Peel Ports boosts UK steel capacity

As part of this plan, the group is already progressing with a £32 million expansion at the Port of Liverpool, which will add 140,000 sq ft (13,000 sqm) of new storage space.

Across its ports of Liverpool and London Medway, Peel Ports will increase warehousing by 50%, creating an additional 500,000 sq ft (46,500 sqm) to support growing demand from construction and manufacturing supply chains.

“This is a game-changing investment for us,” said David Huck, chief operating officer at Peel Ports Group. “Demand for steel and metals handling across our port group, and the UK in general, has risen sharply over the past five years.”

In Liverpool, the expansion will include a second automated terminal dedicated to steel coils, while Sheerness at London Medway will also see a new automated terminal. Both facilities will be supported by a new inland rail terminal in the Midlands, designed to efficiently connect the two deep-water ports.

Peel Ports processed a record 702,000 tonnes of bulk steel in 2024 at the Port of Liverpool – up more than 35% year-on-year – with imports arriving from countries including South Korea, Turkey and across Europe.

To support this growth, Peel Ports has expanded its specialist team of stevedores in Liverpool and is actively recruiting and training staff to meet increasing demand.

The group now has more than 610,000 sq ft (56,700 sqm) of steel storage at Liverpool alone, with the new expansion allowing an additional 35,000 tonnes of product to be stored.

Peel Ports also recently joined the Aluminium Federation, becoming the first and, so far, only UK port to do so.