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Plans for a new £300m container terminal at the Port of Liverpool have been announced by Peel Ports.

The developer is advertising for construction companies to work on the project which it says will create 5,000 jobs and bring the world's largest container ships to the River Mersey.

The terminal in Seaforth, to be called Liverpool 2, is due to open in 2015.

It will accommodate two large vessels at one time and allow goods to be imported and exported to the UK by sea.

Peel Ports said the terminal, which is part of a 20-year plan to transform the Port of Liverpool, would be more efficient and better for the environment as it would take large amounts of freight off the UK road and rail networks.

Managing Director for Peel Ports Mersey Gary Hodgson said: "What we'll have ultimately from jobs, not just working at the terminal but all the associated jobs around warehousing and haulage.

"The container terminal we are building is the catalyst for real change in logistics and distribution and a lot of the jobs will be in that sector."

The project is dependent on a £35m government grant to dredge the Mersey to accommodate the large ships.

Mr Hodgson added: "We've taken advice during the process of applying for our grant funding and we're confident the grant funding will be rubber stamped and that we will get the money."

The Peel Group is also behind plans for the £5.5bn Liverpool Waters scheme and the £4.5bn approved Wirral Waters scheme.

Both projects will see former dock land transformed for office and leisure use.

Liverpool Waters is due to be considered by Liverpool City Council on 6 March.