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Displaying items by tag: Shannon Foynes Port Company

Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) is currently recruiting for the position of Business Development Executive.

Shannon Foynes is Ireland’s second largest port operation, currently handling in excess of 11 million tonnes per annum.

The Shannon Estuary is Ireland’s main deep-water facility with a channel depth of in excess of 32 meters and a handling capacity for large vessels up to 200,000 deadweight tonnes (dwt).

Supporting large-scale capital-intensive industry, it is the largest dry bulk port in Ireland. SFPC annually facilitates trade valued at €8.5bn supporting circa 3,700 jobs.

The company’s customer base extends across many sectors including the industrial, energy, agricultural, recyclable and renewable sectors to name some. Consequently, it facilitates a diverse trade mix in the dry bulk, liquid bulk and break-bulk categories.

Importantly, SFPC not only facilitates the movement of trade within its port estate and estuary but is developing as a large-scale distribution and industrial hub.

The company plans to develop and expand its existing customer base by providing new and/or improved customer offerings and services. To this end, it is necessary to build stronger relationships with the customer base and work with them to develop mutually beneficial solutions/services and offerings.

Reporting directly to the Head of Business Development, the Business Development Executive is a new role tasked with developing and managing the existing and future customer base for all ports under the remit of the company.

The role requires an individual with the desire and ability to network nationally and internationally, and in doing so identify potential opportunities for the Shannon Estuary which they will develop in conjunction with the Business Manager and team.

This is a role which requires well-developed business development and customer relationship management skills. Sector-specific experience is not essential.

Full details of the role, including how to apply, can be found via the SFPC website HERE.

Shannon Foynes Port Company is fully committed to a policy of equality of opportunity and treatment in its employment practices, and is committed to employing best practice in recruiting staff.

Published in Jobs

The ESB and Shannon Foynes Port have announced a funding collaboration for a €250k study at MaREI — the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine at University College Cork (UCC) — in the latest step towards helping Ireland to deliver floating offshore wind (FLOW) projects in the future.

Starting this month, the focus of the research will be to examine the requirements and identify potential sites for wet storage, which is the temporary offshore storage of floating offshore wind turbines in suitable areas prior to installation.

This is a key requirement for facilitating floating offshore wind, which will be a fundamental technology in Ireland reaching its offshore renewable targets.

Research will take place over two phases. The first phase will consist of understanding the key conditions and constraints associated with the development and identification of suitable wet storage sites, while phase two will focus on the technical challenges of designing sites in terms of the optimum layout and mooring configuration.

The aim of the study is to identify and inform considerations for the future FLOW industry that are required at an economic, environmental, societal and policy level in Ireland and also, to set a benchmark for best international practice through close academic and industry collaboration.

Ronan O’Flynn, ESB programme director for Green Atlantic @ Moneypoint said: “We understand the importance that floating offshore wind projects are going to play in both Ireland achieving its ambitious renewable energy targets and ESB delivering on our commitment to reach net zero by 2040.

“Research such as this, carried out by our partners MaREI and supported by Shannon Foynes Port, will help the entire industry to better understand what is required for crucial wet storage facilities that will allow floating offshore wind projects to be delivered at scale.”

‘This project will be an important enabler for the emerging floating wind energy sector in Ireland’

Pat Keating, CEO at Shannon Foynes Port said: “Our partnership with the ESB on funding this research will help underpin understanding in the key area of wet storage, in which [the] Shannon Estuary will be a major provider of as we go about harvesting the unprecedented opportunity for not just our region and State arising from floating offshore wind.

“Because of the estuary’s existing deepwater ports at Foynes and Moneypoint, wet storage space and available land for large-scale industrial development, we are one of few locations in Europe that can manufacture floating turbines at the scale necessary for commercialisation.”

Dr Jimmy Murphy, funded investigator in MaREI and senior lecturer in the School of Engineering in UCC, said: “This project will be an important enabler for the emerging floating wind energy sector in Ireland and will allow strategic planning decisions to be made related to the efficient deployment of floating windfarms.

“MaREI has a track record of research and development in floating wind and welcomes this collaboration with ESB and Shannon Foynes Port to address the challenge of identifying potential wet storage locations and optimising design layout.”

Ireland’s offshore wind energy potential arising from our Atlantic seaboard winds is among Europe’s leading renewable energy opportunities, the partners suggest.

With a maritime area more than seven times the size of its landmass, ideal wind conditions and strategic location on the Atlantic Ocean's edge, floating offshore wind generation has the potential to deliver up to 30 gigawatts of energy by 2050 — six times more than current domestic electricity demand.

MaREI will provide the research expertise along with the various tools required for the study which is aligned with their core research principles. ESB and Shannon Foynes Port will provide funding support and industry knowledge for the study which is in line with ESB’s Net Zero by 2040 strategy and Shannon Foynes Port’s Vision 2041 masterplan.

Published in Power From the Sea

Shannon Foynes Port Company is hiring for the position of compliance executive.

This full-time permanent role will report directly to the corporate and regulatory assurance officer with a base located at the company’s head office in Foynes, Co Limerick.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong organisational skills in guiding and advising on audit, governance, compliance and risk management-related activities.

The compliance executive will be responsible for supporting the corporate and regulatory assurance officer to ensure that Shannon Foynes Port Company meets its significant compliance obligations, within deadlines and to the appropriate standards.

Further details of the role and how to apply can be found on the Shannon Foynes Port Company website HERE.

The closing date for applications is midnight on Friday 28 July.

Published in Jobs

The Shannon Estuary can become an international floating offshore wind and related green fuels generation hub, according to the Chief Executive of the Port Company, Pat Keating, who today welcomed the expression of interest’ tender for works on the 42km Limerick-Foynes rai line.

“The re-generation of the rail line is one of two transport links essential for delivering on the unprecedented opportunity for the estuary as a global floating offshore wind energy and transhipment hub. It will be of great benefit to the wider project, but even more essential is the road link to Foynes,” he said.

“The expression of interest tender is a very significant moment within our wider plans to capitalise on the unprecedented opportunity for the Shannon Estuary as it gives even greater certainty that this important rail connectivity is going to happen. This is a strategic move that will enhance connectivity to Foynes port but also help to decarbonise the supply chain by transferring significant cargo tonnages from road to rail. “However, the primary access to and from Foynes will still be road and it’s essential that the Foynes to Limerick road goes ahead as soon as possible. It will carry by far the majority of goods to and from Foynes, goods and materials that rail cannot accommodate. So, while we are delighted with an announcement regarding the reinstatement of rail, we look forward to an early commitment, too, on the Foynes to Limerick road,” he said.

“We appreciate the expediency regarding the rail reinstatement but it is essential, too, that we get moving on addressing our road infrastructure. Shannon Foynes is a Core Corridor Port under the EU’s Ten-t Regulations. These regulations require that upgraded hinterland connections, ie road and rail, are in place by 2030.

“The Shannon Estuary can become an international floating offshore wind and related green fuels generation hub, but our current road network links are an impediment to that. We must move quickly, however, as time is not on our side when it comes to energy security and climate change. The Estuary can be an enabler for addressing those critical issues for not just Ireland but Europe, with transformative economic as well as environmental impact, but it won’t happen without the necessary infrastructure,” he said.

Mr Keating added that the rail project is also very much endorsed at European level. “In 2015 we secured €800,000 from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility for a Feasibility and Detailed Design study, including all associated consenting requirements, for the regeneration of the rail link in 2015. Those works were completed in 2019 and were part funded also by Shannon Foynes Port Company and undertaken by Irish Rail. As a result, the reinstatement of the 40kms Limerick to Foynes line is now shovel-ready, so moving to this next ‘expressions of interest’ stage to realise this opportunity is a key moment.”

Published in Shannon Estuary

#IrishPorts - Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe has today (Friday 10 July) welcomed the announcement by the European Commission that a number of projects – including developments across three Irish ports – have been recommended for co-funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

"This is good news and a further boost for infrastructure investment in Ireland," said Minister Donohoe. "The recommendation by the European Commission in respect of these five projects is a positive step in the development of these key infrastructural projects which will allow for future growth and development which will ultimately help with job creation.

“I was particularly delighted to support the port companies in their applications. Ireland’s National Ports Policy categorises the Port of Cork Company, Dublin Port Company and Shannon Foynes Port Company as Ports of National Significance (Tier 1) in recognition of the key role of they play in national economic development.

"This positive announcement will support significant, planned investment by the ports and follows the news that the Ringaskiddy project in the Port of Cork has recently been granted planning permission, while just today the Alexander Basin Redevelopment Project received a positive planning decision from An Bord Pleanála, allowing the largest ever infrastructure development project to be carried out at Dublin Port.

"In addition, Shannon Foynes Port Company’s first major project, the redevelopment of the East Jetty, is now well underway having commenced earlier this year. The continued commercial development of the port companies is a key strategic objective of the Government which will support job creation across the country as they are progressed in the years to come.”

The five projects are as follows:
· Port of Cork, Ringaskiddy Project (Project Type: Works, Co-funding rate: 17.47%, EU Max Contribution: €12,736,001.10)
· Shannon Foynes Port Company, Jetty Enhancement for Sea Port (Works, 20%, €2,200,000)
· Shannon Foynes Port Company, Connecting International Sea Cargo to the Irish Rail Network (Study, 50%, €800,000)
· Dublin Port, Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project (Works, 10.3%, €22,782,055)
· City Centre Re-signalling Project (Works, 30%, €17,586,760.20)

Published in Ports & Shipping

#ShannonFoynes - The Limerick Leader reports on the Shannon Foynes Port Company's announcement of record profits in 2013.

Ireland's second largest bulk port company declared a 35% increase in its operating profits in the 12 months since its 2012 annual report, a record rise for the fourth successive year.

According to the port's CEO Patrick Keating, this strong performance underlines the objectives of the Vision 2041 master plan for the Shannon Estuary launched last year.

The Limerick Leader has more on the story HERE.

Published in Shannon Estuary

#ShannonPortProfit – Record financial profits by Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) is down to an increase in shipping activity levels not seen since 2008.

SFPC posted an operating profit of just over €3 million for 2012, which after financing costs and net disposal proceeds amounted to just over €2 million.

Operating profit represents a 6.6 per cent rise on 2011 performance. The Irish Times has more on this story.

 

Published in Shannon Estuary

#Shannon - The Shannon Foynes Port Company has launched its master plan for the development of port infrastructure and services along the Shannon Estuary.

RTÉ News reports on the 30-year plan, titled Vision 2041, which will involve the construction of a new deepwater birth at Foynes, the development of warehousing and facilities across 300 acres of additional land - and the potential reopening of the Foynes-Limerick railway line, which has lain dormant since 2001.

As one of the deepest waterways in Europe, the estuary is also in prime position to take advantage of the new 'post-panamax' supertanker shipping era, and talks on securing future foreign direct investment as a priority.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, submissions for the accompanying strategic plan for the development and management of marine-related industry and tourism in the Shannon Estuary region closed last week.

The Draft Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) for the Shannon Estuary, the first of its type to be developed in Ireland, identifies a number of strategic sites along the estuary for future possible development in the areas of industry, tourism, energy, fishing and aquaculture and marine-related industry.

Published in Shannon Estuary

#SHANNON FOYNES – An operating profit close to €2.9m for last year (up from €2.5m in 2011) was recorded by Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) according to yesterday's Irish Times.

SFPC recorded a 2.2 per cent rise in turnover to €10.1 million, resulting in a 13 per cent increase in operating margin from 25.5 per cent to 28.1 per cent, according to the 2011 annual report.

The company made a profit attributable to the shareholder of €2.73 million after exceptional items and financing. Cargo increased 8 per cent to 10.1 million tonnes from 9.4 million tonnes in 2010. About 35 per cent of Ireland's bulk traffic transits through SFPC's six terminals on the estuary.

Published in Shannon Estuary

#SHANNON ESTUARY – The Maritime Journal reports that a simulated fire and rescue drill simulating a fire on board a ship took place in Foynes Port this week.

Limerick County Fire & Rescue Service with the assistance of Shannon Foynes Port Company and Celtic Tugs which operates a fleet of  tugs in the port hosted the Ship and Ports Course.

A number of exercises were carried out during the course, to read more on the exercise click HERE.

Published in Shannon Estuary
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Ireland's Offshore Renewable Energy

Because of Ireland's location at the Atlantic edge of the EU, it has more offshore energy potential than most other countries in Europe. The conditions are suitable for the development of the full range of current offshore renewable energy technologies.

Offshore Renewable Energy FAQs

Offshore renewable energy draws on the natural energy provided by wind, wave and tide to convert it into electricity for industry and domestic consumption.

Offshore wind is the most advanced technology, using fixed wind turbines in coastal areas, while floating wind is a developing technology more suited to deeper water. In 2018, offshore wind provided a tiny fraction of global electricity supply, but it is set to expand strongly in the coming decades into a USD 1 trillion business, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). It says that turbines are growing in size and in power capacity, which in turn is "delivering major performance and cost improvements for offshore wind farms".

The global offshore wind market grew nearly 30% per year between 2010 and 2018, according to the IEA, due to rapid technology improvements, It calculated that about 150 new offshore wind projects are in active development around the world. Europe in particular has fostered the technology's development, led by Britain, Germany and Denmark, but China added more capacity than any other country in 2018.

A report for the Irish Wind Energy Assocation (IWEA) by the Carbon Trust – a British government-backed limited company established to accelerate Britain's move to a low carbon economy - says there are currently 14 fixed-bottom wind energy projects, four floating wind projects and one project that has yet to choose a technology at some stage of development in Irish waters. Some of these projects are aiming to build before 2030 to contribute to the 5GW target set by the Irish government, and others are expected to build after 2030. These projects have to secure planning permission, obtain a grid connection and also be successful in a competitive auction in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS).

The electricity generated by each turbine is collected by an offshore electricity substation located within the wind farm. Seabed cables connect the offshore substation to an onshore substation on the coast. These cables transport the electricity to land from where it will be used to power homes, farms and businesses around Ireland. The offshore developer works with EirGrid, which operates the national grid, to identify how best to do this and where exactly on the grid the project should connect.

The new Marine Planning and Development Management Bill will create a new streamlined system for planning permission for activity or infrastructure in Irish waters or on the seabed, including offshore wind farms. It is due to be published before the end of 2020 and enacted in 2021.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE. Is there scope for community involvement in offshore wind? The IWEA says that from the early stages of a project, the wind farm developer "should be engaging with the local community to inform them about the project, answer their questions and listen to their concerns". It says this provides the community with "the opportunity to work with the developer to help shape the final layout and design of the project". Listening to fishing industry concerns, and how fishermen may be affected by survey works, construction and eventual operation of a project is "of particular concern to developers", the IWEA says. It says there will also be a community benefit fund put in place for each project. It says the final details of this will be addressed in the design of the RESS (see below) for offshore wind but it has the potential to be "tens of millions of euro over the 15 years of the RESS contract". The Government is also considering the possibility that communities will be enabled to invest in offshore wind farms though there is "no clarity yet on how this would work", the IWEA says.

Based on current plans, it would amount to around 12 GW of offshore wind energy. However, the IWEA points out that is unlikely that all of the projects planned will be completed. The industry says there is even more significant potential for floating offshore wind off Ireland's west coast and the Programme for Government contains a commitment to develop a long-term plan for at least 30 GW of floating offshore wind in our deeper waters.

There are many different models of turbines. The larger a turbine, the more efficient it is in producing electricity at a good price. In choosing a turbine model the developer will be conscious of this ,but also has to be aware the impact of the turbine on the environment, marine life, biodiversity and visual impact. As a broad rule an offshore wind turbine will have a tip-height of between 165m and 215m tall. However, turbine technology is evolving at a rapid rate with larger more efficient turbines anticipated on the market in the coming years.

 

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme is designed to support the development of renewable energy projects in Ireland. Under the scheme wind farms and solar farms compete against each other in an auction with the projects which offer power at the lowest price awarded contracts. These contracts provide them with a guaranteed price for their power for 15 years. If they obtain a better price for their electricity on the wholesale market they must return the difference to the consumer.

Yes. The first auction for offshore renewable energy projects is expected to take place in late 2021.

Cost is one difference, and technology is another. Floating wind farm technology is relatively new, but allows use of deeper water. Ireland's 50-metre contour line is the limit for traditional bottom-fixed wind farms, and it is also very close to population centres, which makes visibility of large turbines an issue - hence the attraction of floating structures Do offshore wind farms pose a navigational hazard to shipping? Inshore fishermen do have valid concerns. One of the first steps in identifying a site as a potential location for an offshore wind farm is to identify and assess the level of existing marine activity in the area and this particularly includes shipping. The National Marine Planning Framework aims to create, for the first time, a plan to balance the various kinds of offshore activity with the protection of the Irish marine environment. This is expected to be published before the end of 2020, and will set out clearly where is suitable for offshore renewable energy development and where it is not - due, for example, to shipping movements and safe navigation.

YEnvironmental organisations are concerned about the impact of turbines on bird populations, particularly migrating birds. A Danish scientific study published in 2019 found evidence that larger birds were tending to avoid turbine blades, but said it didn't have sufficient evidence for smaller birds – and cautioned that the cumulative effect of farms could still have an impact on bird movements. A full environmental impact assessment has to be carried out before a developer can apply for planning permission to develop an offshore wind farm. This would include desk-based studies as well as extensive surveys of the population and movements of birds and marine mammals, as well as fish and seabed habitats. If a potential environmental impact is identified the developer must, as part of the planning application, show how the project will be designed in such a way as to avoid the impact or to mitigate against it.

A typical 500 MW offshore wind farm would require an operations and maintenance base which would be on the nearby coast. Such a project would generally create between 80-100 fulltime jobs, according to the IWEA. There would also be a substantial increase to in-direct employment and associated socio-economic benefit to the surrounding area where the operation and maintenance hub is located.

The recent Carbon Trust report for the IWEA, entitled Harnessing our potential, identified significant skills shortages for offshore wind in Ireland across the areas of engineering financial services and logistics. The IWEA says that as Ireland is a relatively new entrant to the offshore wind market, there are "opportunities to develop and implement strategies to address the skills shortages for delivering offshore wind and for Ireland to be a net exporter of human capital and skills to the highly competitive global offshore wind supply chain". Offshore wind requires a diverse workforce with jobs in both transferable (for example from the oil and gas sector) and specialist disciplines across apprenticeships and higher education. IWEA have a training network called the Green Tech Skillnet that facilitates training and networking opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

It is expected that developing the 3.5 GW of offshore wind energy identified in the Government's Climate Action Plan would create around 2,500 jobs in construction and development and around 700 permanent operations and maintenance jobs. The Programme for Government published in 2020 has an enhanced target of 5 GW of offshore wind which would create even more employment. The industry says that in the initial stages, the development of offshore wind energy would create employment in conducting environmental surveys, community engagement and development applications for planning. As a site moves to construction, people with backgrounds in various types of engineering, marine construction and marine transport would be recruited. Once the site is up and running , a project requires a team of turbine technicians, engineers and administrators to ensure the wind farm is fully and properly maintained, as well as crew for the crew transfer vessels transporting workers from shore to the turbines.

The IEA says that today's offshore wind market "doesn't even come close to tapping the full potential – with high-quality resources available in most major markets". It estimates that offshore wind has the potential to generate more than 420 000 Terawatt hours per year (TWh/yr) worldwide – as in more than 18 times the current global electricity demand. One Terawatt is 114 megawatts, and to put it in context, Scotland it has a population a little over 5 million and requires 25 TWh/yr of electrical energy.

Not as advanced as wind, with anchoring a big challenge – given that the most effective wave energy has to be in the most energetic locations, such as the Irish west coast. Britain, Ireland and Portugal are regarded as most advanced in developing wave energy technology. The prize is significant, the industry says, as there are forecasts that varying between 4000TWh/yr to 29500TWh/yr. Europe consumes around 3000TWh/year.

The industry has two main umbrella organisations – the Irish Wind Energy Association, which represents both onshore and offshore wind, and the Marine Renewables Industry Association, which focuses on all types of renewable in the marine environment.

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