Port of Liverpool: new warehouse to be built to meet UK chocolate demand

According to Peel Ports, CWT Commodities is leasing the land from the Port Group and has engaged Mazdon Construction to build the 36 000 ft2 warehouse and new offices, which will add to the eight warehouses it has already built on the Liverpool site. Construction has begun and is expected to be completed later this year.

Nearly 65 000 t of cocoa beans, more than two thirds of the UK’s demand, arrive via Liverpool each year due to its proximity to factories in Yorkshire and North Wales.

The port also handles around a third of the UK’s annual 150 000 t of coffee bean imports. Whilst 80% of the cocoa and coffee beans arrives in containers, the remainder arrives in bulk vessels. The cocoa beans mainly originate in Africa, mainly Ghana and the Ivory Coast, with the coffee coming predominantly from Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia.

Director of CWT Commodities UK, Jason Cross, said: “The Port of Liverpool is strategically important to us due to its geographical location resulting in reduced inland transport costs and carbon footprint for the supply chain involved in delivering to the factories.”

“The continued investment we have made in logistical infrastructure, such as the warehouses, wouldn’t have been possible without the strong partnerships formed over many years with Peel Ports and Mazdon Construction. We are excited about the completion of the new facilities and the future growth opportunities this will offer.”

Managing Director of Mazdon Construction, Alex Hemmings, said: “Having designed and built CWT’s previous warehouse schemes at the Port of Liverpool, we are pleased to be undertaking our third phase of warehouse construction with adjoining offices on three levels. Our successful relationship with CWT over the last 10 years has been founded on our ability to understand their commercial and operational needs, providing them with a bespoke design and build service here in the UK and ultimately delivering value engineered storage and handling facilities to meet their growing requirements.”

Andrew Martin, Peel Ports Group Land and Property Director, added: “This further investment by CWT reinforces the Port of Liverpool’s premier position as the logistics hub that connects food and drink manufacturing and processing centres across the northern half of the UK.”

“CWT has been a highly valued customer for many years and we’re delighted to support them in the next stage of their growth in the UK market. We thank them for investing in the Port of Liverpool. We would also like to thank Sefton Council and Natural England for their support in making this development happen.”

Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/ports-terminals/07032018/port-of-liverpool-new-warehouse-to-be-built-to-meet-uk-chocolate-demand/