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Displaying items by tag: Liverpool (Peel Ports)

In the UK, the Peel Ports Group has been recognised as the winner of the ‘Sustainability’ category at the 2022 Multimodal Awards in acknowledgement of its impressive environmental efforts.

As one of the country's largest port groups, Peel Ports manages several key regional trading hubs, including major facilities in Liverpool and Manchester, Heysham, London Medway, Great Yarmouth and Glasgow. In addition across the Irish Sea at Dublin Port,it also operates a container terminal (MTL) and owns BG Freight Line, which provides short sea container services between the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. 

The leading port operator emerged victorious amongst a credible line-up of finalists, including Maersk, ONE and Howard Tenens Logistics, thanks to its commitment to drive a more sustainable future via the pledge to be a carbon neutral business by 2040.

The award acknowledges steps taken by the group to become the first port operator to make such a commitment towards a Net-Zero status, and recognises its ongoing work to lower emissions.

Recent adoptions include switching the vast majority of its fleet to electric vehicles and transitioning machinery and plant equipment to the environmentally-friendly diesel fuel alternative, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

This transition to HVO recently saw the group hit the million-litre milestone as the first port operator to make the change, representing a third of the Port of Liverpool’s entire annual fuel consumption and in partnership with local Merseyside supplier County Oil Group Ltd.

More than £1.2bn has also been invested across the last decade on sustainable infrastructure and technology to futureproof operations, including the delivery of energy-efficient cranes, LED lighting and working with sustainable suppliers and equipment.

Claudio Veritiero, CEO of Peel Ports Group commented: “Peel Ports has taken industry leading steps to decarbonise our future and it’s fantastic to see this publicly recognised. Winning the Multimodal Sustainability award and being acknowledged for our efforts amongst our peers reinforces our continued drive towards becoming the leading sustainable port operator in the UK”

“Our goal is to be a sustainable business that can enable a positive future for the UK’s supply chain, driving change for the better whilst achieving commercial goals and business growth. The collective efforts of our employees and the strategic drive of the teams behind much of this change have been key to this success, so this award is a testament to their hard work”

Published in Ports & Shipping

National Watersports Campus, Dun Laoghaire

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Stakeholders combined forces in 2019 to promote a project to improve the Harbour’s infrastructure resulting in improved access, job creation and greater tourism potential. 

A grant application to government made by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCoCo) assisted by stakeholders was successful with the announcement of a €400k feasibility study grant from the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) in January 2020.

It meant plans for the €8m National Watersports Campus at Dun Laoghaire Harbour got the green light from Government and came a step closer to reality.

The project recognises deficits in the current set up in the harbour, proposing the construction of an all-tide publicly-accessible slipway (none currently in the Greater Dublin Area) as well as a marine services facility, providing a much-needed home for the supporting industry. 

The campus also seeks to provide a marketing framework to make boating more accessible to the general public.

The benefits of such an increase might be obvious for the Dun Laoghaire waterfront but there are other spin-offs for the harbour town in the creation of the sort of jobs that cannot be shipped abroad.

Centre for Community Watersports activity and public slipway

  • High-Performance coaching centre
  • Flexible Event Space for hosting national and international events
  • Multipurpose Building
  • Campus Marketing and Promotional Centre
  • Accommodation for Irish Sailing and Irish Underwater Council
  • Shared NGB Facility
  • Education Centre for schools, community groups and clubs
  • Proposed site – Carlisle Pier

Watersports Campus FAQs

Similar to the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, the watersports campus will provide quality, public, recreational and high-performance facilities for the many watersports participants. The Campus will considerably enhance the services currently provided by more than 30 clubs and activity centres to over 50,000 annual users of the harbour.

The passing of control of the harbour to DLRCC, the public appetite for a community benefitting project and the capital funding for sports infrastructure in the Project 2040 National Plan have aligned to create an opportunity to deliver this proposal.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) and the Irish Sailing Association (Irish Sailing) are the project leads, endorsed by the National Governing Bodies of other Irish watersports and clubs and activity providers.

The National Sports Policy, published in 2018, established the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) to provide Exchequer support for sports facility projects. In some cases, these may be projects where the primary objective will be to increase active participation in sport. In other cases, these may be venues where the focus is more related to high-performance sport.

Government has allocated at least €100m over the term to 2027 to successful applicant projects.

The Watersports Campus was one of seven successful applicants for Stream 1 funding allowing planning to commence on the project design and feasibility. €442,000 has been granted in this phase.

NThe project will provide for a municipally-owned public access facility to include a small craft slipway that is accessible at all stages of the tide (currently none in public ownership in the greater Dublin area), storage and lock-up resources, watersports event management space, a high-performance centre and NGB accommodation.

The project aims to enhance the profile of Dun Laoghaire as a major international venue for maritime events, shows and conferences. Establish Dun Laoghaire as the 'go-to place' for anything marine – generating revenues Create employment in the county - attract businesses, visitors and events. Grow the market for watersports Promote the services of activity providers to the public. Complement the plan to develop Dun Laoghaire as a 'destination.'

As of January 1 2021, The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has approved the applicant project and DLRCC are expected to appoint a team to further advance the project.

©Afloat 2020