ITS fortunes were made on the waves and lost as industry ebbed away. Now Inverclyde town Greenock looks set for a large economic boost after the owners of a major cargo terminal announced plans to double business in the next five years.
The operators of Greenock Ocean Terminal have attracted increasing numbers of cruise ships from around the world, contributing an annual £9.7 million to the local area. Now they aim to net major freight carriers thanks to the opening of the £400m terminal at a sister site in Liverpool.
Projections from Peel Ports put the Greenock facility on course to handle 200,000 massive container units every year by 2021, doubling today’s total.
At present, the Clydeside port – the country’s deepest container terminal – plays a role in exporting goods including whisky and food produce around the globe. Peel Ports says the site can now capitalise on connections with its other locations in England and Ireland to attract more traffic, bringing in cargo normally carried by road.
Port director Andrew Hemphill said: “The opening of Liverpool2 has transformed the playing field for us, bringing deep-sea connections much closer to Scotland, and we are now in a unique position thanks to our Irish Sea Hubs.
“Mega ocean container ships can now call directly into Liverpool, which acts as a feeder hub to us in Greenock, Ireland and Manchester, allowing closer import and export routes to market.
“It is a more commercially viable, sustainable way to move goods around by sea. Our connections will take traffic off of Britain’s already busy motorways and offer a cheaper, more environmentally responsible method of transportation.
“Once news spreads about our new capabilities I expect shipping lines will see our Irish Sea Hub as an attractive alternative to the status quo.”
Three massive cranes at the site, which also has refrigerated warehousing and repair facilities, are capable of hauling loads of up to 40 tonnes, and plans are in place to extend the quayside by a further 150 metres to accommodate larger vessels. Meanwhile, efforts to further regenerate the area continue as part of the region’s multi-million City Deal.
Councillor Stephen McCabe, Labour leader of Inverclyde Council, told The National: “It could be a very exciting time at hand.
“The River Clyde has always been the life blood of Inverclyde, but there has long been uncertainty around the future of the container terminal and something like this is very positive news.
“It points to a fairly broad and sustainable future.
“The public sector has invested heavily in the area during the economic downturn. I hope we have created an environment where Inverclyde is seen as a place where the private sector wants to come in.”
Inverclyde MP Ronnie Cowan added: “I welcome the announcement from Peel Ports that Greenock Ocean Terminal is to double its business in five years.
“The recent investment in Liverpool has not gone unnoticed and I am delighted that Greenock remains a vital link in the supply chain.
“This announcement should complement the City Deal investment of more than £14 million being spent on expanding the quayside at the Ocean Terminal and building a state of the art visitor centre with car park.
“The Clyde has for a long time been vital to Scotland’s interests abroad and with this announcement I am hopeful the future of trade and tourism in Inverclyde will continue to be an important economic driver for the area.”
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