Port of Greenock joins major Turkish trading route

Owners Peel Ports made the announcement after the vessel MSC Freeport arrived at the Ocean terminal as part of the new weekly service.

The port is now included as a stop-off on an existing Turkey-UK route run by the Mediterranean Shipping Company.

The new service is tipped to provide a boost for Scottish exports, including whisky, as well as significant imports of food, packaging materials and manufactured products.

Peel say that it allows for new trading opportunities and puts Greenock on the map. It follows a £25m investment in two new ship-to-shore cranes which has opened up the port's capacity.

Port director Jim McSporran said: “It’s fantastic to have this vote of confidence in the Port of Greenock, and we look forward to welcoming this game changing new service to Scotland.

“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.

“Our £25m 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.”

The MSC Freeport arrived into the port on Monday as part of the weekly service, before departing on Tuesday night.

The location of the port is of strategic importance to major importers and exporters and, as Scotland’s leading west coast container terminal, the port is responsible for the safe handling of a throughput of 100,000 TEUs a year.