Contractor named for new Liverpool container terminal

Construction work on the project is expected to start in 2013, and will involve the procurement and installation of ship-to-shore (STS) quay cranes, cantilever rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes, and associated supporting infrastructure works.

A new 854m quay wall will be constructed along with a 16.5m-deep berthing pocket that will be dredged adjacent to the quay wall. The newly created land mass will also require in-filling.

Lend Lease will be responsible for managing the quay wall contractor, producing designs for ancillary works and electricity networks, and ensuring the efficient and cost effective delivery of work packages.

Peel Ports Mersey's managing director Gary Hodgson said: "The naming of the principal contractor is a vitally important move in the construction of Liverpool 2, and we are confident that Lend Lease, with an impressive track record on major construction projects across the globe, is the right company for the job.

"This facility represents a transformational project for the Peel Ports business. It will bring thousands of jobs and economic prosperity to the Merseyside region along with the rest of the North West. The Liverpool 2 brand will become known throughout the world as our new container terminal bringing customers to the North West from all points of the compass from South America to the Far East. By any standard it is a significant development and a major investment. By naming the principal contractor, we have further emphasised our commitment to the building of Liverpool 2".

Michael Dyke, Lend Lease executive director for the company's project management and construction across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, added: "We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and are particularly excited at working with Peel Ports, as they seek to redefine such an important entry point to UK plc. Liverpool 2 is a complex project that will require close collaboration with all stakeholders, at every level.

"This project is wholly consistent with our increased focus on economic infrastructure and reinforces our commitment to the EMEA region, given the significant contribution Liverpool 2 will have upon the local community and the UK economy as a whole."

Access to the current container terminal is restricted to larger vessels because of locks. The new terminal will bring some of the world's largest container ships to the Mersey. In addition, forecast usage by importers and exporters will remove over 150 million miles of transport from the UK's motorway and rail freight networks, which will reduce congestion, improve the carbon footprint of international supply chains and delay the requirement for public expenditure on future transport network capacity.