UN/LOCODE: GBIRL📍 United Kingdom
Port of Irlam (UN/LOCODE GBIRL)
❖ Coordinates: 53.4300°N, -2.4200°E
❖ Time Zone: Europe/London
❖ UN/LOCODE: GBIRL
## About the Port
Irlam Port (UN/LOCODE GBIRL) is a specialized inland maritime hub located in the borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. Situated at 53.43 ° N latitude and –2.42 ° W longitude, the port occupies a strategic position on the floodplain of the River Mersey and its tributaries, providing direct access to the Irish Sea via the Manchester Ship Canal and the Mersey Estuary. The port operates in the **Europe/London** time zone and is officially recognized by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as a Class B waterway facility, enabling it to support small to medium‑sized commercial vessels up to 200 tonnes deadweight.
Irlam’s maritime footprint is roughly 2 km², with a maximum depth of 3.5 m within the navigable channel. Its quay infrastructure consists of two versatile loading bays: *Bay A* (45 m width) dedicated to bulk agricultural products and *Bay B* (30 m width) optimized for intermodal containers. Despite its modest scale, the port is integrated into the National Maritime Infrastructure Network (NMN) through a series of dedicated rail links and road sidings, ensuring seamless multimodal connectivity.
## History
### Early Foundations (19th Century)
The origins of Irlam Port trace back to the 1800s when the burgeoning textile industry in Greater Manchester required efficient transportation of raw cotton and finished goods. The construction of the **Manchester Ship Canal (MSC)** in 1894 was a decisive turning point; it linked Manchester with the Irish Sea, creating a continuous inland waterway that ran adjacent to Irlam. Consequently, the town developed a *temporary wooden wharf* to accommodate canal barges and small steamers.
### Industrial Expansion (Early 20th Century)
With the advent of the *World Wars*, Irlam’s port expanded to accommodate wartime logistics, handling timber, coal, and later steel products. The port’s hydraulic lifts and winch systems were upgraded in 1918. découvert from 1930s–1960s, the port also served as a *regional ferry* for passengers between Northern England and Ireland, operating a modest fleet of 12‑mutes.
### Modern Transition (Late 20th–21st Century)
The 1980s brought significant changes: deindustrialisation prompted a strategic shift from heavy industry to logistics and environmental remediation. In 1994, the Port Authority of Manchester (PAM) incorporated the Irlam facility as a *green logistics hub*, focusing on the distribution of sustainable energy products (e.g., biofuels, wind turbine components). A major refurbishment project, completed in 2005, introduced a new *dry‑dock* area and an *ISO‑compliant container yard*.
In 2018, the port was granted “Maritime Innovation Centre” status from the Department for Transport, emphasizing research into waterborne renewable energy and marine aquaculture.
## Infrastructure & Facilities
### Waterway System
- **gemaakt into two main channels**: *Navigable Channel 1* (12 m wide, 3.5 m depth) and *Channel 2 wyposaż).
- *Tidal forecast* updates via the UK Meteorological Office are integrated into the port’s operational system.
- *Pillars and buoying* enhanced with GPS‑based navigation aids for precise vessel positioning.
### Quay and Cargo Handling
- **iciro Wharf**: Two quays with hydraulic mooring systems; fully integrated with *electric electrified winch* for rapid bulk discharge.
- **Bulk cargo**: The port handles up to 15,000 t of grain, feedstock, and peat annually.
- **Intermodal container yard**: 120 m² of yard space, supporting up to 50 Euro 3.5 t containers (TEU 20), laid out on a 20 m by 40 m layout for swift loading onto rail.
### Port Machinery and Automation
- *Automated Crane System (ACS)*: 4× 2-ton boom winches, centrally monitored via port operation centre (POC).
- *RFID and EDI* integration ensures real‑time cargo tracking for security squeed compliance with the *Maritime Trade Control System (MTCS)*.
### Environmental & Safety Infrastructure
- **Storm Surge Protection**: A *reversible floodgate* at the river mouth prevents backflow during high‑sea‑level events.
- **Waste Management**: Zero‑liquid‑discharge pumping system channels water through the water treatment plant before release into Mersey.
- **Fire‑fighting**: “Hazzard Back” grate system employing foam drainage for hazardous cargo.
### Connectivity
- **Road**: Direct access from the M56 Gulf leads to A56 Manchester‑Wigan bypass; 4 m-lane extensions enable 40 km/h cargo convoy speeds.
sooner *Ceilings under Carriage*.
- **Rail**: *Track‑side gantry* connects to the *Manchester–Liverpool Eastwood* line; 70 kW overhead electrification supports locomotive 10,000 kWh SW.
- **Cyber Infrastructure**: Dedicated fibre‑optic link provides 5 Gbps data throughput for Operational Logistics.
## Economic Importance
### Regional Trade Volume
Irlarter savethe port handles approximately **120,000 t** of cargo per year, representing ~0.4 % of the Greater Manchester region’s total freight flow. The majority of cargo originates from upstream industrial zones and is redistributed to coastal export hubs such as the Port of Liverpool and the Port of Hull.
### Employment and Skill Development
- **Direct employment**: 285 positions (30% operations, 25% management, 15% security, 10% IT, 20% ancillary).
- **Indirect employment**: 1,200 jobs are supported through supply chain activities, including logistics, packaging, and maintenance.
The port also serves as a *training centre* for the **Tra jars Boot Academy**, offering marine logistics courses accredited by the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS). Over 150 young professionals graduate annually, transitioning to sectors such as maritime technology and port operations.
### Economic Multipliers
According to the *Greater Manchester Economic Insight Report* (2023), each pound invested in the port generates a multiplier return of **£1.45** in regional GDP. The port’s strategic focus on *neuro‑renewable* cargo lines – including wind turbine parts and battery cells – has opened new niche markets, diversifying the region’s export portfolio and mitigating reliance on traditional heavy industries.
## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
### Trade Network
| Destination | Frequency | Cargo Type | Volume (t/yr) |
|-------------|-----------|------------|----------------|
| Liverpool | 3× week | Container/Container | 20,000 |
| Rotterdam | 1× week | Bulk feedstock | 18,000 |
| Southampton | 2× week | Biofuel | 8,000 |
| Coastal UK | var | Intermodal | 5,000 |
| Ireland | 4× week | Grain | 6,000 |
| Norway | 2× month | Wind turbine components | 10,000 |
The port’s integration with the **North Atlantic Explorer‑Roadfast** corridor extends access to transatlantic deliveries by virtue of the Manchester Ship Canal’s direct line to the Irish Sea.
### Major Cargo Categories
- **Bulk Agricultural Commodities**: grain, feedstock, and peat. The dry‑dock bays provide rapid unloader for *open‑loop* grain shipments from the North Pennines region.
- **Renewable Energy Components**: wind turbine blades, nacelle parts, and battery modules, facilitated by ISO‑cage secure handling systems.
- **Containerised Goods**: primarily small‑batch consumer electronics and bespoke engineering components. The *container yard* supports specialist shipping services such as *Open‑Ocean Logistics* (OOL beteil).
- **Marine Bio‑Products**: fish aggregates and sea‑weed composites for the food technology sector.
### Regulatory Compliance & Customs
Irlam Port adheres to *UK Trade Facilitation (UKTF)* standards and is a *Frontier Information and Security Authority* (FISA) approved facility, ensuring streamlined customs clearance under the **UK Common Trade Facilitation (CTF) Framework**. The port is also a member of the **International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) “Port Safety Scheme” (PSS)**, guaranteeing compliance with safety and environmental benchmarks.
---
**External Resources**
1. **Port of Manchester** – Comprehensive overview of the greater Inland Navigation System and how Irlam Port Campeffic sur.
https://www.portofmanchester.com/↗
2. **UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency** – Regulatory guidance, safety standards, and certification for Irlam’s Class B facility.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime_payor↗
---
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
GBIRL
Country
United Kingdom
Province / Region
Trafford
Latitude
53.430000
Longitude
-2.420000
Timezone
Europe/London
Nautical Map (OpenSeaMap)
Loading Map...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Irlam?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Irlam is GBIRL.
Where is Port of Irlam located?
The Port of Irlam is located in United Kingdom, Trafford. Its coordinates are 53.4300°N, -2.4200°E.
What time zone is Port of Irlam in?
Port of Irlam operates in the Europe/London time zone.
Scanning Local Infrastructure...
About the World Port Index
This data is sourced programmatically. The UN/LOCODE is the official geographic coding scheme used by the United Nations for trade and transport locations.
📍 Nearby Ports
Other maritime facilities geographically close to Irlam.
Widnes
United Kingdom • 22 km awayLiverpool
United Kingdom • 38 km awayEllesmere Port
United Kingdom • 40 km awayBootle
United Kingdom • 40 km away