The Dublin Port Company is planning the long-term expansion
of the port to meet the country’s future needs, including the construction of
the largest container terminal in Ireland. When the project is completed in
2040, they will have invested a further $450 million in addition to current and
previous projects adding another 20 percent to the port’s capacity.
“There is very little spare capacity for future growth of
unitized trade in Dublin Port or in any other port in the country,” explains
Eamonn O’Reilly, Dublin Port’s Chief Executive. “We are developing Dublin Port
based on Masterplan 2040 at an overall estimated cost of €1.6 billion over the
30 years from 2010 to 2040. Port
infrastructure is very expensive and, by the end of this year, we will have
invested €500m in the 11 years since 2010.
Over the next five years, we will invest a further €450m. We aim to begin to build the €400m 3FM
Project in 2026 and to complete it between 2030 and 2035. “
One of the key elements of the master plan is the creation
of an entirely new container terminal with the capacity to handle 612,000 TEU
annually. The new container terminal will have the capacity for more than twice
the number of containers handled in all the other Irish ports in 2020. The plan
also calls for the redevelopment of the existing container terminal to create a
new Ro-Ro freight terminal with the capacity to handle 288,000 freight trailers
annually. A new 1,000-foot plus turning basin would also be created at the
port.
According to port officials, “pinch points” are already
evident in the north port area post Brexit creating the need both for ongoing projects
as well as the long-term planning to accommodate Ireland’s future growth. The
overall port has seen 44 percent volume growth in the past decade with 37
percent growth in the Lo-Lo operations. Since Brexit, growth has accelerated
with 2021 volumes expected to be 14 percent higher than 2020.
“Masterplan 2040 projects that Dublin Port will need
capacity for an annual throughput of 3.1 million trailers and containers by
2040,” says O’Reilly. “The 3FM Project
will deliver one-fifth of this capacity by way of a new Lo-Lo terminal –
360,000 containers per annum – and a new Ro-Ro freight terminal – 288,000
freight trailers per annum.”
Another important part of the plan is the goal to
re-integrate Dublin Port with Dublin city. The master plan calls for a new road
and bridge across the River Liffey linking parts of the port to remove truck
traffic from local roads to create additional capacity for pedestrian, cycle,
and public transit in the city. New cycle and pedestrian routes would be
created in the port, new public access areas as well as providing the utilities
and waste-to-energy facilities to support port operations.
The port has begun a public comment period until the end of
the year and in 2022 begin the planning process and meetings with local stakeholders.
They expect to file the planning application in 2023 to receive approval in
2024 and commence construction by 2026. The project will be completed in phases
between 2030 and 2035.