New £28m multi-use warehouse facility opens to boost port trade
A new £28m 237,000 sq ft warehouse has been completed for Peel Ports at the Alexandra Dock in the Port of Liverpool.
The multi-user port-side warehouse was built by construction company Glencar over a 12 month period. It was designed by Architects Chetwoods and is the equivalent in length to five full size football pitches – 400 metres – and is designed to handle and store a variety of commodities including both unitised and non-unitised.
The building also features 300 metres of dedicated quayside, state-of-the-art cranes for vessel discharge, fast HGV turnaround times, vehicle wash bay, separate office block and welfare facilities and weighbridges and marshalling cabin.
Bulk storage in the new facility sold out before its construction was complete. Half of the warehouse was assigned for grain, and this space was fully booked up by importers while construction was still ongoing.
The first of two vessels successfully offloaded the Alexandra Dock facility’s first shipment of grain on July 12, with a second shipment arriving later in the month. When full, the shed will accommodate approximately 90,000 tonnes of cargo.
Peel Ports invested £25m in the development of the warehouse, which was designed by industry experts for the efficient storage of dry bulks.
Pete Goodman, Glencar Managing Director Midlands and North, said: “Ports serve as a critical part of the UK supply chain and multi-user facilities of this type contribute towards the continuation of the import and export of vital goods and enhance the ports warehousing and distribution capabilities.
“This development aims to optimise supply chains, reduce road miles, and provide substantial cost, carbon, and congestion benefits, solidifying Liverpool’s role in the UK’s logistics network.
“This serves as the second project we have completed to date for Peel Ports with further announcements set to be made in the not-too-distant future as Glencar continues to expand its port-side and critical transport infrastructure and civils offering.”
Phil Hall, Mersey Port Director, Peel Ports Group, said: “We’re very pleased to see the successful completion and full occupancy of Alexandra Dock Warehouse at the Port of Liverpool.
“We’re seeing very strong demand for storage at ports rather than further inland – in this case, it is due to the wet weather earlier in the year impacting the harvest, making the job much harder for UK farmers, and so as a nation we’re having to import more grain and animal feed to keep up with demand.”
He added: “But owners of all cargo types say they’re looking for efficiencies at every point in the supply chain, and we need to be responsive to that. Investing in and creating infrastructure that’s essential for the future has always been at the heart of our strategy, and this is a perfect example of us doing that – and good news for our customers as they look to reduce costs and improve reliability.”
