- Port of Greenock’s Largest Investment: £25m Cranes Unveiled.
- Greenock Celebrates £25m Crane Investment and Faster Turnaround Times.
- Increased Trade and Efficiency: Port of Greenock Launches New £25m Cranes.
The Port of Greenock has ushered in new £25 million ship-to-shore cranes as part of its investment that promises significantly to boost productivity in the facility. The new port cranes, under the port’s biggest investment in infrastructure, were unveiled at a ceremony attended by guests and customers, reports Greenock Telegraph.
Multi-million Investment Targets to Improve Efficiency
It is owned by the owner, Peel Ports Clydeport, which itself has already demonstrated the influence of its newly installed cranes on operations. Only last week, an example was provided whereby a vessel left port 13 hours earlier than had been anticipated due to faster turnaround times.
Jim McSporran, Port Director at Peel Ports Clydeport, said: “It’s been great to welcome guests and customers to Greenock today so we can celebrate this important addition to our port estate. We believe the new cranes will be transformational for our port, and it’s incredible the impact they are having already.”
He added: “It’s clear to the human eye how much quicker they are, and we’ve had a great response from customers and our teams on the efficiencies they’re bringing.”
“With so much pressure on supply chains, it’s invaluable for our customers to know our operations are even faster now.”
Crane Naming Competition
To mark the opening, Peel Ports Clydeport has unveiled a competition to name the cranes in partnership with Inverclyde Council. The pair of winners are both 10-year-olds and pupils at Inverclyde’s schools; Avaleigh Lang from Lady Alice Primary in Greenock named one of her choices Craner Swift after pop idol Taylor Swift, whereas Frances McFadden from St Mary’s Primary School, agreed that the second crane should be called U-Crane Bolt, after the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.
Impact on Local Economy and Global Trade
Owen Griffiths, logistics director at drinks group Diageo, said: “We welcome the investment made by Peel Ports, who is an important partner to Diageo, in delivering resilience and capacity to our network out of Scotland, enabling our goods to reach our customers around the world.”
Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, added: “Between the Port of Greenock and the new Ocean Terminal visitor centre, that’s the best part of £50 million of public and private investment in the overall site, which is a key location for Inverclyde, to help boost the local and national economies and encourage further inward investment, support jobs, and boost tourism.”
“The new visitor centre has allowed for both the expansion of the cruise ship and also the container side of the port and cements Inverclyde’s place as a key shipping hub.”
“It’s great to see the investment in both facilities paying off with an increase in the number of vessels and improved turnaround times.”
Supporting Growth and Ensuring New Trade Routes
The cranes, which arrived in June and have been running since July, should witness increased demand from cargo owners boost growth in transatlantic trade and future-proof the port. Their capabilities have already proved instrumental in securing new shipping routes, including a weekly deep-sea container service connecting Scotland with the Mediterranean market in Turkey.
The £3.5 million investment is the largest single upgrade to the container terminal and less than a year since the opening of the £20 million visitor centre for cruise ships at Greenock Ocean Terminal. Together, these constitute a vital injection into both the local economy and Scotland’s place in global trade.
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Source: Greenock Telegraph
