Aggregate Industries plans new investment at Port of Liverpool

As part of a long-term plan to support increased demand for cementitious products across the UK construction market, Aggregate Industries (AIUK) has announced a multi-million pound investment into a new ‘super shed’ at the Port of Liverpool.

Owned by the UK’s second largest port operator Peel Ports Group, the substantial new import facility - one of the largest of its kind in Europe - will facilitate the storage of more than 40,000 tonnes of cementitious products at any one time.

AIUK has made a long-term commitment to the Port with the signing of a 25-year lease agreement. This represents the third major deal made by the manufacturer in the last six months, as part of a strategic investment programme into deep sea terminals.

The latest investment will help the business maintain a continuous supply of lower carbon cementitious solutions throughout the North of England and Wales, with the addition of two surrounding berths and a two-chamber flat store at the Portside. This will help accommodate larger vessels and improve overall transport efficiencies.

With each import investment strategically chosen to support the firm’s regional logistics infrastructure, this growth in distribution capability will help AIUK to offer best in class service to local customers – with minimal lorry miles from terminals to sites – for the ultimate in sustainable, agile, secure supply.

Head of supply chain at AIUK’s Cement Division, Matt Owen, said: “Our commitment at Liverpool is one of a series of planned developments to respond to increasing market demand across the surrounding regions.

“By investing in deep sea facilities, we’re looking to streamline operations as well as reduce the embodied carbon in our imported products, saving up to 25% of CO2 per tonne of material thanks to increased vessel capacities.

“Our investment in the Port is indicative of the key role freight is playing in helping us to build resilience and surety of supply for customers, so we can always respond in an agile way to customer demand.”

Tom Harrison, group strategic accounts director at Peel Ports Group, said: “This significant investment highlights AIUK’s long-term commitment in driving growth and opportunities across the Port of Liverpool and we’re proud to be involved in seeing it come to fruition.

“At Peel Ports, we believe we’re more than just a port, but central to enabling a more agile, efficient, and sustainable supply chain for the UK’s industries by offering port-centric solutions such as this to help our customers thrive.

“Providing these facilities, which enables AIUK to better serve the industry across North of England and Wales with its cementitious solutions is a prime example of this.”