Sheerness is not the biggest property in the Peel Ports portfolio, but the terminal is well placed to take advantage of emerging European markets. Its position, just one hour from central London, makes it a popular landfall for continental drivers and trailers, delivering to the important South East England market. Now, the operators are upgrading the Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) facilities at the Kent port.
Peel Ports are investing £30 million into the development of a new Ro-Ro berth at the Port of Sheerness. The operators say the investment will increase capacity to meet demand for RoRo cargo at the port. They believe it will make it able to better accommodate large vessels exceeding 230m in length overall.
Important new carrier traffic
Richard Goffin, the Port Director for Peel Ports London Medway and Great Yarmouth (another facility on the east coast of England) said Sheerness plays a hugely important role in the handling and processing of a broad range of commodities. “This £30 million 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.”
Sheerness, which sits at the confluence of the Rivers Medway and Thames, recently won new business from specialist Ro-Ro operator Finnlines. The Helsinki shipping operator began services to London Medway on 23 September, making calls in Scandinavia and the Iberian peninsula. Their Finneco class vessels, used on the route, are 238m in length. As well as Ro-Ro traffic, the port handles large quantities of finished automobiles (around 300,000 per annum), paper products, and bulk construction materials.
Further ambitions for Sheerness
Currently in the design and fabrication phase, construction for the project is set to begin in March next year (2025) with the removal of existing infrastructure. Piling will be undertaken, followed by the installation of a new pontoon. The new berth is expected to be operational in the summer of 2025. In addition to supporting larger vessels, the pontoon will support Quarter Ramp vessels on both sides, plus Stern Ramp vessels on an adjacent berth.
Finnlines recent agreement with Sheerness has seen their Finneco-class hybrid Ro-Ro vessels make regular calls to the port. Each of the three vessels has a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres, equivalent to around 400 trailers. According to Peel Ports, the development of a new Ro-Ro berth will provide customers with faster and more efficient loading and unloading operations. Peel Ports say they have further ambitions to deliver a main line rail freight connection, by installing infrastructure to the main port estate via an existing bridge. An existing passenger line runs within a few hundred metres of the port perimeter.
Peel Ports has six terminals in its UK portfolio, including its headquarters operation at Liverpool. The other facilities (Manchester Ship Canal, Heysham and Clydeport near Glasgow) are all on the west coast of Great Britain. Peel Ports handles approximately 70 million tonnes of cargo every year. 14% of the total UK major ports traffic flows through ports operated by the Group. It employs around 2,000 staff.