42 HOTSPOTS
Heysham Port BLOWING IN PORT’S FAVOUR
Heysham Port is setting course for a bright future. Operator Peel Ports Group is investing £10m to further increase its capacity and efficiency.
The UK’s second largest port operator is making the investment to future-proof its operations and resilience, as well as supporting its customers in increasing the volumes they can pass through the Lancashire port.
Today Heysham is a key trade link between the UK mainland, the island of Ireland and the Isle of Man.
The investment announced will benefit all operators at the port, with Isle of Man Steam Packet, CLDN and Stena Line all set to gain from improved efficiency, increased capacity and enhanced terminal operations.
Peel is also looking at attracting cruise ships to the Lancashire coast in a boost for the tourism sector, with two set to stop at Heysham in 2026.
Stena Line is also deploying two new-build state-of-the-art ‘NewMax’ ferries at the port, which will boost freight capacity.
A multi-million pound investment by the ferry operator, they will sail on the route to Belfast. Stena has also signed an agreement with Peel to operate out of Heysham until the end of the century.
With improvement work at the port set to start soon, Phil Hall, Mersey Port director at Peel Ports Group, says: “This investment is hugely
positive news for Heysham Port and the local community.
“We believe this work will future-proof our operations here for decades to come, as well as create growth opportunities for the facility in the process.
“We’ve already received great feedback from our customers about these plans and it’s clear this investment will really benefit our operations here in the years ahead.”
He says: “It’s a big investment from Stena and in terms of our commitment to Heysham. We have seen growth on the route and we see a very good future for the port looking ahead. The investment from Peel will make it more competitive.”
Andrew Darnell, terminal manager at Peel Ports Group, reveals that tourism business is also on the cards and that it is looking at the potential for cruise ships to stop at Heysham.
We believe this work will future-proof our operations
here for decades to come, as well as create growth opportunities for the facility in the process
He adds: “The work involves upgrading to more modern technology in the way we operate the port. One of the big drivers is the major investment from Stena Line.”
The project will include the port’s trailer park being reconfigured, as well as a new multi lane smart gate operating system and a new state-of-the-art terminal operating system for the facility.
Andrew Kane, Stena Line regional ports and terminals operations manager, says the new hybrid vessels being introduced, which will be able to operate on methanol fuel, will boost freight capacity by 80 per cent compared to current ship capacity.
To that end Peel has been working with Global Ports Holding, which operates the cruise terminal at Liverpool. Andrew says: “We had a visit from a small bespoke cruise ship last year and we’ve already got two bookings for 2026 and one for 2027. There are opportunities.
“We thought cruise vessels wouldn’t come into Heysham because of size restrictions but there is clearly demand.”
Phil adds: “The idea is that the cruise ship would come into Heysham and passengers would go ashore for day trips, possibly to Lancaster or the Lake District. Eden would be another attraction.”
WHY TRADE WINDS ARE
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