Peel Ports will begin work on a new ro-ro berth and floating pontoon at the port in March next year with the aim of improving throughput for finished vehicles and other cargo.
Peel Ports Group is investing £30m ($37.7m) in the development of a new ro-ro berth at the UK port of Sheerness aimed at increasing efficiency and boosting throughput for finished vehicle and rolling machinery deliveries alongside other commodities moved by trailer. The port currently handles around 300,000 finished vehicles a year.
Peel Ports said the development will include a floating pontoon helping to cater for vessels exceeding 230 metres. As well as supporting larger vessels, the pontoon will support quarter ramp vessels on both sides, plus stern ramp vessels on the adjacent berth, according to the port services provider.
Work on the site will begin in March next year, beginning with the removal of existing infrastructure and the driving in of piles to fix the pier structure. Peel Ports said the berth is expected to be operational by summer 2025.
“This £30m 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 ro-ro vessels,” said Richard Goffin, port director, Peel Ports Great Yarmouth and London Medway.
Ceva services at Sheerness
At Sheerness port Ceva Logistics operates a 30-hectare vehicle processing centre (VPC) that provides pre-delivery inspection, vehicle conversion and body shop repairs for carmakers. Ford, JLR and Volkswagen all use the port.
This year, to help manage inbound volumes to the UK, Peel Ports provided additional storage at various locations around the port equal in capacity to 6,500 vehicles, which it said significantly enhanced Ceva’s ability to manage peak periods and sudden surges in shipping volumes.
Peel Ports said the new berth and pontoon was part of a plan to deliver a “comprehensive automotive service”, that includes a direct rail connection that would link with the Wildfire Bridge. The bridge spans Brielle Way and provides faster and more secure access between the port estate and the Wellmarsh development, reducing port traffic on public roads. Peel Ports has invested more than £28m into its 20-hectare Wellmarsh site to support growth for automotive and other commodities, including timber.
Peel Ports said the investment in the new berth followed the launch by Finnlines of a new freight service in September, running to Sheerness from Finland with further connections available to Belgium, Spain and Ireland. That service will be operated by three Finneco-class hybrid ro-ro vessels, each with a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres, equivalent to around 400 trailers. Customers can access the entire Finnlines and Grimaldi Group network via the Belgian ports of Zeebrügge and Antwerp.
“Finnlines continues to strengthen its services by increasing cargo capacity for the UK service,” said Merja Kallio-Mannila, commercial director at Finnlines. “Furthermore, the launch of our new service from Sheerness secures an important trade route between England and the Continent, further solidifying our position in the market. We are constantly improving our services to our customers and looking for new growth opportunities.”
Sheerness is part of the London Medway cluster of ports on the Thames Estuary in southern England.
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