On the Clyde is where the Port of Greenock has officially unveiled its new £25m ship-to-shore cranes, which were manufactured by Liebherr at their Irish plant in Fossa, Co. Kerry.
The investment boosts productivity at the Scottish port, whose owner Peel Ports Clydeport welcomed guests to the facility for a ceremony on Monday to celebrate the biggest-ever investment in Greenock’s container facilities. The west-facing freight port’s new infrastructure is already benefitting customers, with one vessel recently departing 13 hours earlier than planned because of the quicker turnaround time.
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. With so much pressure on supply chains, it’s invaluable for our customers to know our operations are even faster now.”
Owen Griffiths, Logistics Director at drinks group Diageo, said “We welcome the investment made by Peel Ports, who are 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.”
The cranes which were loaded in Cork Harbour were delivered to Greenock in June and have been fully operational since July following stringent testing. The port operator believes the cranes will help accommodate increased demand from cargo owners, and support growth in transatlantic trade, as well as future proof the port.
The capabilities of the new cranes have already been key in securing new routes, including a new weekly deep sea container service connecting Scotland to the Mediterranean market of Turkey.
The cranes are the largest single investment made at the container terminal and come less than a year after a new £20 million cruise ship visitor centre opened at the neighbouring Greenock Ocean Terminal.
A naming competition for the 72m tall cranes was launched by Peel Ports Clydeport in partnership with Inverclyde Council, with the winners announced earlier this year.
Avaleigh Lang, 10, of Lady Alice Primary in Greenock, chose Craner Swift as a nod to the US pop icon Taylor Swift, while Frances McFadden, 10, of the town’s St Mary’s Primary School, opted for U-Crane Bolt as a tribute to Jamaican gold medallist Usain Bolt.
