Peel Ports Group has invested over US$12.5 million in new outer lock gates at the Port of Liverpool to increase resilience in the United Kingdom’s port.
The new gates will be important in allowing local vessels to navigate safely, enhancing reliability, and improving operational efficiencies for port users. Gladstone Dock has been serving ships for over 95 years, with the initial construction finished in 1927.
Peel Ports hired Ravestein BV, a company that specialises in the manufacturing of massive steel structures, to install the new gates. The work was finished in May 2023, and the gates are scheduled to be operational for the following 50 years.
The gate was built in Holland, with each gate weighing an astonishing 300 tonnes and spanning 20 x 20 meters wide.
Meanwhile, Ravestein BV commissioned a specifically built barge to transport such enormous weight and bulk between Holland and Liverpool.
On its maiden journey, the barge required zero road miles to transport the gates, supporting Peel Ports’ ambitious goal of becoming a net zero port operator by 2040.
Furthermore, Peel Ports has invested more than US$1.2 billion in sustainable infrastructure projects over the last decade, with an additional US$250 million anticipated in the coming year.