MARITIME I
fleetMaritime: IRISH SHIPPING & FREIGHT Compiled by Howard Knott Edited by Jarlath Sweeney email: maritime@fleet.ie
Volume 5, No. 2 Summer 2010
Dublin Port- steady as she goes!
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oinciding with the arrival at the Port of the P & O Lines Cruise Liner ‘Oriana’ with 1900 passengers aboard, kicking off what the Port expects to be its biggest year ever in welcoming such vessels, the Dublin Port Company announced strong traffic results for February 2010. These showed trade levels increasing for the third successive month compared to the corresponding months a year earlier. Total cargo tonnage throughput at the Port was 6.4% higher than in February 2009 with export volumes up by 10.7% in the month, while imports grew by 3.7%. Unitised cargo throughput for the month was 1.7 million tonnes and accounted for 80% of the Port’s throughput. Another significant figure was the continued increase in ferry passenger traffic through the Port, at almost seventy-two thousand passengers, an increase of 5.8% over the same month last year. Commenting on the figures, soon to retire Chief Executive, Enda Connellan said, “We remain focused on ensuring that Dublin Port Company can play its role in helping to fuel the return to economic growth by keeping Ireland’s main Port efficient and competitive.” Dublin Port expects to achieve
a throughput in 2010 of about 28 million tonnes. Over the April to September period some 86 Cruise Liners are already booked to dock, some with up to 3,500 passengers and 900 crew on board.
Basin and to the Portroe and DFT terminals. At present, Irish Freight Forwarder International Warehousing and Transport (IWT) operates a three times weekly container train service linking the Port with Ballina and these track extensions within the Port will facilitate the commencement of further services. The Port plans to spend €150 million developing the ‘Dublin Gateway’ project. The planning application for this development, which would involve an extension of the Port facilities eastward toward the mouth of the Liffey, is currently being considered by An Bord Pleanala. A decision is expected very soon.
Dublin Port has a €500 million investment programme running over the next 10 years. It will fund this from its own resources which include the €109 million that the Port received for its share in the Irish Glass bottle site close to the South Quays. The Port has just taken over two new tugs and is extending the rail tracks that run down the North side of the estate to the Quayside at Alexandra
The ‘Dublin Gateway’ is designed to facilitate the working of 2000 TEU container ships and the largest Ro-Ro ferries currently in use. It will be ‘future proofed’ insofar as the Quayside depths can be increased by dredging though Port Director of Operations, Seamus McLoughlin, does not envisage the need to do this anytime soon. The facility will also be rail-linked and with clear access to the Port Tunnel.
Competition on Southern Corridor
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he arrival of the Fastnet Lines’ Cork – Swansea ferry service in early March has provoked a strong competitive response from Irish Ferries. Irish Ferries are promoting their Pembroke to Rosslare service for passenger and freight traffic alike on the basis of a twice daily frequency and a trailer capacity aboard the ‘Isle of Inishmore’ of 120 units. It also points out that access to the South and West from Rosslare has been greatly improved with the recent opening of the Waterford By-pass route. Both Irish Ferries and Stena had previously complained about what they both saw as unfair State aid for Fastnet Line.
Fastnet Ferries, ‘Julia’ a promotional overnight rate of one euro. X-Press Container Line has launched Cork Port’s second new UK service for 2010. The weekly LoLo service sails from Southampton each Friday, discharging containers mainly from Deep Sea services from the Far East and elsewhere on Saturday morning. She then returns directly to
Southampton. On the direct routes out of Rosslare to France, there is intense competition between Irish Ferries and Celtic Link. The latter Company has withdrawn the Falkland war veteran ‘Diplomat’ from service and is sailing three round trips a week between Rosslare and Cherbourg with the chartered LD Lines vessel ‘Norman Voyager’. Stena Line has reduced capacity on its Rosslare – Fishguard service transferring the fast ferry ‘Stena Lynx’ to the Dun Laoghaire – Holyhead route for all but the months of July and August.
Meanwhile, a group of hotels based in West Cork are offering guests travelling to Cork aboard the
Former ‘Dawn Merchant’ makes an appearance on Norfolk Line’s Dublin – Birkenhead route
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n mid-April the former Merchant Ferries’ vessel temporarily took over the ‘Dublin Viking’ slot, the evening Dublin to Birkenhead Norfolkline service, returning to Dublin in the following afternoon. The vessel, one of four sister ships, operated this route from her launch in 1999 through to 2005 when she was sold to Spanish Baleria Line and was re-named Pau
Cassels. She is currently carrying the name ‘T Rex’ and prior to coming to Dublin was laid up for a period in Cadiz. One of her sister ships, the former ‘Midnight Merchant’ was bought by P & O Ferries in 2006 and, renamed ‘European Endeavour’ which normally sails on the Dover – Calais route but
will now operate the Company’s new Dover – Zeebrugge route. In 2008 and 2009 this vessel stood in each of the Company’s Irish Sea service vessels as they went for annual re-fits. The ‘Norcape’ undertook some similar duties this year. She started her career in the early 1980’s sailing from Dublin to Fleetwood as the ‘Tipperary’ in the B & I Line / Pandoro joint service.
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MARITIME II
After the Sailboats now Galway scores in the world of powerboats
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he 2009 Volvo Ocean Race Stopover in Galway was such a success that, not only did the City and its Port secure the grand fi nale and fi nish of the 2012 Volvo Round the World Yacht Race, but next month it will host the start and fi nish of the ‘Around Ireland Off shore Powerboat Race’. On Monday 7 June over 50 World-class Powerboats will leave Galway Bay in pursuit of the Around Ireland Off-shore title. The race will circumnavigate the entire coast of Ireland with stops at Killybegs, Bangor, Waterford and Fenit en route. It is reckoned to be the toughest endurance powerboat race on the International circuit.
SH I PPI NG SHORTS Galway Harbour Company is awaiting confi rmation from an Bord Pleanala that its planned new Port development will qualify for adjudication under the Bord’s Essential Infrastructure fast-track planning procedure. Harbour company CEO, Eamon Bradshaw told Fleet Maritime that the new Port projecting out into the Bay from the existing harbour will facilitate the development of the Cruise Liner business at the Port and also consolidate Galway’s position as a major bulk cargo and fuel import port. The new Port will be directly rail connected and the Harbour Company has commissioned a video presentation on the total development. Th is can be accessed on www. galwayharbour.com. Eamon Bradshaw also confirmed that an important feature of the new development will be the creation of enhanced facilities at the existing harbour for leisure use.
‘Fugro Synergy’ is one of a new series of ‘lightweight’ drill ships and has been active in Dublin Bay during the Spring season. Results of this work, which has involved drills of over 3,000 metres on the Kish Bank have been very positive. The Exploration Company, VP Power Ltd., is seeking to develop a potential coal seam which could be exploited as an in-situ gas-from-coal project. Killybegs based, Mooney Boats has further enhanced its international reputation as a builder of Aluminium craft for the offshore and for the ferry businesses. The recently launched and commissioned multi-purpose catamaran ‘Ocean Cat’ will cater for coastal survey, crew transfer for off shore wind farms as well as bird and whale watching. The vessel is equipped with oil spill response, waste oil collection and bunkering capabilities and can operate up to 200 miles off shore. B9 Shipping will launch a renewably powered cargo ship in 2012. The Larne based technology Company has designed a 3,000 dwt. cargo ship for trading between small island States. About 60% of the thrust will come from conventional soft sails and, in calm conditions, or to manoeuvre in Port, a carbon neutral biomethane engine is used. The ships can be adapted to carry both refrigerated cargo and passengers, thus, improving sustainable tourism offerings in small island states.
During the two days prior to the start of this race, Galway Bay will host the Powerboat P1 Galway Grand Prix of the Sea. Th is event is part of a series which, this year, also includes Croatia, the UK and Sweden. 20 teams will compete in the Powerboat SuperStock Championships. To coincide with the fi nish of the Round Ireland Race Irish P750 competitors and clubs together with the UK Thundercats compete in a 20 boat cross-border challenge in the Bay.
Shannon Foynes Port Company has announced its intention to become Ireland’s Ocean Energy Hub in a project undertaken jointly with IDA Ireland, Sustainable Energy Authority and Shannon Development. The West Limerick Port has, within the last five years, become the major import point for Wind Turbines and the broad, deep Shannon Estuary is an ideal location for the testing and development of wave energy devices.
Zeebrugge based C2C /ECS has added a direct call to the Port of Waterford to their Irish schedule. The line had quit the Port six months ago to consolidate all activities into Dublin. Effective from week 16, the C2C vessel servicing the Radicatel – Dublin route will sail on to Waterford taking not only cargo ex the French Port but also adding containers that have come in on the Cobelfret vessel from Zeebrugge. Arrival in Waterford is on Monday evening, sailing again for Dublin on Wednesday evening with cargo for Zeebrugge and Radicatel.
Team Lines has enlarged its service linking Rott erdam and Felixstowe to Ireland. The Ireland network will consist of three separate loops giving Dublin and Belfast two weekly links with Rotterdam, Cork and Belfast, twice a week from Rotterdam and once weekly from Felixstowe. The Team Lines services call at three of the Rotterdam Deep Sea service terminals giving quick transit to and from Irish customers.
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