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.
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.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.