E-Malt.com News article: Ireland: Guinness will be transported across the Irish Sea by MDHC’s subsidiary

A subsidiary of Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (MDHC) has won a multi-million pound contract to transport Guinness across the Irish Sea for three years, Daily Post communicated on December 14.

Under the three-year agreement, Dublin-based specialist bulk logistics provider TankTrans will move 7,000 of the distinctive silver barrel Guinness tanks from the St James' Gate Brewery in Dublin, to the UK. The barrels contain around 360m pints of the famous "black stuff".

The brew flows into Britain on NorseMerchant Ferries' twice daily sailings from Dublin Port to the Port of Liverpool's Twelve Quays Terminal, for onward movement to the Guinness packaging plant at Runcorn, Cheshire.

There, the 300 hectolitres in each of the tanks is transferred to cans, bottles and kegs for distribution throughout the UK.

The TankTrans contract was prompted by the decision by Guinness owners Diageo to close the Park Royal Brewery in London last July and to supply the British market from Ireland. A team of four has been positioned by TankTrans at the St James' Gate Brewery to service the contract.

Seven drivers are based at Twelve Quays Terminal in the Port of Liverpool and another four in the Port of Dublin, to maintain the flow for Guinness around the clock throughout the year.

Managing director Duncan Beaumont said: "To secure such a major contract from the world's biggest drinks provider says much for the quality of service TankTrans offers. "We are delighted to play our part in ensuring that Britain gets its pint of Guinness."

TankTrans is a long-established prime bulk movement logistics provider based at Tolka Quay in Dublin Port. The Guinness contract with TankTrans was signed by Guinness customer service director Paul Armstrong and Mersey Docks chief executive, Peter Jones.

Earlier this year Mersey Docks was taken over by property company Peel Holdings in a £771m deal. The Office of Fair trading approved the takeover by the owner of Liverpool John Lennon Airport, despite fears it would lead to domination of the ports industry on the west coast of Britain.

Mersey Docks is the dominant player in the Irish Sea market and has terminals and port operations in Heysham, Kent, Belfast and Dublin.


16 December, 2005