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Belfast plans to spend big on ferries and containers
[ July 3, 2018 // Chris ]Belfast Harbour is planning to upgrade its ferry terminal to support Stena Line’s new larger ferries which are due to start operation in early 2020, it said in its annual report, published on 3 July.
The port is also making a substantial investment in new cranes and terminal capacity improvements at its VT3 container terminal.
Total earmarked investment in ferry and container facilities is £60m.
Announcing its results for 2017, Belfast Harbour reported a record financial performance and a strong investment pipeline of £132million in port infrastructure and real estate projects.
Turnover in the year to 31 December 2017 was up 6.5% to £61.9 million and operating profit up 5.6% to £34mn. There was a 3% increase in port cargo handled to a record 23.7m tonnes.
Future capital expenditure plans include an upgrade of the port’s ferry and container handling facilities at a cost of £60million, and further investments in new logistics warehousing units
Commenting on the annual report, Belfast Harbour’s Chairman, David Dobbin, said:
“A key factor in the success of Belfast Harbour is the ongoing growth in port throughput in sectors such as aggregates, steel, animal feeds and grains, ro ro freight, ferry passengers and cruise ship visits. Port operations account for around 80% of turnover and the continued delivery of best-in-class marine facilities remains our investment priority.”
