The Port of Liverpool will soon see a "significant increase" in size and the number of cranes as the next phase of Peel's expansion begins.
Building and civil engineering firm McLaughlin and Harvey has been awarded a contract to deliver the next phase of development at the Liverpool2 deep-water contained terminal.
The terminal, a multi-million pound project best known for the giant cranes towering over the River Mersey, opened back in 2016, and will now see an increase in the site's footprint.
That will mean the addition of 10 cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes (CRMGs) and three ship-to-shore cranes (STS).
Mark Whitworth, CEO of Peel Ports said: “Since originally announcing our expansion plans we have gone on to secure some of the world’s major shipping lines as customers at the Port of Liverpool.
"That, and our growing customer base, is a vote of confidence in the North of England as a competitive route to international markets and Liverpool as a major port for global trade. We look forward to working with the team at McLaughlin and Harvey to deliver the next phase that will provide even more capacity to help meet growing demand.”
According to Peel Ports, the UK's second largest ports group that owns and operates the site, the STS cranes are scheduled to arrive in November 2019 with the overall project expected to be completed during 2021.
Detailed design and preparatory civil works have already started.
There will also be additional reefer points installed to allow the terminal to handle even greater quantities of refrigerated containers at the Port of Liverpool.
Opened in November 2016, Liverpool2 was a £400m Peel investment that provides a "state-of-the-art ocean gateway" for international trade to and from the UK.
The deep-water facility is capable of accommodating the world’s largest container vessels and connects road, rail and canal networks linking directly to the heart of the UK mainland, accessing a catchment of over 35m people.
