Liverpool

17. ноя, 9:50 Liverpool to get new Mersey river terminal Liverpool’s new £210m river ter...

seagull 17. ноя, 9:50
Liverpool to get new Mersey river terminal
Liverpool’s new £210m river terminal is set to go ahead after port bosses secured vital investment to dredge the Mersey. Sefton Council has won conditional backing from the Government’s regional growth fund (RGF) to pay for the deepening of the river bed by 52ft. The multi-million pound award – believed to be in the region of £30m – will pave the way for Peel Ports to build its new “in river” termina, Liverpool Echo reportsl.
The development will allow huge post-Panamax vessels to berth, which are currently unable to access the river or the lock system at Seaforth due to a lack of depth.
It is hoped the new terminal will be operational from 2014.
Dredging work is expected to get under way once a due diligence process is complete.
Lord Heseltine confirmed that the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills’ (BIS) has made a conditional offer to support the transformation of the port through the RGF on his latest visit to the city. His recent report into the regional economy, co-authored by Sir Terry Leahy, outlined the importance of the Port of Liverpool on a local and national level.
Today a Peel Ports Mersey spokesman said the company was unable to comment at this stage as the bid was still subject to full approval.
The company will now work with the government and Sefton to turn it into an unconditional offer. This due diligence process with BIS will ensure the project can be delivered.
The dredging of the outer channel of the river by 52ft will be put out to tender and the construction of the terminal will be done by Peel. The developer itself will pay for any more work to dredge the river if the government grant runs out.
Around 6,000 jobs are expected to be created in the Merseyside maritime community as a direct result of the project.
Hundreds of specialised marine construction workers will be drafted in to carry out the dredging at Seaforth. Other jobs likely to be created include forklift truck drivers, dockers positions and pilot boat drivers.
Sefton Council leader Cllr Peter Dowd, said: “We welcome Peel Ports’ plans for the port.
“We believe there could be significant job prospects for the area and we look forward to working with Peel over the coming months and years to advance the economy partly based on their plans.”
The post-Panamax ships will arrive in Liverpool following the widening of the Panama canal, the crucial trade route which links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Seaforth’s lock will remain open during the work to allow container ships to continue to enter the port.
Once the dredging and terminal are complete smaller ships and barges will be used to ferry cargo up the Mersey to smaller ports at Ince, Warrington and Salford.
Cargo will also be transported out of Seaforth via trains.
The planned river terminal will offer shipping companies a different entry point into mainland Britain. It is expected to take around 90% of the containers destined for the north of England which currently enter through the south.


seanews.ru/event

16. сен, 10:22 Southampton objects to Liverpool cruise terminal plan Campaigners aiming to pre...

seagull 16. сен, 10:22
Southampton objects to Liverpool cruise terminal plan
Campaigners aiming to prevent Liverpool rivalling Southampton as a cruise port have handed in a petition to 10 Downing Street, BBC reports.

It comes at the end of the government consultation over whether cruises can start and end in Merseyside.

Southampton's Chamber of Trade gathered nearly 12,000 signatures, claiming public funding of Liverpool's terminal is an unfair advantage.

It says each cruise visit generates £2m for Southampton's economy.

Port officials, MPs, business and council leaders in Southampton have objected to the development of cruise turnaround facilities in Liverpool.

Public funding of Liverpool's Pier Head development, including the cruise terminal, which opened in 2007, was made under the condition that it was only used for cruise stop-offs, not turnarounds.

In return for lifting the restrictions, Liverpool council has said it would pay back £5m of the £21m of state and EU grants used to build the terminal.

Associated British Ports (ABP), which owns Southampton Docks, argues that if the plans are approved, it would be a misuse of state funds.
'Level playing field'

Jimmy Chestnutt chairman of Southampton Chamber of Trade, who led the delegation to Downing Street, said: "We have no objection, providing Liverpool pay back that subsidy, if they want to go into the cruise industry and operate turnaround cruises.

"We are not concerned about competition. Southampton will fight on a level playing field - this is about subsidising a competitor.

"Any trade that goes from here [southampton] will have an impact on the income of the florists, the taxi drivers, the restaurants and the people who work on and around the port. Let's not forget the real impact on people's livelihoods," he added.

A decision following the Department of Transport consultation on Liverpool's plans is expected by the end of the year.

Source: cruiseindustrynews.com

3. июл, 13:24 BMT takes two seawork awards BMT Nigel Gee Ltd, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, ...

seagull 3. июл, 13:24
BMT takes two seawork awards
BMT Nigel Gee Ltd, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, has enjoyed double success at the 2011 Seawork International Innovations Showcase, MarineLink reported.

The Turbine Access System (TAS), developed in conjunction with marine engineers Houlder, has won both the Marine Renewables Category and overall Spirit of Innovation award. The lightweight motion compensated gangway provides access from workboats onto turbine structures.

The TAS's damped roller system was designed to allow the vessel a degree of vertical movement at the foundation and to execute crew transfer via a lightweight, motion-compensated gangway. It does not require dynamic positioning (DP) and neither the TAS nor the vessel is connected to the turbine.

The TAS will prominently feature on the BMT stand at RenewableUK Offshore Wind exhibition in Liverpool which starts on the 29th June with Houlder expecting to have a demonstrator model available this autumn.

Source: shippingonline.cn

8. июн, 13:35 Peel Group reveals 20-year plan for Manchester Ship Canal Peel Group has today ...

seagull 8. июн, 13:35
Peel Group reveals 20-year plan for Manchester Ship Canal
Peel Group has today outlined its 20-year plan for the growth and future development of the Manchester Ship Canal and the Port of Liverpool, Menmedia reports.

The draft master plan includes a 70 per cent growth in tonnage handled by Peel Ports Mersey, which manages the Port of Liverpool and the 36 mile Manchester Ship Canal that links it with Salford Quays.

It said its plans will create jobs and contribute to the regional economy.

The plan was launched this morning at Liverpool’s Maritime Centre.

Peel Ports Mersey managing director Gary Hodgson said: “The purpose of the master plan is to clarify our own strategic planning for the medium to long term - and inform all of our stakeholders; from regional and local planning bodies and transport network providers to port users, employees and, very importantly, people living in local communities, as to how they can expect to see the Port and Ship Canal develop over the coming years.

“This will be an extensive consultation, and we are asking people to get involved and tell us what they think.

“All written views will be carefully considered and will help to shape the final version of the master plan.”

Peel is inviting comments on its Mersey Ports Master Plan in a 13 week consultation that will see information events held around the region.

A copy of the Mersey Ports Master Plan and details of how to contribute to the consultation can be downloaded at www.merseydocks.co.uk/masterplan

Public information events will be held at Pyramid, Palmyra Square South, Warrington on June 23, and at the Digital World Centre in Salford Quays on July 14.

All events will take place between 3.30pm and 7.30pm.

seanews.ru/event

7. мар, 12:42 Liverpool set to become a 'Super Port' Liverpool City Region’s vision for the p...

seagull 7. мар, 12:42
Liverpool set to become a 'Super Port'
Liverpool City Region’s vision for the port to become a major international gateway has taken a step forward with plans for Liverpool SuperPort, Ifw-net reports.

The plans will see the port gain a post-panamax-capable terminal, new multimodal facilities and almost a million square metres of storage and distribution space.

Peter Nears, Strategic Planning Director for Peel Property, told delegates at Navigate’s second annual Port-Centric Logistics conference this week: “Port-centric logistics is about cutting costs, cutting carbon and cutting congestion.

“For a Liverpool SuperPort, port-centric logistics is not just about moving operations onto a port site, but about strengthening the supply chains into the port, airport and logistics sectors”

He said Liverpool SuperPort would create 1,200 new jobs and contribute £6.1 billion (US$10bn) to the region’s economy by 2020.

SuperPort will include the Mersey Multimodal Gateway, a 40ha expansion to the existing port, that will comprise 200,000sq metres of land for distribution centres.

A £300 million post-panamax terminal would increase the port’s capacity by 2 million teu a year.

Multimodal port access will be improved by rail gauge upgrades, electrification of the rail line between Liverpool and Manchester and a Mersey Gateway Bridge at Widnes/Runcorn.

Nears also told delegates of plans to increase the air cargo volumes handled by Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport by more than100,000 tonnes a year by 2020. They also include a World Cargo Centre and runway expansion.

businesstimes.com.sg

5. сен '10, 11:33 Liverpool container ship terminal plans may be stopped by new environmental guid...

seagull 5. сен '10, 11:33
Liverpool container ship terminal plans may be stopped by new environmental guidelines

Plans to build a giant container ship terminal in Liverpool may have to be scrapped because of new environmental guidelines designed to protect Merseyside’s coast line. Liverpool Bay was made into the marine equivalent of a national park by the Government last month.

But it means permission to build the terminal, which could involve dredging deeper shipping channels and a surge in the number and size of vessels coming into Liverpool, may be refused.
Last night, Peel Ports, which is behind the plans to build the post-Panamax facility, insisted it would work with the Government and other agencies to try to hammer out a compromise that will allow the scheme to go ahead.
It wants the city to be able to handle the world’s biggest container ships, built to fit down the new, wider Panama Canal, which is due to open in 2014.
Plans to build huge windfarms in the Irish Sea may also have to be altered because of the new designation. Developing Merseyside into a “superport” and a hub for the low carbon economy have been identified as crucial economic drivers for the future.
The region’s inward investment agency, The Mersey Partnership, has labelled both as “transformational sectors” potentially capable of boosting the city region’s coffers.
Failing to get the post-Panamax facility or the know-how of building wind farms would be a massive blow to the region.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs announced that a 170,200-hectare area of Liverpool Bay would be made a Special Protection Area (SPA) in August.
It hopes making it an SPA will protect “internationally important” colonies of both the red-throated diver and the common scoter.
The UK must protect rare or vulnerable species of birds, under EU laws set out in the European Bird Directive.
No restrictions for the bay area have yet been drawn up, but the Sea Fisheries Commission, which is responsible for the UK’s inshore waters, will be running a consultation between interested parties to establish how the area is managed.
But, in a report by Natural England, the Government’s environment advisor, setting out why Liverpool Bay should be made an SPA, it warned new developments will only be allowed to go ahead if research shows they have “no adverse effect” on the wildlife.
Natural England added: “This greatly enhances the protection provided for SPAs compared with some other designations.”
The environment experts continued: “Both common scoters and red-throated divers are very sensitive to noise and visual disturbance. Movements of objects (such as boats, and wind turbine blades) and increases in noise can stop the birds from feeding or cause them to fly away.“Overwintering birds are particularly affected by disturbance as the weather conditions are harsh and they need to lay down fat reserves to use when they migrate to their breeding grounds.”
Liverpool Bay supports 3.5% of North West Europe’s common scoters and 5.4% of the national population of red-throated divers.
Although breeding birds fly to other locations, those that stay use the area for feeding.
Responding to the SPA announcement, a Peel Ports spokesman said: “We are working closely with the Government agencies and non-governmental organisations to ensure delivery of the River Terminal, taking into account all our environmental responsibilities.
“Significant progress is being made on site investigation work and we firmly believe the scheme will reinforce Liverpool’s position as a major UK container port.”
A Centrica spokesman said the Liverpool Bay SPA does not overlap where they have permission to build a windfarm and that it is in the “very early” stages of drawing up their plans.
Mark Knowles, TMP’s low carbon economy manager, said: “We commented on these proposals with our partners six months ago. Developers interested in expanding off shore wind capacity in the Irish Sea have all known this designation was in the pipeline and are drawing up their plans accordingly.”

Source: liverpooldailypost.co.uk