Atlantic Container Line signs a 15-year contract extension with Peel Ports Group

Posted on Wednesday, December 4th by

Atlantic Container Line (ACL) is the largest sea carrier operating at Liverpool's Royal Seaforth Container Terminal (RSCT). The company has agreed to a new 15-year contract extension for container and roll-on/roll-off operations at the Port of Liverpool until 2035. The contract extension indicates ACL's confidence in increasing volume of transatlantic trade between the UK and North America. 

To accommodate ACL's new fleet of G4 vessels, Peel Ports Group is making a significant investment at RSCT. The passage entrance into the Seaforth Basin has been widened by 28 metres to allow safe access for the large G4 vessels into the terminal. More than this, Peel Ports is investing in two Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes with increased height and reach, allowing dedicated vehicle storage area to deal with ACL's cargo requirements. The project is expected to be completed by 2021.

ACL transports more than 125,000 units of containers, cars and RORO machinery per year, and sustains an important supply chain between the UK's export and import trades. ACL ships call at Liverpool twice each week, its fastest import and export transatlantic service. Liverpool connects ACL's customers in the UK, Scotland and Ireland with North America. The long-term relationship between ACL's Terminal Operations and the Peel Ports operations team offers customers with cutting-edge technologies and improved cargo efficiency for all containers, roll-on/roll-off and breakbulk cargo.

Atlantic Container Line was Europe's first dedicated container line and its vessels have called at the Port of Liverpool since 1967. Gianluca Grimaldi, President of the Grimaldi Group declared: "It gives me great pleasure to make this extended Agreement with the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company. This agreement signifies the long-standing partnership with our daughter company, ACL. The Grimaldi Group applauds the major improvements to Royal Seaforth Terminal and recognises it as a renewed commitment of our strong relationship with the Port of Liverpool, Mersey Maritime, and the customers and suppliers who have been supportive of ACL's operation for so many years."

The Chief Executive of Peel Ports, Mark Whitworth, commented: "This is a huge vote of confidence in us as a port and a company, and we're delighted to be continuing our commercial partnership with ACL into the longer term. Liverpool's strategic position makes it a prime gateway for transatlantic trade and will continue to be instrumental as confidence in North American trade grows. The investment we'll be making in the new STS cranes will help other customers as well as ACL."

Source: Forwarder Magazine