The Port of Cork Company through “Motorways of the Seas” initiatives, has initiated discussions with major European Shipping Lines to examine new shipping routes to increase the economic competitiveness of firms on the island of Ireland and on the costs in the supply chain to final consumers. The primary aim is to lessen the distance of the total journey that takes place on road, while maximising the Direct Short Sea Shipping routes. Investment costs for Motorways of the Sea are only a fraction of the cost of new terrestrial motorways. The Irish Minister of Transport Mr. Noel Dempsey in a recent document “Irish Department of Transport- 2020-Vision- Sustainable Travel and Transport” sets out a vision for a sustainable transport future and states: “if we continue our present travel patterns, traffic congestion will increase, there will be a resulting loss in economic competitiveness, our quality of life and the quality of the natural environment will decline. We will not be able to meet our international obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In short, our travel trends are not sustainable.”
The objective of the Port of Cork as Ireland’s closest port and sea route to Europe is to identify and support a new Ro-Ro service to Northern Europe by-passing the British land corridor. This will reduce the impacts on road transport Ireland-UK-France-Spain, offer savings to Haulage Contractors and Logistic Suppliers, savings on security within the Logistic Chain, savings from tolls, fines, EU Environmental Taxes and CO2 emissions costs and present a cost effective, energy- efficient and climate-friendly alternative to extending motorway networks on land.
The location of the island of Ireland is peripheral to the EU as a whole. This will imply that Irish goods will either need to make longer and costlier than average overland movements to reach an expanding Europe, or new direct sea routes are established. Current Ro-Ro services linking to the UK are likely to see significant increases in future costs and/or congestion levels along the key British land corridors and beyond on the European mainland road networks. In order to facilitate an efficient supply chain, the Port of Cork is planning to establish a Port-Centric Logistics Centre from which imported goods can be distributed directly to retailer’s regional distribution centres, avoiding the cost of moving the container out and back to the port. This could also facilitate distribution directly from the port to multiple warehousing units and shops. The recent re-establishment by “Fastnet Line” of the Cork to Swansea Ro-Pax service on the 11th March 2010 has recorded bookings at twice the level anticipated. Funded mainly by private investors from West Cork in Ireland and Wales, the service has been dubbed “The Peoples’ Ferry”. Commenting on the first 3 months of operation Phil Jones,Chief Executive stated: “Hassle free access from London, the South East and the Midlands via the M4 and road trip savings of over 370 miles over alternative Irish Sea crossings are attracting passengers from all along the M4 and M5 corridors. The year-round service on the 150 metre MV “Julia” carrying passengers, cars and commercial freight, runs six nights a week, with additional sailings in high-season, i.e. July and August. With a capacity of 1,860 passengers, 440 cars, 40 trucks/trailers, and 300 cabins (including 14 deluxe cabins), the MV Julia is well suited to the route. Bookings can be made on
www.fastnetline.com.
Similarly Brittany Ferries who have run a seasonal weekly service from Cork to Roscoff have experienced an increase of over 20% in passenger numbers this year on it’s very popular cruise ferry M.V “Pont Aven”. Brittany Ferries first commenced a service out of Cork in 1978 and have continued the service carrying high value “just-in-time” refrigerated freight to Northern France every Saturday. The ash cloud episode had a positive effect on ferry travel. Families who had never traveled by ferry discovered the benefits of cruising without hassle on the Pont-Aven, the most luxurious and fastest service between Ireland and France.
www.brittanyferries.com.
The Port of Cork has just published its Strategic Development Plan review which identifies the role the Port has to play in the continuing growth of exports from Ireland as it recovers from the current recession.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32