Peel Ports Group has announced it will invest £30 million ($37.7 million) into the development of a new RoRo berth at the Port of Sheerness to meet growing demand from new and existing customers.
The project will see a new in-river vessel berth and floating pontoon developed, which will increase capacity for RoRo cargo handling at the port, catering for larger vessels exceeding 230 metres LOA.
The new berth and pontoon will cater for RoRo vessels arriving at the port, carrying commodities such as automotive, paper reels and timber, construction machinery and building materials, project cargo, agribulk, and steel.
With on-site construction set to begin in March 2025, the development is expected to support the continued growth of its customers such as Volkswagen and CEVA, who use Sheerness as the primary location for their Southern UK operations.
In addition to supporting larger vessels, the pontoon will support Quarter Ramp vessels on both sides, plus Stern Ramp vessels on the adjacent berth.
The new berth is expected to be operational in the summer of 2025.
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Peel Ports’ investment in the new berth comes after Finnlines launched a new freight service in September from Finland to the Port of Sheerness, with further connections available to Belgium, Spain, and Ireland, which will be operated with three Finneco-class hybrid RoRo vessels.
With each vessel holding a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres, the service aimed at improving the route network, providing customers with shorter transit times and increased cargo capacity, as well as enabling faster and more efficient loading and unloading operations.
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Richard Goffin, Port Director, Peel Ports Great Yarmouth and London Medway, said: “The Port of Sheerness plays a hugely important role in the handling and processing of a broad range of commodities, whether it is automobiles, paper, or construction materials, ensuring that they reach their destination without delay.
“This £30 million ($37.7 million) project not only shows our ambition to grow our offering to a range of industries, it also represents the next stage of significant investment into the port’s infrastructure which will bolster our position as a leader in handling RoRo vessels.”
Earlier this year, Peel Ports announced a strategic partnership with Awake.AI to leverage AI-based solutions for berth planning and prediction.
