Atlantic Container Line has agreed a new 15-year contract extension for container and ro-ro operations at the Port of Liverpool, until 2035
ACL, part of Grimaldi Group, is already the largest ocean carrier operating at Liverpool’s Royal Seaforth Container Terminal (RSCT) and the port’s longest serving container carrier.
Peel Ports Group is making a significant investment at RSCT to accommodate ACL’s new fleet of G4 vessels, which are registered in the UK and fly the Red Ensign. The passage entrance into the Seaforth Basin has been widened by 28m to allow safe access for the large G4 vessels into the terminal.
In addition, Peel Ports is investing in two STS cranes with increased height and reach, adding capacity to the dedicated vehicle storage area to handle ACL’s growing cargo requirements. The overall project expected to be completed during 2021.
ACL ships over 125,000 units of containers, cars and ro-ro machinery per annum over Liverppol. ACL ships call at Liverpool twice each week, its fastest import and export transatlantic service. Liverpool connects ACL’s customers in the British industrial heartland, Scotland and Ireland with North America.
Gianluca Grimaldi, President of the Grimaldi Group commented: “It gives me great pleasure to make this extended Agreement with Mersey Docks and Harbour Company. This agreement signifies the long-standing partnership with our daughter company, ACL. Grimaldi Group applauds the major improvements to Royal Seaforth Terminal and recognises it as a renewed commitment of our strong relationship with the Port of Liverpool, Mersey Maritime, and the customers and suppliers who have been supportive of ACL’s operation for so many years.”
Mark Whitworth, Chief Executive of Peel Ports, said: “This is a huge vote of confidence in us as a port and a company, and we’re delighted to be continuing our commercial partnership with ACL into the longer term. Liverpool’s strategic position makes it a prime gateway for transatlantic trade and will continue to be instrumental as confidence in North American trade grows. The investment we’ll be making in the new STS cranes will help other customers as well as ACL.”
As far as WorldCargo News knows, the supplier of the two STS cranes for RSCT has not been disclosed. Peel Ports’ Liverpool2 is equipped with ZPMC STS cranes and cantilever RMGs, but the existing cranes at RSCT are from Liebherr.
Source: WorldCargo News