Owner Peel Ports Clydeport welcomed guests to the port today for a ceremony to celebrate the biggest-ever investment in Greenock’s container facilities.
The west-facing freight port’s new infrastructure is already benefitting customers, with one vessel recently departing 13 hours earlier than planned because of the quicker turnaround time.
The cranes arrived at the port in June this year and have been fully operational since July following stringent testing.
The port operator believes the cranes will help accommodate increased demand from cargo owners, and support growth in transatlantic trade, as well as future-proof the port.
The capabilities of the new cranes have already been key in securing new routes, include a new weekly deep sea container service connecting Scotland to the Mediterranean market of Turkey.
The cranes are the largest single investment made at the container terminal and comes less than a year after a new £20 million cruise ship visitor centre opened at the neighbouring Greenock Ocean Terminal.
Jim McSporran, port director at Peel Ports Clydeport, said: “It’s been great to welcome guests and customers to Greenock today so we can celebrate this important addition to our port estate.
“We believe the new cranes will be transformational for our port, and it’s incredible the impact they are having already.
“It’s clear to the human eye how much quicker they are, and we’ve had a great response from customers and our teams on the efficiencies they’re bringing.
“With so much pressure on supply chains, it’s invaluable for our customers to know our operations are even faster now.”
Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, added: “Between the Port of Greenock and the new Ocean Terminal visitor centre, that’s the best part of £50 million of public and private investment in the overall site, which is a key location for Inverclyde, to help boost the local and national economies and encourage further inward investment, support jobs, and boost tourism.”