Port business booms across the board in Belfast


12


1 October after its coal-fired power units lost out in the first auction of the new all-island integrated


energy market.


However, at the time of going to press, the power station may earn a late reprieve. Coal is currently imported into Belfast Harbour in panamax vessels and then shipped out in small coasters to Kilroot. However, despite the


Belfast Harbour is having a good year across the board. Bulk, ro ro and containers have all been performing well to date, says commercial director Michael Robinson, and there is no sign of a slowdown in local business due to Brexit. The weather has played


its part with some of the agri- bulk


traffic. The cold, late


spring followed by the hot, dry summer have hit local silage yields, leading to a greater demand for imported animal feed.


Exports of aggregates to


Great Britain have also risen as demand in the south-east of England continues to rise. Stone from Northern Ireland


used for road surfacing is of very high quality and large


quantities are being shipped to mainland UK ports. Tonnages are on target to reach 1.6m tonnes this year. There is also a surprisingly


brisk trade in coal, Robinson points out. Northern


Ireland firm


LCC imports bulk coal from Colombia, ‘washes’ and processes


it in a purpose


built facility in the Harbour Estate and ships it out again to countries in the Far and Middle East where it is used in the production of metals and alloys. The growth in this business has partly offset the impending closure of the coal- fired Kilroot power station. The plant was due to shut down on


projected loss of the 6-900,000 tonnes Kilroot traffic, bulk tonnages are still expected to grow overall in 2018, says Robinson, citin long-term plans to develop a gas-fired power station in the port as part of its continuing diverisfication strategy. Containers too are showing


signs of growth, up by around 5% on last year to about 125,000 container lifts or around


and future proof its operational efficiency. Orders for new ship- to-shore cranes and rubber tyred gantries (RTGs) have been placed with delivery due at the end of 2019. This investment will make VT3 one of the most modern container terminals in Ireland,


cruise berth which would free up other areas of the port for freight and general cargo activities; a planning application is in process. the meantime,


In cruise ships


calls – already up to 114 this year and expected to rise next year – will be handled at the


Issue 2 2018 - FBJ


///IRELAND


220,00teu. Ports


served from Belfast include Antwerp and Rotterdam by Eucon and BG Freight Line respectively, with the traffic split roughly 2/3 deep-sea and 1/3 intra-European. The Port is about to


commence a major £40m investment in its container terminal (VT3) which will provide


additional capacity


Brexit breathing space would be welcome


FTA Ireland said it would welcome an extended Brexit transition period, following suggestions


by UK Prime


Minister Theresa May in mid- October during negotiations with Brussels. The Trade Association


suggested that it should last at least one year, to allow the logistics sector to prepare for the future trading environment. FTAI general manager Aidan


Flynn, commented: “There’s growing concern that the inability of Brexit negotiators to reach an agreement will result in a no deal Brexit – the worst-case scenario. And this uncertainty is leaving the freight distribution and logistics sector in limbo.


“At this stage, we should be


discussing the length of the Brexit transition


period in


terms of years, not months. Most importantly, once we hit the start of the transition period – 30 March 2019 – we should know what we are transitioning into. As this is now looking unlikely, the transition period may turn into the new timeframe for the agreement of a future trade deal. It will also serve to encourage a speedier agreement on the future trading relationship, which will be beneficial for Northern Ireland and all island trade.” He added that with trade in


and out of Dublin Port growing by 4.7%, according to the latest figures, the implications of


Brexit on future trade flows between Ireland and the UK must not be underestimated, particularly for the just-in-time supply chain. While FTA Ireland welcomes initial preparation made by Dublin Port, most notably the investment in primary border control infrastructure, “it is vital that everything is done to ensure we have facilities that will enable ease of movement in to and out of the UK. Dublin Port – like most ports – has spatial issues, and adding additional infrastructure removes space that would otherwise be used for vehicles and this must be kept in mind.” He concluded: “FTA Ireland would like to see a more joined


up, strategic plan by Irish Ports. This includes Waterford and Rosslare – these ports should explore sharing capacity to reduce the risk of delays and an over reliance on Dublin. After all, over 90% of all ro ro off traffic between Ireland and the UK is from Dublin Port. “To become an attractive and


viable port, Rosslare needs to introduce border inspection posts and improved facilities as a matter of urgency. In FTA Ireland’s submission


to the European Commission’s consultation on amending Regulation 1316/2013, sea trade corridors have called on funding to be made available for Rosslare port, and FTA hopes to see this come to fruition.”


says Robinson. Ro ro freight is also up by around 5% with growth particularly strong on the middle corridor services to Heysham and Liverpool. Main operator Stena Line has invested in additional capacity on its Liverpool-Belfast route with the introduction of two new 3,000 lane meter ro-pax vessels due in early 2020, which will substantially increase capacity on the route. For its part, Belfast Harbour is investing heavily in its VT2 terminal in preparation for the new ships with a new two-tier linkspan to speed up discharge and loading times and related investments in the terminal to increase capacity. Other plans include developing a dedicated


port’s offshore wind terminal. The latter business is going through a lull at the moment as the major projects in the Irish Sea have been completed, although the Crown Estate has just started a new licensing process which is likely to bring projects into Belfast again from 2023 onwards. At this stage the port is


watching closely how the Brexit negotiations develop, although much of its traffic is currently to and from the rest of the UK. Robinson states: “Belfast Harbour has always been resilient and flexible in responding to change whether that be for our customers business development or legislative changes and this will be no different.”


LHR Global opens in Ireland


Aviation, automotive,


pharmaceutical and retail specialist LHR Global Logistics has opened its first office in Ireland. The company seen a marked increase in its airside


business at all four of the major airports in the country, and with Brexit looming it also wanted to increase its footprint in Europe. LHR has already opened an office in Portugal.


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