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Cairnryan Port move delivers record volumes for Stena Line Stena Line has marked the 10th anniversary of the opening of its Loch Ryan Port facility at Cairnryan and the introduction of two new Superfast vessels which heralded the start of its then new Belfast to Cairnryan service back in 2011.
significantly larger vessels to service the growing demand between both countries. “So not only did we invest in building a brand-new port at Cairnryan, but we also introduced two new Superfast vessels, the largest vessels ever to service the route, in a £250m investment programme,” he added. “Ten years on I’m delighted to say that our commitment to the route has been justified with record volumes in what has been an extremely tough Brexit and Covid impacted trading year. Our Superfast vessels have an excellent reliability and punctuality record which has provided a solid platform for us to grow our business over the last decade.” Paul Grant concluded: “The success we have delivered over the last decade has been achieved despite the lack of government investment in the roads system servicing Loch Ryan. The A75 and A77 are vitally important arterial routes which still are not fit for purpose for one of the UK’s largest gateways. Northern Ireland’s connectivity to its main market is being hampered so we would urge the Governments on both sides for investment in these much-needed infrastructure upgrades.
Stena Line Superfast VIII OSS crew Caitlan Nicholl (left) and Morgan Cowan (right) joined Paul Grant (Trade Director) and Senior Master Steve Millar onboard the Bridge of Superfast VIII.
Over the last decade, the service between Belfast and Cairnryan has continued to grow and this year, despite the combined challenges of Brexit and Covid, will see the route deliver record breaking car and freight volumes in 2021. “The sea link between Northern Ireland
and Scotland has always been a vital tourism and trade gateway,” said Stena Line’s Trade Director Paul Grant. “Our decision to move from our old port at Stranraer in 2011 was based on a number of factors including the ability to introduce
“Looking forward we are optimistic about the future but the reliable and high-quality ferry service we have provided needs to be supported and enhanced by a 21st century road network that well enabling better connectivity between both countries.” Over the last 10 years, the Belfast-Cairnryan service has delivered a series of impressive performance statistics including: 11.1 million passengers; 2.6 million cars;1.9 million freight units; 40,747 number of sailings; 1.6 million nautical miles travelled; and 98% of sailings on time.
Ireland’s new marine research vessel makes its first splash The hull of Ireland’s new state-of-the-art marine research vessel, RV Tom Crean, has been launched at Astilleros Armon shipyard in Vigo, Spain. The launch of the hull is a significant milestone in the build process, with the vessel on schedule to be completed in summer 2022. The build of the RV Tom Crean received funding of €25 million from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as approved by the Government of Ireland. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D, said, “This new research vessel, when delivered in 2022, will be an important infrastructural tool in acquiring data and information supporting the sustainable management and development of Ireland’s valuable marine resource. “The vessel will support key national and international programmes in fish stock
assessment, climate change related research, environmental monitoring, seabed mapping and marine spatial planning, supporting the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and delivery of the National Marine Planning Framework and other important marine related activities.” His Excellency Frank Smyth, Ambassador of Ireland to Spain and Andorra, joined Marine Institute Chairman Dr John Killeen and Interim CEO Michael Gillooly to view the hull of the 52.8 metre vessel glide into the water. The RV Tom Crean, which will replace the 31 metre RV Celtic Voyager, will provide a year round service, enabling 300 operational days at sea each year, and up to
3,000 scientist days of research per year. The new research vessel will be a silent vessel, capable of operating throughout the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The RV Tom Crean will be able to go to sea for at least 21 days at a time and is designed to operate in harsh sea conditions. Based in Galway, the vessel will be used by the Marine Institute, other state agencies and universities to undertake multidisciplinary surveys. It will also maintain and deploy weather buoys, observational infrastructure and our Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Holland I. Ireland’s new marine research vessel has been named the RV Tom Crean, after the renowned seaman
and explorer who undertook three major ground breaking expeditions to the Antarctic in the early years of the 20th Century; which sought to increase scientific knowledge and to explore unreached areas of the world, at that time. Spanish shipyard Astilleros Armon Vigo S.A. were awarded the contract to build Ireland’s new state-of-the-art marine research vessel in 2019, following the completion of the design by Norwegian ship design consultants Skipsteknisk AS. The construction of the new national research vessel continues on schedule and on budget in 2021.
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