Peel Ports Group formally launches new £30m RoRo berth

Peel Ports Group has officially unveiled its new £30m RoRo (Roll-on, Roll-off) berth at London Medway as it welcomed a key freight service to the facility.

The UK’s second largest operator hosts guests at the port in Sheerness for a ceremony to mark the completion of the new in-river vessel berth and floating pontoon, which will boost capacity for RoRo cargo handling.

As part of the official opening, the port welcomed one of Finnlines’ new Finneco-class hybrid RoRo vessels – a regular feature of the weekly service connecting London Medway with Finland, Poland, Belgium and Spain.

This new freight route between Kent , Northern Europe and Continental Europe  offers customers shorter transit times and more efficient loading and unloading operations, supporting faster and more reliable supply chains.

Richard Goffin, Port Director, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome guests and customers to our port yesterday  to mark the completion of our £30m new RoRo berth.

“This major new addition to our infrastructure will bring huge benefits to the port and the wider supply chain, as well as future-proof our operations here for many years to come.

“The new berth and its facilities will further improve operational efficiency and enhance flexibility for our customers.

“It’s also been great to welcome Finnlines’ new freight service to London Medway yesterday, and it’s a strong example of the kind of high-quality, long-term partnerships this investment was designed to support.”

Finnlines launched its freight service in September, with further connections available to Belgium, Spain, and Ireland, which will be operated with three hybrid RoRo vessels.

With each vessel holding cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres, equivalent to around 400 trailers, the service improves the route network, providing customers with shorter transit times and increased cargo capacity, as well as enabling faster and more efficient loading and unloading operations.

The new berth and pontoon will cater for RoRo vessels arriving at the port, carrying commodities such as automotives, paper reels and timber, construction machinery and building materials, project cargo, agribulks, and steel.

The development will also support the continued growth of the port operator’s customers such as Volkswagen and CEVA, who use London Medway as the primary location for their southern UK operations.

The port plays a crucial role in driving supply chains across the country, particularly for the automotive industry, with 300,000 vehicles being processed at the site each year.

The construction and paper industries will also benefit from the new infrastructure, with adjacent berths being freed up to increase volume capacity for various cargos.

The new berth is one of several investments made at the port with more expected in coming years, such as a new rail connection to improve how freight moves in and out of the site, making the whole operation even more efficient and integrated.