The multi-million pound investment in six straddle carriers brings its terminal fleet capacity to 40. One Liebherr, Peel Ports Mersey’s first from the German supplier, and five Terex diesel-electric straddle carriers are designed to improve the operational performance and flexibility of container handling.

“The investment in the straddle carrier fleet comes against a backdrop of substantial asset replacements and upgrades at the port and in addition to the £300m investment in our planned deep-water container terminal, Liverpool 2, which will be operational in 2015,” said Brad Crumbleholme, Peel Ports Mersey’s engineering manager.

Both straddle carrier models are able to stack three containers in height.