Ports are an invisible force behind Britain’s economy: every day, they keep supply chains moving, support thousands of jobs and enable the trade that fuels national growth. As the UK enters a new political and economic chapter, it’s time to bring ports to the forefront of policy and investment decisions.
At Peel Ports Group, we manage some of the UK’s most important maritime infrastructure, connecting businesses to global markets, regenerating coastal communities and driving innovation in logistics, energy and sustainability.
With over 70 million tonnes of cargo passing through our ports each year, we are already central to the economy – and with the right partnership from government, we can go much further.
Our nation is at a crucial turning point. We need to take bold steps towards delivering the government’s industrial strategy, accelerating the clean energy transition and rebalancing the economy; ports must be at the heart of that mission.
A national asset for regional renewal
The UK’s major port operators are uniquely placed to deliver on the government’s ambitions. Across our estate, from Liverpool to the Clyde, from Sheerness to Great Yarmouth, we are enabling transformational investment and job creation. Over the last decade, we’ve invested more than £1.2bn in our port infrastructure.
At the Port of Liverpool, our £400m Liverpool2 deep-water terminal has unlocked global connectivity for manufacturers and exporters across the North of England, reducing dependency on southern ports and rebalancing national trade flows.
Our ports directly support over 26,000 jobs and contribute billions to the UK economy. But more than that, they are catalysts for growth: enabling the expansion of advanced manufacturing, creating conditions for new industries to thrive and providing high-quality careers for local people.
This is what that much-used phrase “levelling up” looks like in practice: growth rooted in place, enabled by long-term investment and backed by strategic infrastructure.
Supporting the UK’s clean energy future
Ports are not solely hubs for logistics. Increasingly, they are critical platforms for the UK’s energy transition, too.
At Peel Ports Group, we’re already hosting and enabling major renewable energy projects, from offshore wind deployment and maintenance to hydrogen innovation. Our Clydeport sites, especially Hunterston in Ayrshire, are well positioned to support the next wave of offshore wind expansion in the Celtic Sea and west coast of Scotland.
We are also investing in greener operations across our business. From electrifying equipment to enabling modal shift to maritime and rail, we are reducing our own carbon emissions and those of our customers, while at the same time improving supply chain resilience.
The UK has set ambitious net zero targets; to meet them, ports need to become hubs for clean energy generation, storage and distribution. We are already supporting that ambition, with space, connectivity and industry partnerships in place.
A smarter approach to infrastructure investment
The government wants to invest wisely in infrastructure, targeting spend that drives productivity, unlocks private capital and accelerates the transition to net zero.
Ports offer exactly that.
By investing in maritime infrastructure, we can reduce the strain on roads and railways – moving more freight by sea and shifting container traffic closer to its end destination can cut emissions, lower congestion and reduce wear and tear on the UK’s road network.
This isn’t theoretical. Each vessel that calls at Liverpool rather than a southern port removes up to 200 road miles per container. That’s thousands of lorry journeys avoided every week, saving money and emissions.
The government can support this shift by backing port-centric logistics, improving access links and encouraging coastal and short-sea shipping. It’s a smart, sustainable and scalable way to meet the UK’s infrastructure needs.
Driving export growth and industrial competitiveness
If the UK is to become a modern exporting nation, it needs world-class port infrastructure. Over 95 per cent of the nation’s trade moves through ports: they are the front door to global markets. Our network already supports key export industries, from advanced manufacturing to agriculture and automotive. But we see huge untapped potential.
With targeted investment and clear planning alignment, we can attract global manufacturers, boost export volumes and embed resilience in UK supply chains.
The government’s proposed industrial strategy is an opportunity to partner with port operators to deliver these goals. By working together, we can create new trade corridors, open up new markets and ensure UK-made goods reach the world more competitively and more sustainably.
A call for partnership
At Peel Ports Group, we are committed to playing our part in powering national renewal. But to do so, we need ports to be recognised not just as logistical facilitators, but as strategic enablers of national growth, innovation and decarbonisation.
We welcome the government’s focus on long-term industrial strategy and sustainable infrastructure, as well as its active approach to economic development. These priorities align directly with the work we are already doing.
Now is the time to deepen that partnership. This means embedding ports at the heart of national infrastructure and industrial strategies, targeting investment at port-centric growth hubs, enabling regulatory frameworks that support modal shift and clean maritime technologies. It means collaborating to develop skills pipelines and support high-quality job creation in coastal regions. The UK has a world-class maritime sector, but it requires ambitious, joined-up thinking to unlock its full potential. Peel Ports Group stands ready to lead, invest and deliver.
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