The possibility of building at the Port of Cork, a vast 6,000-space multi-storey storage compound for new cars imports is been explored, after it had to cope with a 60% surge in new cars that led to opening a new 'temporary' facility.

Typically, the port writes the Irish Examiner, receives approximately 5,000 trade cars at its Ringaskiddy (DWT) Deepwater Terminal in lower Cork Harbour in January, is expecting the arrival of more new vehicles estimated to be 8,000. The terminal Afloat adds is opposite of the berth for Brittany Ferries route to France which adjoins the Cork Container Terminal (CCT) which opened in 2022.

Existing infrastructure to store cars is at a facility also in Ringaskiddy which has reached capacity, however this has led to a port company decision to allocate a new storage facility for cars at Paddy’s Point, for the first time.

Paddy’s Point is located to the east of Ringaskiddy village, close to University College Cork’s Beaufort Research Laboratory which neighbours the campus of the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI).

According to the port which said today, “This temporary expansion is required to ensure the smooth and efficient handling of this substantial shipment”

At the weekend, the Port of Cork handled almost 3,000 cars, having arrived on two vehicle carrying-vessels from the Italian operator, Grimaldi Group, which Afloat reported of their separate Zeebrugge-Antwerp-Cork ro-ro freight feeder route launched in 2021 avoiding the UK land-bridge.

As for the combined vehicles on board, they ranged of Audi, Cupra, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen models. Several companies are involved in importing to Cork, including OGMA, Euromed Ireland Logistics Ltd, National Vehicle Distribution, Mainport and the Doyle Shipping Group.

More from newspaper on the expansion of the vehicle trade sector.