MASSIVE Cruise Ship Berth Pontoon Nearing Completion At Inchgreen
Councillor Stephen McCabe at Inchgreen dry dock
WORK on Greenock’s new cruise ship berth is due to take a major step forward next month with completion of the main elements of the floating pontoon.
The new facilities at the Ocean Terminal will be capable of handling some of the world’s largest holiday vessels. The pontoon will be made up of four 1,000-tonne concrete caissons — each the size of a small ship.
The caissons are currently under construction at Inchgreen dry dock in Greenock and work on them is expected to be finished in February. Once complete they will be towed to the terminal and secured to piles driven into the seabed.
The 200-metre berth will be able to accommodate super ships up to 340 metres long. The pontoons are all five metres high and eight metres wide. Two of them are 44 metres long and two are 56 metres long. They are made of steel reinforced concrete filled with polystyrene for buoyancy.
The project, led by Inverclyde Council, is part of the £1billion Glasgow City Region City Deal which is funded equally by the Scottish and UK Governments. The new facilities are expected to increase visitor numbers to some 150,000 passengers a year.
Visitors will step from the pontoon into an iconic new state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal which forms the shore-side component of the project. Site preparation works for the building are underway.
On a visit to see the pontoon work, Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “This is a very impressive feat of civil engineering which highlights the value of the Inchgreen dry dock as a maritime resource.
“The new visitor centre at the Greenock Ocean Terminal is expected to make a significant contribution to economic growth and international tourism across the wider city region area.
“The Ocean Terminal started as a container terminal but Peel Ports has significantly expanded the cruise ship side of the business over recent years. These new berthing facilities will help to support that growth and are a vote of confidence in Greenock.”
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “I am pleased that progress is being made on the development of Greenock Ocean Terminal. This important project will support jobs and businesses by bringing thousands of tourists to the many attractions that West Scotland has to offer.
“The UK Government is working with the Scottish Government to unlock the potential of every region.”
Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure Michael Matheson said: “The Scottish Government is investing £500 million in the Glasgow City Region Deal in order to deliver key infrastructure like this. Once completed, the new facility will ensure that Greenock is able to maximise on the economic benefits that cruise ships can bring, by attracting many more visitors to the area, which in turn should create jobs and attract further investment.”
