New record set as giant container ship docks at historic Scottish port

Scotland’s deepest ship terminal has welcomed the largest container vessel ever to berth at the port.

The Port of Greenock on the Firth of Clyde hosted the 300-metre long, 75,000-tonne MSC Magnum VII, which can carry 6,750 containers.

The Port of Greenock, which is owned and operated by Peel Ports Group, hosted the 300-metre long MSC Magnum VII, which can carry 6,750 standard containers. The 75,000-tonne vessel arrived via Peel Ports Clydeport’s sister facility at the Port of Liverpool, before departing for Bristol the following day. The stopover saw the Clydeport team load containers full of spirits, which were destined for Le Havre in France.

The visit from the MSC Magnum VII tops the 267-metre MSC Pohorje, which was previously the port’s largest ever container vessel when it arrived in 2017.

Port director Jim McSporran said: “Containers are a big part of our offering at the Port of Greenock, so it was really special to welcome such an impressive container vessel to our port for the first time. It’s another proud milestone for everyone at the port, and reinforces the benefits of our central location, which makes us such a popular choice for customers looking to import and export their products into the UK and across Europe.

“It marks a very exciting phase for the Port of Greenock, with new ship-to-shore cranes due to arrive at the port in the coming months, and a new cruise visitor centre having opened at our facility earlier this summer,” he added.

Last year, Peel Ports Clydeport announced it had purchased new £17 million ship-to-shore cranes in the largest single investment made at the container terminal since it opened in 1969. Once installed the 39-metre tall cranes will boost productivity and efficiency at the facility. A new £20m cruise ship visitor centre also opened at the terminal earlier this year as the port operator hosted a record 89 cruise liners visiting across the year.

Located on the Firth of Clyde, the Port of Greenock has been at the heart of Scotland’s shipping industry since 1876. Peel Ports Group is the UK’s second largest port operator, owning and operating six key facilities - Liverpool, Heysham, Manchester Ship Canal, Medway (Sheerness / Chatham), Clydeport and Great Yarmouth. The group handles some 70 million tonnes of cargo every year, while 14 per cent of the total UK major ports traffic flows through its ports. Headquartered in Liverpool, the company employs some 2,000 staff.