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Displaying items by tag: Energy Contract

The Welsh capital of Cardiff is where its port celebrated the start of a new contract with Valero, a global refiner specialising in the manufacture of transportation fuels and petrochemical products. The development will help power the economy of the city and the wider region.

The new long-term agreement includes occupation of a 12-acre storage and distribution terminal adjacent to Associated British Ports (ABP)’s Roath Dock in Cardiff which will be fed by coastal tankers utilising the port's multimodal and deep-sea connectivity.

As part of the agreement, Valero will be importing predominantly road fuels, including petrol, ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) and biofuels, as well as heating fuels, into Cardiff for distribution to the regional market in south Wales.

Valero utilises a coastal shipping service linking its west Wales refinery in Pembroke (Port of Milford Haven) to its network of storage and distribution terminals around the UK and Ireland, with expectations to handle considerable liquid bulk tonnage through Cardiff every year.  

ABP’s Port of Cardiff’s strategic location facilitates access to a market of 1.5 million people living in the Cardiff Capital Region, which equals approximately half the population of Wales.

In preparation for the new contract, ABP has made significant investments in enhancing port infrastructure, including investing  more than £400,000 in jetty infrastructure upgrades and recently completion of a five year programme to replace both the inner and outer lock gates, representing a £5 million investment to secure  marine access for the next 50 years. ​​​​​​​

Andrew Harston, Regional Director for ABP’s Wales and Short Sea Ports, said: “Valero is a great example of a company that is able to use sea transport for the 100 mile journey from Pembroke to Cardiff.

“ABP has a longstanding relationship with Valero and we look forward to this continuing our collaboration into the future with this new agreement.”

ABP owns and operates 21 ports across the UK, located in close proximity to important domestic industrial clusters, logistics hubs and major conurbations. ABP owns a total of 3,743 ha of freehold land, which includes 960 ha of strategic development land in prime locations across the country.

Published in Ports & Shipping

The Kingstown to Queenstown Yacht Race or 'K2Q', previously the Fastnet 450

The Organising Authority ("OA") are ISORA & SCORA in association with The National Yacht Club & The Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Kingstown to Queenstown Race (K2Q Race) is a 260-mile offshore race that will start in Dun Laoghaire (formerly Kingstown), around the famous Fastnet Rock and finish in Cork Harbour at Cobh (formerly Queenstown).

The  K2Q race follows from the successful inaugural 'Fastnet 450 Race' that ran in 2020 when Ireland was in the middle of the COVID Pandemic. It was run by the National Yacht Club, and the Royal cork Yacht Club were both celebrating significant anniversaries. The clubs combined forces to mark the 150th anniversary of the National Yacht Club and the 300th (Tricentenary) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Of course, this race has some deeper roots. In 1860 the first-ever ocean yacht race on Irish Waters was held from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) to Queenstown (now Cobh).

It is reported that the winner of the race was paid a prize of £15 at the time, and all competing boats got a bursary of 10/6 each. The first race winner was a Schooner Kingfisher owned by Cooper Penrose Esq. The race was held on July 14th 1860, and had sixteen boats racing.

In 2022, the winning boat will be awarded the first prize of a cheque for €15 mounted and framed and a Trophy provided by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world.

The 2022 race will differ from the original course because it will be via the Fastnet Rock, so it is a c. 260m race, a race distance approved by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club as an AZAB qualifier. 

A link to an Afloat article written by WM Nixon for some history on this original race is here.

The aim is to develop the race similarly to the Dun Laoghaire–Dingle Race that runs in alternate years. 

Fastnet 450 in 2020

The South Coast of Ireland Racing Association, in association with the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay and the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork, staged the first edition of this race from Dun Laoghaire to Cork Harbour via the Fastnet Rock on August 22nd 2020.

The IRC race started in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday, August 22nd 2020. It passed the Muglin, Tuscar, Conningbeg and Fastnet Lighthouses to Starboard before returning to Cork Harbour and passing the Cork Buoy to Port, finishing when Roches's Point bears due East. The course was specifically designed to be of sufficient length to qualify skippers and crew for the RORC Fastnet Race 2021.

At A Glance – K2Q (Kingstown to Queenstown) Race 2024

The third edition of this 260-nautical mile race starts from the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay on July 12th 2024 finishes in Cork Harbour.

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