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Displaying items by tag: Port Masterplan

The Port of Cork Company (PoCC) plans to move completely out of Cork city centre in the next eight years, as part of a €250m Masterplan for the Port that will move shipping activities to the lower harbour.

The PoCC has been holding public consultations on its ‘Port Masterplan 2050’ this week in a number of locations.

A major focus of the plan is for the PoCC to completely vacate the city centre by 2030, and vacate Tivoli by 2040, migrating all activities down to the lower harbour areas of Marino Point, Cobh, and Ringaskiddy.

“It’s not just about the Port going to the lower harbour because there are bigger ships and we have to have enough capacity for demand, it’s also about unlocking the city quays for development for urban living and sustainable active travel” said Tim Murphy, Head of Port Engineering with PoCC, speaking at the consultation day in Páirc Uí Chaoimh (yesterday).

He said that vacating Tivoli alone will unlock 150 acres for development in Cork city.

For more on the port's shift downriver, EchoLive reports.

Published in Port of Cork

Irish Rail (Iarnród Eireann) has announced the purchase of an 18-acre site in Rosslare Europort to support the future growth of the (ferry)harbour which has seen a significant increase in traffic and new routes.

The company also revealed that it has awarded the contract for a new fully-digital Port Terminal Management System.

The developments are part of the overall Rosslare Europort Masterplan designed to enhance port operations and customer experience.

Agreement has been reached to secure a strategic 18 acres of land on an adjacent site that is zoned for commercial use, beside the proposed new port freight entrance.

The site will have direct connection to both the port and the new port access road being constructed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Wexford County Council.

Wexford People has more on the development.

Also this week Irish Rail was awarded €2.5 million from EU funding into projects to improve transport links including by road with the port. 

Published in Rosslare Europort

Rosslare Europort has welcomed the announcement by Brittany Ferries of a new weekly direct (freight) service between Rosslare Europort and Le Havre, France. 

The announcement comes as Rosslare Europort (operated by Irish Rail) delivers a 55% increase in freight traffic year to date in 2021

The new service, will begin operations next Friday 12th November from Le Havre, and will operate weekly as follows:

  • Fridays depart Le Havre 19:00hrs, arrive Rosslare Europort 14:30hrs Saturday
  • Saturdays depart Rosslare Europort 17:45hrs, arrive Le Havre 15:00hrs Sunday

The service will be operated by Brittany Ferries’ freight-only Cotentin vessel, with capacity for 120 freight units and 120 cabins, as well as a range of amenities for drivers including a restaurant, bar and shop.  It will give Irish industry a further vital post-Brexit connection, with congestion-free access to Rosslare Europort, and landbridge-free access to the continent of Europe.  It also strengthens the partnership between Rosslare Europort and Brittany Ferries, adding to existing Brittany Ferries services between Rosslare and Bilbao, and between Rosslare and Cherbour. 

It will increase to thirty the number of direct weekly Ro-Ro services between Rosslare Europort and the European continent, cementing Rosslare’s status as Ireland’s Number one port for direct Ro-Ro services to Europe.

General Manager of Rosslare Europort Glenn Carr said “this is a further exciting development, not only for us in Rosslare Europort, but for Ireland as a whole, Irish industry, and the haulage sector.

We have worked with Brittany Ferries and collectively engaged with Irish hauliers and industry in identifying a new connection to meet the continuing rising demand for direct services to Europe.  We are delighted in conjunction with Brittainy Ferries and the port of Le Havre to offer this exclusive Ro-Ro service out of Ireland.  

The last 12 months has seen a transformative change both in terms of frequency and capacity in the services our shipping line customers are offering to and from Rosslare.  The demand for these services can be clearly seen with overall freight up 55% at the port and continental traffic up an incredible 360%. The new service announced by Brittany Ferries today adds further capacity, frequency and choice for exporters and importers and will further enhance and complement existing services operated by our shipping partners between Rosslare Europort and Bilbao, Cherbourg and Dunkirk.”

Europort's Masterplan

As well as the new service, Iarnród Éireann - Port Authority for Rosslare Europort - is commencing in January 2022 a major infrastructure transformation of Rosslare Europort, as part of its Port Masterplan.

The Masterplan, together with initiatives under the strategic plan for the port, will see over €30 million invested by Iarnród Éireann in Rosslare Europort over the next number of years.  It will ensure that Rosslare will be equipped with the capacity, facilities and technology to facilitate major growth for the benefit of the region and the wider national economy.

Major changes in the port will be:

  • New configuration of the port aligned to maximise future growth of the port and support regional and national development 
  • Significant new facilities and infrastructure to develop Rosslare Europort to its full potential as Ireland's gateway port to the UK and Europe
  • Design and develop a Sustainable, Seamless and Smart Port that will be best in class internationally

The development under the Masterplan will be completed over a number of phases over the next 2-5 years to enable the port continue to operate all services and activity during construction.  Rosslare Europort is the closest port to the UK and mainland Europe and offers numerous daily/weekly direct Services to the UK, France and Spain.

As well as the port masterplan, further substantial investment will also take place both at the port and the surrounding area with the following further developments being completed during the same timeframe.

  • Construction of the New N25 Rosslare Europort Access Road by TII and Wexford Co Council
  • Further significant development of Rosslare Europort for future Offshore Renewable projects
  • Construction by the OPW of the future permanent extensive facilities to meet all customs and Brexit requirements for state agencies at the Port, making Rosslare the only port outside of Dublin with the required Border Inspection Post 

The combined developments will see the largest ever investment in the port and surrounding area, and will position Rosslare Europort to become the leading gateway for the country to the UK and Europe.

Published in Rosslare Europort

About Dublin Port 

Dublin Port is Ireland’s largest and busiest port with approximately 17,000 vessel movements per year. As well as being the country’s largest port, Dublin Port has the highest rate of growth and, in the seven years to 2019, total cargo volumes grew by 36.1%.

The vision of Dublin Port Company is to have the required capacity to service the needs of its customers and the wider economy safely, efficiently and sustainably. Dublin Port will integrate with the City by enhancing the natural and built environments. The Port is being developed in line with Masterplan 2040.

Dublin Port Company is currently investing about €277 million on its Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR), which is due to be complete by 2021. The redevelopment will improve the port's capacity for large ships by deepening and lengthening 3km of its 7km of berths. The ABR is part of a €1bn capital programme up to 2028, which will also include initial work on the Dublin Port’s MP2 Project - a major capital development project proposal for works within the existing port lands in the northeastern part of the port.

Dublin Port has also recently secured planning approval for the development of the next phase of its inland port near Dublin Airport. The latest stage of the inland port will include a site with the capacity to store more than 2,000 shipping containers and infrastructures such as an ESB substation, an office building and gantry crane.

Dublin Port Company recently submitted a planning application for a €320 million project that aims to provide significant additional capacity at the facility within the port in order to cope with increases in trade up to 2040. The scheme will see a new roll-on/roll-off jetty built to handle ferries of up to 240 metres in length, as well as the redevelopment of an oil berth into a deep-water container berth.

Dublin Port FAQ

Dublin was little more than a monastic settlement until the Norse invasion in the 8th and 9th centuries when they selected the Liffey Estuary as their point of entry to the country as it provided relatively easy access to the central plains of Ireland. Trading with England and Europe followed which required port facilities, so the development of Dublin Port is inextricably linked to the development of Dublin City, so it is fair to say the origins of the Port go back over one thousand years. As a result, the modern organisation Dublin Port has a long and remarkable history, dating back over 300 years from 1707.

The original Port of Dublin was situated upriver, a few miles from its current location near the modern Civic Offices at Wood Quay and close to Christchurch Cathedral. The Port remained close to that area until the new Custom House opened in the 1790s. In medieval times Dublin shipped cattle hides to Britain and the continent, and the returning ships carried wine, pottery and other goods.

510 acres. The modern Dublin Port is located either side of the River Liffey, out to its mouth. On the north side of the river, the central part (205 hectares or 510 acres) of the Port lies at the end of East Wall and North Wall, from Alexandra Quay.

Dublin Port Company is a State-owned commercial company responsible for operating and developing Dublin Port.

Dublin Port Company is a self-financing, and profitable private limited company wholly-owned by the State, whose business is to manage Dublin Port, Ireland's premier Port. Established as a corporate entity in 1997, Dublin Port Company is responsible for the management, control, operation and development of the Port.

Captain William Bligh (of Mutiny of the Bounty fame) was a visitor to Dublin in 1800, and his visit to the capital had a lasting effect on the Port. Bligh's study of the currents in Dublin Bay provided the basis for the construction of the North Wall. This undertaking led to the growth of Bull Island to its present size.

Yes. Dublin Port is the largest freight and passenger port in Ireland. It handles almost 50% of all trade in the Republic of Ireland.

All cargo handling activities being carried out by private sector companies operating in intensely competitive markets within the Port. Dublin Port Company provides world-class facilities, services, accommodation and lands in the harbour for ships, goods and passengers.

Eamonn O'Reilly is the Dublin Port Chief Executive.

Capt. Michael McKenna is the Dublin Port Harbour Master

In 2019, 1,949,229 people came through the Port.

In 2019, there were 158 cruise liner visits.

In 2019, 9.4 million gross tonnes of exports were handled by Dublin Port.

In 2019, there were 7,898 ship arrivals.

In 2019, there was a gross tonnage of 38.1 million.

In 2019, there were 559,506 tourist vehicles.

There were 98,897 lorries in 2019

Boats can navigate the River Liffey into Dublin by using the navigational guidelines. Find the guidelines on this page here.

VHF channel 12. Commercial vessels using Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire Port typically have a qualified pilot or certified master with proven local knowledge on board. They "listen out" on VHF channel 12 when in Dublin Port's jurisdiction.

A Dublin Bay webcam showing the south of the Bay at Dun Laoghaire and a distant view of Dublin Port Shipping is here
Dublin Port is creating a distributed museum on its lands in Dublin City.
 A Liffey Tolka Project cycle and pedestrian way is the key to link the elements of this distributed museum together.  The distributed museum starts at the Diving Bell and, over the course of 6.3km, will give Dubliners a real sense of the City, the Port and the Bay.  For visitors, it will be a unique eye-opening stroll and vista through and alongside one of Europe’s busiest ports:  Diving Bell along Sir John Rogerson’s Quay over the Samuel Beckett Bridge, past the Scherzer Bridge and down the North Wall Quay campshire to Berth 18 - 1.2 km.   Liffey Tolka Project - Tree-lined pedestrian and cycle route between the River Liffey and the Tolka Estuary - 1.4 km with a 300-metre spur along Alexandra Road to The Pumphouse (to be completed by Q1 2021) and another 200 metres to The Flour Mill.   Tolka Estuary Greenway - Construction of Phase 1 (1.9 km) starts in December 2020 and will be completed by Spring 2022.  Phase 2 (1.3 km) will be delivered within the following five years.  The Pumphouse is a heritage zone being created as part of the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project.  The first phase of 1.6 acres will be completed in early 2021 and will include historical port equipment and buildings and a large open space for exhibitions and performances.  It will be expanded in a subsequent phase to incorporate the Victorian Graving Dock No. 1 which will be excavated and revealed. 
 The largest component of the distributed museum will be The Flour Mill.  This involves the redevelopment of the former Odlums Flour Mill on Alexandra Road based on a masterplan completed by Grafton Architects to provide a mix of port operational uses, a National Maritime Archive, two 300 seat performance venues, working and studio spaces for artists and exhibition spaces.   The Flour Mill will be developed in stages over the remaining twenty years of Masterplan 2040 alongside major port infrastructure projects.

Source: Dublin Port Company ©Afloat 2020.