Peel Ports Group has confirmed a new £100 million (approx. €117 million) investment package focused on its steel and metals operations.
The port operator has allocated £32 million (around €37.4 million) for an immediate expansion of steel and metals storage at the Port of Liverpool, adding 140,000 sq ft to the site’s current capacity. This will increase the port’s total warehousing to more than 610,000 sq ft and enable storage of an additional 35,000 tonnes of bulk steel and metal products.
In total, Peel Ports plans to increase warehousing across its Liverpool and London Medway (Sheerness) sites by 50%, with an additional 500,000 sq ft to be constructed. The two locations currently account for around 1 million sq ft of metals-related warehousing.
A key component of the programme is the construction of a new inland rail terminal in the Midlands. This site is intended to serve as a multimodal link between Peel Ports’ two deep-sea gateways—Liverpool on the west coast and Sheerness on the Thames Estuary. Rail services from the Midlands terminal will be positioned to support the transfer of imported bulk steel volumes directly to major UK manufacturing and construction hubs.
In Liverpool, a second automated terminal will be developed specifically for handling steel coils. A similar facility will be constructed at Sheerness, aiming to streamline coil handling and storage through automation and multimodal integration. The terminals are planned to integrate with the rail terminal to support inland distribution.
The announcement follows a reported 35% year-on-year increase in steel imports handled at the Port of Liverpool in 2024, with 702,000 tonnes processed. Cargoes originated from markets including South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Turkey, and various European suppliers.
Peel Ports currently operates seven statutory harbour authority ports and 24 terminals across the UK. The group has been expanding its steel and metals logistics footprint with dedicated teams, including specialist stevedores for metals handling at Seaforth Dock. The new investment package is the second capacity expansion at Liverpool in under two years.
