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Peel’s Runcorn fully open

(Posted on 04/11/19)

Peel Ports Group in the UK has marked the full reopening of Runcorn Docks on the Manchester Ship Canal, following a £4million programme of works.

Over the last 14 months, Peel Ports has worked with McLaughlin and Harvey to reinstate and upgrade two of its 4 berths one of which was closed in January 2017.

Berths 7 - 9 are now fully open, meaning Peel Ports is now able to accommodate more vessels, reducing congestion on the River Mersey and offering greater flexibility to customers.

Last weekend (Saturday 20^th October), cargo vessel Mia Sophie B, operated for Peel Ports’ customer Lochaline Quartz Sand, was the first vessel to arrive at the dock, which expects to handle 200 vessels a year going forward.

The rebuilt dock has an increased load baring capacity and can accommodate cranes and specialist handling equipment such as the Liebherr LHM 180, supporting the transportation of heavier cargo.

More than 100 years old, Runcorn Docks is undergoing continual upgrades to ensure state-of-the-art facilities are available for customers, with plans underway to redevelop the storage areas of the port in the next 2 to 5-years.

Next month, Dredging is scheduled at the docks to allow for the transportation of larger vessels and for cargo to be discharged more efficiently.

Lance Weissenborn, Operations Director at Peel Ports Liverpool, said: “The arrival of cargo vessel Mia Sophie B marks a significant milestone at Runcorn Docks as it fully reopens for business following 14-months of construction to stabilise and rebuild the dock wall.

“The dock was limited to half its previous width as safety measures were implemented, but the reconstructed berths have now reopened and returned to full capacity. The design and construction of the works has followed industry standards and have been subject to detailed review and testing , with the strengthened dock wall enhancing our ability to accommodate vessels with heavier loads.

“The latest works at Runcorn Docks represent our continued investment into Manchester Ship Canal and we will continue to upgrade our facilities to offer our customers the most efficient and cost-effective port solutions.”