Cork traffic dips but boxes up


6


Work on Cork’s new Ringaskiddy container terminal is moving ahead briskly and the new facility is on course to open sometime in 2020, most likely towards the end of the year, says chief commercial officer Conor Mowlds. At the time of writing, in mid-February, the new, larger cranes had been delivered, arrival of the straddle carriers was imminent and internal roadways had been finished. Gate operating and vehicle


up Cork to panamax vessels of over 4,000teu, could bring new trades – even, possibly, a deepsea service at some time in the future. The Ringaskiddy terminal


will give Cork that rare luxury among Irish container ports, space for both boxes and vessels. Other ports, like Dublin, are operating at close to their limits in terms of traffic and vessel size but the new facility will increase the port’s capacity to 330,000teu a year from the


Paul O’Regan. While Cork will have plenty


of capacity as a port, road access is more of an issue - though no more so than in other ports like Dublin, where the motorway system is becoming increasingly


congested at


peak times, says O’Regan. The VBS though is an important mitigating factor, as it will help to smooth the arrivals of trucks in the port and, indeed, says O’Regan, has already proved popular among hauliers by helping them avoid the busiest, most congested parts of the day. Longer term, there is a


booking systems (VBS) were all in place. “We are now talking to our


clients and increasing our marketing profile,” Mowlds explained. While Cork currently serves a select number of lines on the short-sea trades, the new facility, which would open


very start when it opens. Cork’s latest annual throughput was 245,000teu,


in 2019, so the


new terminal will come not a moment too soon. “It will allow us to grow at


around 5% a year for quite a few years,” says harbour master and chief operations officer, Captain


scheme to dual the main approach road and upgrade it to motorway status, but this needs to wind its way through the planning process and local objectors need to be satisfied. “It is a priority for the Cork and Munster authority, and it is there in the plan, but it is something that is outside the direct control of the port,” Mowlds says. O’Regan adds: “Also, Cork isn’t


the only place with congestion in Ireland. The challenges here are no more or less than at our competitors.” Mowlds is convinced too that momentum is building


in favour of local ports, of minimising road


miles and


cutting carbon footprints, all of which will work in Cork’s favour, he believes. The port already has a very strong local traffic base, especially in the pharma and agri sectors, both of which are heavily concentrated in the Munster area. Sooner or later, an Irish government – of whatever political complexion - will impose carbon taxes on road transport, which will make the economics of local ports more favourable than those hundreds of miles away, he believes. Cork is only at the start of


a development programme that could easily continue for the next 20 years, O’Regan says. Ringaskiddy could be developed for bulk as well as container traffic, and the Merino Point area is also primed to accept more liquid and bulk traffics, as well as providing a


sizeable industrial landbank. In the very long term, the


Tivoli terminal, the location for the existing container terminal as well as bulk business, may be taken out of commercial port use and used for other purposes, but it will continue to be an important port and industrial location in the immediate future. Ringaskiddy, says


O’Regan, “isn’t about a single, monumental change; it’s an evolution.” Ringaskiddy is also the


location of Cork’s main ro ro operation. The port handles regular Grimaldi car-carrying vessels, as well as the Brittany Ferries service to Roscoff, although that operator has recently announced that it is changing its Cork/Santander route into a Rosslare/Bilbao service, citing weak freight demand and demands for reduced driving distances. While this is naturally disappointing to Cork, the port is in talks with the Spanish port of Vigo and has high hopes of getting a direct service started soon. Another hopeful


development is the plan to set up a Border Inspection Post to handle food and agri imports). While Cork is Ireland’s leading port for these commodities, being in the heart of the country’s prime agricultural belt, frustratingly some cargoes have to be routed via Dublin because that is where the BIP is currently located. However, talks with the relevant government authorities are progressing well and Cork has hopes that it will soon open its own BIP.


Boxes buoyant, bulks dip


The Port of Cork’s total traffic took a dip of 5% from 10.6 million tonnes, to just over


Issue 1 2020 - FBJ Ireland


///IRELAND


10 million tonnes in 2019, but container business remained buoyant, it said. The minor decline was attributed to a fall dry bulk cargo through the port. Overall total imports decreased by 7% while exports decreased by 3%. However, with the port’s new container


terminal container set


to open in 2020, the port is looking forward to a continued increase in


traffic.


Over 240,000teu were handled in 2019, a 5% increase on the previous year. Port of Cork chief executive


Brendan Keating, said that 2020 would be “a significant year for the Port of Cork as we prepare to complete and open the €86 million Cork Container Terminal development in Ringaskiddy, so seeing continued growth in container volumes through both Tivoli and Ringaskiddy is very encouraging.” Once operational the new


terminal will enable the port to handle up to 450,000teu a year. Cork already has significant natural depth and the work in Ringaskiddy Port would allow the port to handle vessels of 5,500-6000teu, greatly increasing the traffic potential, Keating added. In 2019 oil traffic handled


through Whitegate Oil Refinery, owned by Canadian company Irving Oil, saw a decrease of 9% partially due to a planned maintenance shut down in August. The Port of Cork jointly with


Lanber Holdings purchased Marino Point in 2017 and following consultation with Belvelly Marino Development Company, stakeholders, residents and a design team, developed the Belvelly Port Facility Masterplan. Marino Point is envisaged as accommodating a range of industrial and port related activities and could become a dynamic industrial hub for the area. Keating said: “As part of the


Project Ireland 2040 National Planning Framework, one of the key future growth enablers for Cork is to deliver large scale regeneration projects for the provision of new employment and supporting infrastructure in Cork Docklands, as integrated, sustainable developments, including relocation of sites from the City Docks. Belvelly Port Facility has been identified to enable this type of growth.”


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