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PEEL PORTS

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PORT sustainability

Peel Ports, one of the UK’s largest port operators, is on a mission to minimise carbon emissions, investing in a range of green technologies throughout its operations. Lewis McIntyre, Managing Director for Port Services at Peel Ports, explained how ports can play a pivotal role in reducing global supply chain emissions.

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one of the UK’s leading port groups, the operator owns and manages some of the UK and Irelands, most important ports and terminals. From Dublin, to the West Coast of Scotland, down to the South East of England, Peel Ports provides critical infrastructure for vital supplies.

Each year Peel Ports safely handles over 65 million tonnes of cargo from across the globe, representing a 14.2% share of the UK market. The port operator has a strategic focus on sustainability and aims to ensure that its strong port operation facilitates regional economic growth.

This year, the company has been recognised by Maritime UK with a prestigious award for seizing the opportunities presented within the UK Government’s Maritime 2050 strategy for the sector.

It is the third award Peel Ports has won in the last 12 months after receiving Greenfleet’s Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year award for its conversion to electric vehicles, as well as winning UK Ports Directory’s Port Operator of the year in 2021.

According to Lewis McIntyre, Managing Director for Port Services at Peel Ports, what really sets the company apart from its competitors is its willingness to invest.

“In the last five years, we’ve invested over £750 million into our facilities,” he

remarked. “The £400 million investment into Liverpool2 has been a game-changer for The Port of Liverpool and has firmly positioned viable alternatives to congested ports in the South East of England.

“We invest where it matters and where we can make a difference,” he added. “We’ve even spent £100 million on a biomass facility at one location because that’s what we needed to do for one of our customers.”

Peel Ports operates across five geographical areas, including the West Coast of Scotland, North West England, South East England, Norfolk and Ireland. Across these areas, it has 18 terminals, including container, Ro-Ro, car, steel and metals terminals. In total, its facilities occupy 3,500 acres across the UK and Ireland, of which its warehousing and distribution centres alone span a massive 9 million square feet. The business is manned by a staff complement of around 2,000 people.

Sustainability and the environment Sustainability is a major strategic priority for Peel Ports and it informs much of the company’s decision-making, explained Mr McIntyre: “For the company, sustainability is about investing in the business so it can grow and prosper long into the future, whilst still being a good neighbour and employer, minimising our

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environmental footprint and creating career opportunities for local people through well-paid quality jobs.

“In addition to our 2,000 employees, we probably have 2,000 businesses in Liverpool alones which directly benefit from our operations. For example, we might create more warehousing space and that create jobs for third parties and, in turn, this supports the wider economy.”

In October 2021, Peel Ports announced its commitment to become a carbon neutral operator by 2040.

“We’re doing a huge amount of work to reduce our carbon footprint and that’s beginning to be acknowledged,” Mr McIntyre remarked. “In December 2021 we won an industry award from Greenfleet which recognised our strategy to convert all our vehicles to electric by the end of 2022, and we are already 50% of the way there.

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“The fact that it takes probably eight or nine months to procure an electric vehicle indicates the amount of planning that went into that achievement; we’re working to stay ahead and make a difference now in order to achieve our future goals.”

By December 2022, Mr McIntyre confirmed all Peel Ports’ vehicles will be powered by electric or biofuels.

In addition to changes to its fleet, the company has made other investments in its infrastructure to reduce or eliminate emissions altogether. In 2012, whilst upgrading its L2 facility in Liverpool, the company opted for energyefficient electric cranes that are capable of generating surplus electricity and exporting it back to the network. The company also utilises custom software to minimise container movements at its ports for maximum efficiency.

In 2021, Peel Ports built 300,000 sqft of warehousing. To make operations as sustainable as possible, the latest intelligent lighting was installed; and on the rooftops, rainwater is used to top up water levels in the docks, reducing costs and emissions when compared to the more traditional method of pumping the water in.

Peel Ports is planning to reduce emissions through shore power systems through cold ironing – meaning vessels, when idle in port, can turn off their diesel engines and plug into a port’s electricity supply instead.

With the cost of diesel at record levels in the UK, combined with red diesel subsidies being removed by the UK government as of April 1st 2022, addressing fuel emissions throughout the supply chain is another critical aspect of the logistics industry’s shift towards decarbonisation. To this end, Peel Ports

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has also begun using Green D+ HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) instead of diesel oil. Biodegradable and made from 100% renewable raw materials, D+ HVO is seeing CO2 levels reducing by up to 90% and other particulate matter, including NOx, is cut down significantly too.

Focus on Liverpool Peel Ports’ Liverpool2 or ‘L2’ facility is a highlight of its asset portfolio. Featuring eight 92metre high ‘megamax’ quayside cranes, the port makes a major visual statement but it is also making an intrinsic impact locally and 6

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nationally. By repositioning Liverpool as a true deep-sea port with comprehensive facilities, the company has hugely reduced the impact of HGVs on UK roads.

“Liverpool continues to drive market share because we’re seeing that supply chains want more resilience,” said Mr McIntyre. “We’ve calculated that a huge proportion of the cargo arriving in the south – London and Southampton – goes to Birmingham – and further – by road.

By offloading that northbound cargo in Liverpool instead, 30 million road miles were eliminated in 2021 alone. It also means that logistics companies become

more profitable because cargo arriving in Liverpool can be delivered to its destination the same day, instead of sitting in Southampton waiting for a haulier to drive it up.”

L2 recently celebrated its fifth birthday with the completion of phase two of its development. This involved the addition of ten cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes (CRMGs), taking the terminal’s total to 22.

The cranes were built by Chinese manufacturer Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co and will allow the company to accommodate the growing volumes of cargo welcomed at the port.

Supporting local communities Peel Ports’ teams are extremely focused on being good neighbours and supporting local communities.

“We want to push on and do the best that we can – we want to ensure our local communities thrive and benefit from the growth of the business by enabling local opportunities for skills and employment, whilst showcasing our sustainable agenda.” Mr McIntyre remarked. “Most of our staff live near to the ports and we want them to be proud of where they work.

“Our teams are local ambassadors for what we do. They will look at opportunities to support local causes and projects and they often visit schools or provide tours to

educate on the crucial role and impact ports have in our everyday lives.”

A major benefit for local communities is in the careers and quality jobs opportunities available in ports, maritime and the wider supply chain. Mr McIntyre and his team will be launching a new programme to showcase these areas across the group.

“Port careers are not what you might assume – people think that working at a port means driving a forklift truck or a crane, but it’s so much more than that,” he stated. “We have graphic designers, specialist engineering roles in IT and automation, careers in finance… the list goes on. So our efforts within the commu-

nities are about opening up about what goes on beyond the gates .

“For example, if you want a career in IT, you can come and develop a career at the port. Our cranes, for instance, require a huge amount of automation and in general, there’s a large amount of technology in this business. We’re often at the cuttingedge of technology as innovation supports our sustainable growth aspirations.

Mr McIntyre concluded: “Peel Ports is a key facilitator of goods moving into the British Isles. In addition to reducing emissions at our ports, we are also working alongside shipping lines and supply chain partners so they can become greener. It is a journey and there is a lot more to be done.”n Inside Marine

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