UK’s Liverpool2 deep-water container terminal is all set for its official opening today, according to port operator Peel Ports.

Liverpool2 was developed in response to changing trading patterns and shipping industry trends towards the use of ‘mega’ ocean-going container ships. The facility will be able to handle the biggest cargo vessels in the world, Peel Ports said.

The site currently has five ‘megamax’ ship to shore (STS) transfer cranes and 12 quayside container handling cranes. Ultimately there will be another three STS cranes and 10 CRMGs.

“Liverpool 2 will create a new trading gateway in the UK. We are already exploring and succeeding in creating new opportunities for UK exporters, having recently signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a strategic alliance aimed at facilitating international trade and generating new business by promoting trade routes between Liverpool and the west coast of South America via the Panama Canal,” Mark Whitworth, CEO of Peel Ports, said.

The new facility will complement the existing Royal Seaforth Container Terminal at the Port of Liverpool, with each terminal having capacity to handle around 1 million containers per annum.

Liverpool currently has around 8% of the container market in the UK. This figure would be expected to rise to between 15% and 20%.

Under Peel Ports’ GBP 400 million investment, the terminal was connected with road, rail and canals directly to the UK mainland.