Peel Ports Group is investing £10 million ($13.3 million) in Heysham Port to increase capacity and efficiencies at the site—a key trade link between the UK mainland, the Island of Ireland and the Isle of Man.
Peel Ports will invest in future-proofing operations and resilience and support customers in increasing the volumes they can pass through the port.
The project will include reconfiguring the port’s trailer park, a new multi-lane smart gate operating system, and a new terminal operating system for the facility.
The investment will benefit all operators at Heysham Port, with Isle of Man Steam Packet, CLDN and Stena Line all set to gain from improved efficiency, increased capacity and enhanced terminal operations.
The extra space created by reconfiguring the site’s trailer park will accommodate future growth, including Stena Line’s deployment of two new-build state-of-the-art ‘NewMax’ ferries at the port, which will boost freight capacity by 40 per cent compared to previous vessels, and the works will also lead to operational time savings for customers.
A new gate operating system is set to enhance the experience for hauliers by boosting reliability, easing congestion, and freeing up additional space at the terminal.
In parallel, a new terminal operating system will help arriving hauliers more easily locate trailers on site, contributing to improved safety across the port. Implementation work is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Phil Hall, Mersey Port Director at Peel Ports Group, said: “This investment is hugely positive news for Heysham Port and the local community. We believe this work will future-proof our operations here for decades to come, as well as create growth opportunities for the facility in the process.
“We’ve already received great feedback from our customers about these plans, and it’s clear this infrastructure investment will really benefit our operations here in the years ahead.”
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Paul Grant, Regional Trade Director, Stena Line, said: “We welcome the investment from Peel Ports into the operations and additional space at Heysham Port. We have seen sustained growth in the unaccompanied freight market on this route, and we expect this trend to continue as we add further capacity.
“With the first of our new hybrid ships due to begin on the route later this year, the improved efficiency and extra space at the terminal will help facilitate the additional traffic and ensure a reliable service for our customers.”
