Many people in Inverclyde will have noticed the arrival of our bright-red new cranes at the Port of Greenock. The whole team at Peel Ports Group is looking forward to their official launch next month.

This £25m investment is one of a suite of improvements we are making to support the local economy and jobs.

One of our other facilities that is not so visible is the Inchgreen dry dock, where it is understandable if it looks like little is happening from the outside.

The Inchgreen Marine Park, as it is now renamed, has undergone a significant transformation, underling our commitment to revitalising this critical industrial site. In partnership with Inverclyde Council, we have made big improvements, investing more than £11 million. This includes installing new utility connections, building new roadways, and buying extra land to increase site flexibility.

The development works, completed in February, also saw a range of other improvements such as refurbishing the platers' shed, upgrading quay walls, dredging, and better lighting and electrical systems. A new entrance gate has also been installed.

Peel Ports says work is continuing behind the scenes at the Inchgreen Marine Park.Peel Ports says work is continuing behind the scenes at the Inchgreen Marine Park. (Image: Jim Canning)

We are dedicated to returning Inchgreen Marine Park to full industrial use, with plans to maintain high activity levels well into the next decade. The site is actively engaging with potential occupiers in various sectors, including offshore wind development, marine manufacturing, and ship decommissioning.

As the leader of Inverclyde Council, Cllr Stephen McCabe, has said, Inchgreen is hugely important as a key industrial site and presents huge opportunities for creating jobs and boosting the local economy.

Discussions with prospective tenants are progressing, and these investments are expected to attract substantial strategic projects. Multi-million pound deals such as these do take a long time to secure.

In the meantime, as some people will be aware, Inchgreen Marine Park continues to support ongoing sea trials for the Glen Sannox ferry.

This once-in-a-lifetime regeneration is anticipated to create job opportunities and stimulate the local economy. The site has benefited from contributions through the Glasgow City Region City Deal, reflecting how the public and private sectors are working together to bring key industrial sites back to life. Both the Scottish and UK governments have supported this initiative.

As already mentioned, the work at Inchgreen is part of a wider range of initiatives by Peel Ports Group.

The two new cranes, named U-Crane Bolt and Craner Swift by local schoolchildren, represent the largest single investment in the container terminal ever. The new cranes are improving efficiency and enabling new trade routes, including a weekly deep-sea service to Turkey’s Mediterranean market.

Greenock Ocean Terminal will have welcomed 79 cruise ships by the end of this year.Greenock Ocean Terminal will have welcomed 79 cruise ships by the end of this year. (Image: George Munro)

Greenock Ocean Terminal, with a £20 million cruise visitor centre that opened last year, is set to host 79 cruise liners and up to 115,000 passengers in 2024. The development was part of the £1 billion Glasgow City Region City Deal, again with contributions from the Scottish and UK governments and Peel Ports Group.

And it’s not just in Inverclyde. We’ve spent or committed many millions of pounds in Ardrossan and Hunterston too.

Overall, we have invested around one third of our turnover (not profit) over the past three years to support the local economy.

We look forward to working with our customers, local businesses and others in the area to continue the progress we are making.