The news is a massive boost to the Liverpool 2 scheme which is attracting attention from a host of major industry players.

Construction information specialist Glenigan said contractors in the hunt for work at the site include Sir Robert McAlpine,Hochtief, Laing O’Rourke, Kier and Graham Construction.

The job is currently out to tender with construction due to start next year and be completed by 2015.

Construction work will include a new 854 metre quay wall, the in-filling of the newly created land-mass, the dredging of a new 16.5 metre deep berthing pocket adjacent to the quay wall, the installation of ship to shore quay cranes and modern cantilever rail mounted gantry cranes and associated supporting infrastructure works.

Client Peel Ports is looking for a principal contractor to oversee work and a specialist contractor to undertake a package of dredging, infilling and quay wall construction.

Work on the quay wall will require 30,000 metres3 of concrete, 15,000 metres of steel piles and 6,100 metres of new crane rails.

Dredging of the berthing pocket will remove around one million cubic metres of material from the Mersey and almost three million cubic metres of infill material will be required to create the new container area.

Associated infrastructure will require the construction of 3500 metres of new road, 230,000 sq metres of surfacing and 2500 metres of fencing.