A KEY Scottish freight port is set to receive a major productivity boost with an unprecedented investment.

Operator Peel Ports announced it is to order two new cranes for Greenock Ocean Terminal that will help it prepare to accommodate increased demand from cargo owners.

Peel Ports has issued a £17 million tender for the cranes and this is the largest single investment made at the container terminal since it opened in 1969.

It will also help provide global shipping companies ongoing reliable access to major import and export centres at the heart of the UK.

The commission of the cranes at Scotland’s deepest container terminal comes amid the ongoing construction of a purpose built multi agency Border Control Post.

The firm said this was a requirement to allow all commodities to be imported and exported from the port in the face of changing legislative requirements becasue of Brexit.

The terminal currently accounts for 60,000 containers per annum, a third of all containers coming into Scotland and the new infrastructure is set to contribute to its growth in time.

The terminal also recently created additional storage capacity of up to 2,500TEU [twenty foot equivalent units] for containers as it continues to keep up with an increase in demand.

As part of the transition, the port will later decommission its Crane No.3.

It will be replaced in the short term with a multi-docker crane that specialises in the handling of forest products, that will further enhance the ports service offerings and create further opportunities.

Once the contract is awarded it is expected the work will take 18 months, and when the two new cranes are completed and on site, the group will later decommission the two other cranes currently at the terminal.

Jim McSporran, Clydeport port director at Peel Ports Group, said: “The commission of two new cranes will be significant for Greenock Ocean Terminal and will contribute to the continuing growth seen in recent times.

“This investment also highlights our commitment to ensuring Greenock Ocean Terminal continues to provide an efficient service for our customers.

“Throughout the last two years, we have seen some significant changes in the supply chain and trading patterns due to Covid-19 and Brexit and by investing in our infrastructure, we are ensuring the future of the terminal.

“Greenock Ocean Terminal is a mainstay of the local community and it’s important that we look towards the future and continue to provide job prospects and economic opportunities for local businesses.”

Set on the Firth of Clyde, Greenock Ocean Terminal has been at the heart of Scotland’s shipping industry since 1876, with the container terminal officially opening in 1969.

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