quay wall contractor, who has yet to be named.

Michael ****, executive director for Lend Lease project management and construction in Europe, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and are particularly excited about working with Peel Ports, as they seek to redefine such an important entry point to UK plc. Liverpool2 is a complex project that will require close collaboration with all stakeholders, at every level. The alignment of Lend Lease core values, with those of Peel Ports, will be a significant aspect of successful delivery. This project is wholly consistent with our increased focus on economic infrastructure and reinforces our commitment to the EMEA region, given the significant contribution Liverpool2 will have upon the local community and the UK economy as a whole."

The new terminal will accommodate two vessels of up to 13,500 containers at a time, compared to the current 3,500-container ships.

Liverpool2 will connect directly to a number of port centric logistics hubs along the Manchester Ship Canal via barge.

This will allow global shippers to access the UK's major import centres via the most economic and lowest carbon route and provide Northern-based exporters with a more competitive route to market.

The construction programme comprises of a new 854 metre quay wall, the in-filling of the newly created land-mass, the dredging of a new 16.5 metre deep berthing pocket adjacent to the quay wall, the installation of ship-to-shore quay cranes and modern cantilever rail mounted gantry cranes and associated supporting infrastructure works.

The quay wall contractor will be named in the near future, and further packages of work will be advertised, including design and consultancy services.
 
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