Seaforth Dock
{{Short description|Dock and container terminal on the River Mersey in Liverpool, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox docks
| name = Seaforth Dock
| image = Seaforth Docks, Liverpool.jpg|300px|
| caption = Aerial view of Seaforth Dock
| location = Seaforth, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| coordinates = {{coord|53.4592|-3.0250|display=inline, title|region:GB_scale:8000}}
| grid_ref_UK = SJ319963
| opened = {{Start date and age|1971|df=yes}}{{harvnb|Pollard|Pevsner|2006|p=278}}
| owner = The Peel Group
| operator = Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
| type = Wet dock
| purpose = Cargo transfer
| joins = Gladstone Dock
| entries = 1
| gates = 1 pair
| area = {{ubl|{{convert|500|acre|km2}} (including dockland)|{{convert|85|acre|ha|abbr=on}} (water)}}
| width_entrance = {{convert|40|m|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pianc.org.uk/documents/seminars/09Mar15/Seaforth-Passage.pdf|title=Seaforth Passage - Port of Liverpool|work=PIANC|page=7|access-date=24 August 2016}}
| min_depth = {{convert|50|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| quay_length = {{convert|10000|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| cranes = {{ubl|6 Container cranes}}
| cargo_type = {{ubl|Container|Bulk|Reefer (former)}}
| transport_links = {{ubl|A565|A5036 (road)|Canada Dock branch (rail)}}
}}
Seaforth Dock (also known as the Royal Seaforth Dock) is a purpose-built dock and container terminal, on the River Mersey, England, at Seaforth, to the north of Liverpool.{{cite web|url=http://www.merseyreporter.com/history/historic/dockseaforth/ |title=Royal Seaforth Dock History, Merseyside |publisher=Mersey Reporter |access-date=2 February 2016}} As part of the Port of Liverpool and Liverpool Freeport, it is operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company. Situated at the northern end of the dock system, it is connected to Gladstone Dock to the south, which via its lock entrance provides maritime access to Seaforth Dock from the river.
History
Despite planning permission having been obtained almost sixty years previously, work commenced during the 1960s on Liverpool's largest dock facility. In part the work was intended to reconstruct or compensate for damage suffered during World War II. The dock was the largest built in the United Kingdom for some time, with {{convert|10000|ft|m|abbr=on}} of quay and a depth of {{convert|50|ft|m|abbr=on}} and world's largest lock gates.{{cite journal | last1=Agar|first1=M. | last2=Irwin-Childs|first2=F. | title=Seaforth Dock, Liverpool: Planning and Design | journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers | volume=54 | issue=2 | pages=255–274 | date=1973 | url=http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/content/article/10.1680/iicep.1973.4931 | doi=10.1680/iicep.1973.4931}}
Opened in 1971, the site consists of about {{convert|500|acre|km2}}, of which {{convert|85|acre|ha|abbr=on}} is water. Technological changes, such as containerization, caused the loss of numerous jobs on the docks. In the 21st century, the dock handles mainly containers, oils, timber, fruit and vegetables, grain and animal feed. The dock became a free port in 1984.{{cite web|url=http://www.diduknow.info/docks/access/dock_history1.html|title=Trading Places: Royal Seaforth Dock|publisher=Liverpool Museums|access-date=21 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821124410/http://www.diduknow.info/docks/access/dock_history1.html|archive-date=21 August 2008}}
A fruit and vegetable terminal opened at the dock in 2008. The terminal primarily received produce from Spain. However, this facility closed in 2013.{{cite web|last=Hodgson |first=Neil |url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/42-jobs-axed-closure-liverpool-3360736 |title=42 jobs axed with closure of Liverpool Produce Terminal at Seaforth depot |publisher=Liverpool Echo |date=22 November 2011 |access-date=2 February 2016}}
Wind turbines
In 1999, Peel Energy installed six Vestas V44-600 kW wind turbines along the river wall for a total nameplate capacity of 3.6MW.{{cite web
|url=http://www.renewables-map.co.uk/details.asp?pageid=327
|title=Royal Seaforth Dock (Wind, Operating)
|publisher=Interactive Map of Renewable and Alternative Energy Projects in the UK
|access-date=5 October 2009
}}
Rail connection
Seaforth Dock is served by one rail line, the Canada Dock branch line. The Olive Mount rail chord at Edge Hill junction was re-opened early 2009 to increase the throughput of the service to Seaforth Dock, giving direct access for freight from the Port of Liverpool to the West Coast Main Line. In May 2016 it was announced that the line's final section into the dock estate would be upgraded to double track from single track to increase capacity to the port. Combined with improved signalling at Earlestown, the improvements will enable up to 48 trains a day to enter the port. Work on the line is expected to be completed by 2019.[http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/rail-upgrades-promised-as-part-of-port-of-liverpool-developments "Rail upgrades promised as part of Port of Liverpool developments"]Rail Technology Magazine article, 16 May 2016
Liverpool2
Liverpool2 is a Post-Panamax container terminal extension which opened in November 2016 as an expansion to Seaforth dock.{{cite web|title=Official Opening Of Peel Ports £400 Mln Liverpool Container Terminal (Video) - Vesselfinder|url=https://www.vesselfinder.com/news/7677-Official-Opening-Of-Peel-Ports-400-Mln-Liverpool-Container-Terminal-Video|website=www.vesselfinder.com|access-date=10 April 2018|language=en}}
Gallery
Royal Seaforth Container Terminal - geograph.org.uk - 467716.jpg|Royal Seaforth Container Terminal (2003)
Royal Seaforth Containerterminal.jpg|Royal Seaforth Container Terminal and Dock (2016)
Benkid77 Promenade, Wallasey 1 090809.JPG|Wind turbines on the distant Seaforth Dock, seen from the Promenade at Seacombe, Wirral, England
Encounter and Sara Borchard.jpg|Container feeders Sara Borchard and Encounter at the Royal Seaforth Container Terminal (2021)
Federal Champlain (2020).jpg|Federal Champlain discharging at the Seaforth Grain Terminal (2020)
References
{{reflist|30em}}
=Sources=
- {{cite book|first1=Richard|last1=Pollard|first2=Nikolaus|last2=Pevsner|title=Lancashire: Liverpool and the South West|publisher=Yale University Press|year=2006|isbn=9780300109108|oclc=63396571}}
Further reading
- {{cite book|title=Give a Dock a Good Name?|first1=Ken|last1=McCarron|first2=Adrian|last2=Jarvis|publisher=Merseyside Port Folios|location=Birkenhead|year=1992|pages=76-77|isbn=9780951612941|oclc=27770301}}
External links
{{commonscat}}
- [http://peelports.com/ports/liverpool Peel Ports - Liverpool]
{{Port of Liverpool docks}}