Medcem, part of a large Turkish industrial conglomerate, and Peel Ports Group have announced a GB£35 million investment to develop a new deep-water cement import terminal at Gladstone Dock, part of the Port of Liverpool. The project aims to boost UK construction supply chains while supporting the shift to low-carbon building materials.
The terminal will provide a new maritime gateway for the import and distribution of cement and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), enhancing the Port of Liverpool’s role as a logistics hub for the UK’s growing demand for sustainable construction solutions. Britain’s construction industry continues to boom, with the Northwest of England among the hotspots.
Location for low-carbon logistics
The new terminal will be constructed on a 5.75-acre (2.3ha) site at the former P&O berth at Gladstone Dock, part of the historic site, named after Liverpool merchant Robert Gladstone, cousin of the late nineteenth-century Prime Minister William Gladstone. The dock was completed in 1927 and had over 3 miles (4.8 km) of quays and extensive warehousing.
Construction is scheduled to begin this month (May 2025) with completion anticipated by mid-2026. The first phase will include four silos with a combined storage capacity of 45,000 tonnes, dedicated to handling cement and SCMs such as fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag. These are key ingredients in the production of low-carbon concrete.
Liverpool and large vessels
Medcem Global already exports around 4 million tonnes of cement and clinker annually via its own port facilities at Medcem Port in Silifke, on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye. The Liverpool terminal will be a key addition to its European network, providing direct access to the UK market.
“This new terminal significantly strengthens our position as the leading provider of low-carbon cement and cementitious materials in Europe,” said Enver Celikbas, Business Development and Investments Director at Medcem. “The logistical advantages of Liverpool allow us to enhance our ability to accommodate large vessels and product handling. This strengthens our supply chain, ensuring a more efficient and reliable service for our clients across the region.”
Modern port integrates with construction industry
“Logistics and construction are deeply interconnected,” explained Andrew Martin, Group Development Director, Peel Ports Group, emphasising the importance of integrating logistics with the construction sector. “By creating smarter, more sustainable import hubs like this one, we can help building firms secure the materials they need. Modern ports like ours do far more than handle cargo over the quayside. We offer processing and storage facilities that streamline construction logistics, reduce road freight, and accelerate delivery timelines.”
Martin added that the project reinforces Liverpool’s strategic position in regional and national infrastructure development: “This project reinforces Liverpool’s role as a base for investment that can drive regional, national and international growth, while opening up new employment opportunities.”
Scalable infrastructure to meet demand
The terminal design allows for future expansion in line with the growing demand for sustainable building materials. The Port of Liverpool’s deep-water access and multimodal connectivity make it suited for bulk imports and onward distribution across the UK.
The port has seen much regeneration of late, including the CLdN makeover of the Brocklebank Dock as a RoRo ferry terminal, and the futuristic stadium built on the Bramley-Moore Dock site for Everton Football Club. Maritime Transport recently enhanced its intermodal capabilities at Liverpool, and there are even ambitions to provide a freight tunnel to facilitate off-site intermodal transfer.
The UK government is targeting the construction of 1.5 million new homes by the end of the current parliament in 2029. The demand for low-carbon construction materials is set to rise. The Medcem terminal at the Port of Liverpool is clearly a commercially astute move.