Five terminals, limitless solutions

The Manchester Ship Canal is one of the UK’s most vibrant trading hubs. Running from the Mersey Estuary into the heart of Manchester, it is a 36-mile-long seaway supporting a range of industries.

View Manchester Ship Canal Marine Information

Your Key Contact

Nigel Kent
Head of Commercial - Peel Ports Logistics 0151 355 6006

Unique inland logistics hub

he diversity of the Manchester Ship Canals offering means we can find the right solution for you and your business. Importantly, the canal provides supports low carbon goals, forming part of a carbon-efficient ‘Green Highway' which helps our customers make reductions in three important areas: costs, carbon emissions and road congestion.

Across the five terminals at Manchester Ship Canal, we handle 7.5 million tonnes of cargo. Each terminal specialises in a specific area, providing you with the solution you need:

  • QEII Docks - Liquid berth

  • Ellesmere Port - Bulks and Project Cargo

  • Runcorn Docks - Bulks and Project Cargo

  • Port Warrington – Multi-user warehousing

  • Port Salford (Third party operated quayside, warehouse and bulk store)

The Canal is thriving, and each year it handles and stores millions of tonnes of cargo from wind turbine blades to animal feed and biomass, to aggregates, sand, salt and chemicals.

In addition to meeting your shipping needs, at Manchester Ship Canal we can also support you with production facilities or construction hubs, as well as a wide range of commodities. And with its superb position in the North West, it is ideally placed to allow customers access to the rest of the UK, as well as mainland Europe.

In addition, we have a wide range of berthing options, providing flexibility in size for vessel charter, along with existing manufacturing and production locations. With a uniquely experienced team, we have the expertise your business needs and offer several added value services including bagging, rip/tip to tanker, palletising of goods and loading into or out of containers.

Manchester Ship Canal commodities overview.

With a wide range of options, we’re confident we can find the right one for you.
 
Key commodities at Manchester Ship Canal include:

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Agricultural products
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Construction Materials
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Timber
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Liquid Cargo
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Metals
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Project cargo
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Port-centric warehousing and logistics
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Location

The North West is the industrial heartland of Britain and the Manchester Ship Canal is the perfect partner for businesses operating across the region.

Strategically located, the Canal has excellent road, rail and sea connections and is within very close proximity to some of the country's largest manufacturing and consumers bases. Accessible via the River Mersey, the canal enables lower transportation costs than would be the case with a more southerly port, while allowing for a greener supply chain.

Our location is changing too. We have more than 3 million sq. ft. of potential warehousing with planning consent which will allow us to go even further. That is in addition to warehousing space we already have through the Manchester Ship Canal, meaning you can have the confidence that we'll be with you for the long haul. You'll also be able to feel secure in your investment, with dedicated port police on hand 24/7.

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Services at Manchester Ship Canal.

Opened in 1894 and at one point the third busiest port in the UK, the Manchester Ship canal is still thriving. Every year, The Manchester Ship Canal handles and stores millions of tonnes of cargo from wind turbine blades to from animal feed and biomass, to aggregates, sand, salt and chemicals. But we think we can do better. With growing pressures on carbon reductions, an increase in congestion around the City centres we believe the Ship canal can offer a unique opportunity to innovate the way we use transport in our key supply chains such as waste and construction material. Take a look at the solutions we offer and get in touch to see how we think we can help your thrive.

Manchester Ship Canal Terms & Conditions and Charges.

Manchester Ship Canal Terms & Conditions Manchester Ship Canal Charges

Manchester Marine information.

At Peel Ports Group, our services don’t begin or end at the dockside when we offload or load your cargo. Helping you to get to us with the maximum ease and efficiency is just as important. That’s why we’re not simply committed to providing reliable, safe navigation for all users, we actually have a statutory duty to maintain and conserve the harbours.

View marine info.
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Latest news & media.

Keep updated with the latest press releases, insights and advisories from our leaders or get in touch with a media enquiry.

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Marine.

Our marine team here at the Manchester Ship Canal manage the provision of key marine services to shipping operators along the canal. These include everything from tug services, marine pilotage and pilot transfer service to hydrographic surveying, maintenance dredging, navigation aid provision and mooring services. Wherever your vessel moves along the canal, it’s scheduled and controlled either through our vessel traffic service or respective local information service control centre

Port Security.

One of our most exciting plans in development for port-centric warehousing involves the Manchester Ship Canal. With over 3 Million sq ft of potential warehousing at Ports Salford, Bridgewater and Warrington, all with planning consents, we’ll be able to offer you a huge variety of solutions. This could easily become the most efficient logistics park in the country. And we already provide shared, multi-user warehouse space on a short or long term basis, give you the opportunity to lease or even develop your own design and build warehouse, provide you with a secure location in Liverpool with dedicated port police and help you benefit from an all-water route into the heart of the country.

Property.

We have the land footprint, the knowledge and the infrastructure, to help you design and build the perfect facilities on site. We can give you access to the North West and Midlands manufacturing centres and together we can tailor custom-built, port-centric facilities

Port Centric Warehousing and Logistics.

Whether you want to simply store a few pallets in a multiuser warehouse or lease your own facility, our team of experts will be on hand to deliver your ideal solution. 

We can offer you a port-centric solution at the heart of the nation’s major population and manufacturing regions. Provide shared, multi-user warehouse space on a short or long term basis or even develop your own design and build warehouse

Manchester Ship Canal Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions(7)
Group-ST04 Standard Terms and Conditions Relating to The Hire of a Mobile Crane and Other Equipment from Members of Peel Ports(130KB)MSCC-ST03 - Terms And Conditions Relating To The Hire of a Floating Cranes(235KB)Group-ST01 Standard Terms And Conditions For Container Terminals Operated By Members.. September 2022(405KB)Group ST03 Terms And Conditions Applicable To A License For The Use Of Berths At Ports Operated By Members Of Peel Ports Group Terms Rev June 2023(155KB)Group ST08 Standard Terms And Conditions For Terminals Handling Timber And General Cargo Operated By Members Of Peel Ports Group Rev June 2023(481KB)Group ST02 UKWA Standard Terms And Conditions Warehouse Storage Revision 2023(184KB)Group ST07 Standard Terms And Conditions For Bulk Cargo Handling Terminals Operated By Members Of Peel Ports Group September 2023(469KB)

Manchester Ship Canal Charges

Charges(2)
MPC01 - Schedule of Port Charges - 2024 (v1)(518KB)MPC2 - Traffic Tug Fuel Surcharge (2022 01)(145KB)