Greenock, Scotland Now Included in MSC's UK-East Med Service

An MSC container ship at sea
Europe Ports & Logistics Shipping
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MSC, the Swiss/Italian container shipping company, has expanded its UK West Coast - East Mediterranean service to include the Scottish port of Greenock.

The service connects Turkey to the UK West Coast and the Mediterranean with a port rotation that now includes: Liverpool (UK), Greenock (Scotland), Liverpool (UK), Portbury (UK), Le Havre (France), Izmir (Turkey), Gemlik (Turkey), Gebze (Turkey), Tekirdag (Turkey), Nemrut Bay (Turkey), Valencia (Spain), Sines (Portugal), Le Havre (France), and back to Liverpool (UK).

The addition of Greenock to this route has been supported by Peel Ports' recent investment of US$31 million in two advanced ship-to-shore cranes, enhancing the port's ability to handle larger post-Panamax container vessels.

"This direct call will increase trade between Scotland and Turkey, while also providing enhanced UK west coast connectivity, as well as connectivity to the more distant markets in the US and Asia. It will also serve to reduce both transit times and carbon emissions in the supply chain, to and from Scotland," Jim McSporran, Port Director at Peel Ports Clydeport, explained.

Peel Ports highlighted the benefits of this expansion, particularly for Scottish exporters and importers, offering them direct sea links and improving connections to distant markets. 

The service now also supports enhanced connectivity to Spain, Portugal, and France, facilitating better maritime links from Scotland to the Far East, India, and Pakistan. This includes reliable direct transshipment connections with mother vessels at Sines, which is part of broader efforts to decarbonize the supply chain.

"Our US$31 million investment in two new cranes, which will be fully operational later this year, is the largest single investment in the terminal since it opened in 1969. These modern and technologically advanced cranes will not only significantly increase operational efficiency and productivity in the port but will also increase our capability to service bigger post-panamax vessels. With 17m higher and 7.5m longer outreach than the current cranes, we will be able to service significantly higher on-deck stowage and broader beam," McSporran added.