IMDO: Total Volume Traffic at Irish Ports Up 7 Pct

Irish ports recorded a 7% increase in total volume of traffic in 2015, with all major traffic modes delivering substantial growth, according to the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO).

The total volume of traffic that moved through Irish ports in 2015 reached its highest level since 2008, at 977 points on the iShip Index. Although this is 7% lower than the peak of 1,042 points achieved in 2007, it represents substantial progress from the low of 693 points recorded in 2009, and is the highest level recorded since the beginning of the economic crisis, IMDO said.

Bulk traffic grew by 7% to reach 29.8 million tonnes, with Cork, Greenore, Shannon Foynes, Waterford and Wicklow recording above average growth rates. LoLo traffic, moving predominantly through Dublin, Cork and Waterford, grew by 8% to 860,277 TEU, with each port recording significant volume gains. RoRo traffic grew by 6% to 1,002,920 units, 88% of which was shipped through Dublin and 12% through Rosslare.

More than 4.4 million passengers travelled through Dublin, Rosslare and Cork in 2015, availing of the many ferry services that connect Irish ports to ports in Great Britain and France. A further 450,000 tourists experienced Ireland through port calls made by 246 cruise liners that called to Irish ports in 2015, an increase of 3% on the previous year.

“As our ports move closer to the peak volumes handled in 2007/2008, it is important to address the need for additional capacity. Ambitious development plans, capable of meeting the growing needs of the national economy, have been progressed by Dublin, Cork, and Shannon Foynes and will be brought to fruition over the next five years. It is also important for other regional ports to consider the role that they will play in the provision of future capacity and in the achievement of the economic objectives set out in the Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth Strategy,” Liam Lacey, Director of the IMDO said.

“Apart from providing the infrastructure that is needed for shipping, our ports are important transport and logistics hubs for heavy industry requiring access to seaborne transport. A number of Irish ports have naturally occurring deep water and shore-side capacity to handle the largest ocean-going vessels and the cargoes they carry. Irish ports are also capable of providing the services and infrastructure required by the marine renewable energy industry, in which Ireland has a strategic interest,” she added.