Port of Liverpool and Manchester Ship Canal confirm major presence at Multimodal 2011

The Port of Liverpool is the largest of the Peel ports, handling over 33 million tonnes of cargo – more than 50% of the Group's annual trade. The Manchester Ship Canal handles another 8 million tonnes of cargo annually along its 36 mile length from the River Mersey to the heart of Greater Manchester. Together they represent a dynamic port complex offering more than 100 berths to the most diverse range of international trade.

Port of Liverpool

Liverpool is ranked among Britain's major deep sea container ports, is the country's major gateway for trade with the United States and Canada and serves more than 100 global destinations.

The Seaforth Container Terminal handles nearly 700,000 teus (20ft Equivalent Units) a year. A £90 million second container terminal is planned for development on the River Mersey, adding another 600,000 teus of capacity to the port's existing container terminal operations and enabling it to accommodate the new generation of post-Panamax size container ships.

Liverpool, Britain's most diverse port in the range of cargoes it handles, imports more grain and animal feed than any other UK port, exports more scrap metal for recycling and includes among the traffic crossing its quays – timber and forest products, steel, metals, coal, cocoa, crude oil, edible oils, liquid chemicals and much more.

Liverpool is the major British port for trade with Ireland, handling more than 40% of all unitised freight crossing the Irish Sea, plus nearly three quarters of a million passengers. It is also a growing port for cruise ship calls with more anticipated with the development of a new £15 million extension to the Liverpool Landing Stage at Pier Head.

The Port of Liverpool has more than 1,200 acres of waterside land accommodating over 4 million sq ft of modern logistics facilities and bespoke commercial sites.

The Manchester Ship Canal

Opened in 1894 to enable the merchants of Manchester to avoid using the Port of Liverpool, this unique inland waterway for "big ships" now unites the great neighbouring cities of Liverpool and Manchester. Under the Peel Ports Group, the international port at the mouth of the River Mersey and the canal which continues maritime navigation from Eastham Lock entrance, 8 miles up river, to Salford Quays 36 miles further east, are promoted individually and as one.

The Manchester Ship Canal services bespoke and general berths and terminals for its full length and includes clusters of maritime activity at Ellesmere Port, Runcorn Docks, Irlam and on the upper reaches at Salford. Companies active in moving a range of cargoes such as containers, coal, chemicals, oils and grain, include household names such as Shell, Tesco, Ineos, Cerestar, Rank Hovis, Proctor and Gamble, Castrol and Kingsland Wines.

Peel Ports is looking to maximise the commercial and environmental advantages of promoting the Port of Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal as one. The launch late in 2007 of a regular Shuttle barge service moving containers between the international container terminal at Liverpool and the Irlam Container Terminal in Greater Manchester, is a pointer to the future potential of the 44 mile long seaway as a valuable commercial and environmentally friendly alternative to inland road haulage.

Multi-million pound investment by Peel Ports in Port Salford – the North West's most comprehensive inland intermodal terminal – and other port developments along the canal will stimulate further growth in waterborne trade.

Together, the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Ship Canal offer a comprehensive range of port facilities, handling more than 40 million tonnes of cargo and 15,000 ship movements a year – making the River Mersey Britain's third busiest estuary.

The Port and Canal form the "green" gateway to an economy of more than 120,000 industrial and commercial enterprises and a population equal to that of greater London.

Once the fiercest commercial rivals, the Port of Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal are now as one under the banner of Peel Ports, the UK's second largest ports group.

Peel Ports' planned investment amounting to more than £200 million, will further enhance the potential of the Port and Canal as hubs for international trade and a unique environment friendly waterborne alternative to inland road haulage.Handles over 6 million tonnes of freight pa and traffic travels the whole 36 miles of canal from Eastham, on the Wirral to Salford Quays at Manchester.