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Dublin wins EU funds for new ro ro berths

[ July 17, 2024   //   ]

Dublin Port’s MP2 Project has won €73.8 million in funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility for Transport programme.

The scheme will increase capacity, construct new berths and install shore-to-ship power.

The CEF Transport funding, one of 134 projects within a €7 billion EU investment, will be used to increase berth capacity to handle projected future demand for ro ro freight and meet the demands larger vessels on direct services to Europe.

It includes the construction of two inter-dependent berths, totalling 572 metres, Berth 52 and Berth 53, at Terminal 5 at the eastern end of the North Port. They will include double tier linkspans as well as infrastructure for the installation of shore-side electricity supply for ships while berthed in port. The berths are designed to cater for the largest ro ro vessels up to 240m long.

Dublin Port Company chief executive Barry O’Connell said: “Dublin Port is Ireland’s largest port, handling 80% of unitised freight volumes in the Republic of Ireland. We are a Tier 1 Port of National Significance under National Ports Policy and a ‘Core Port’ on the North Sea Mediterranean and Atlantic core network TEN-T corridors.

“Our Masterplan 2040 is designed to ensure continued capacity to deliver Ireland’s key infrastructure requirements and the MP2 Project is the second core strategic project from this plan. Significantly, it includes providing infrastructure for the installation of shore-to-ship power – significantly reducing in-port emissions from berthed vessels.

“This recognition of the Masterplan at EU level is very welcome. The Department of Transport has been instrumental in ensuring the significance of the MP2 Project is understood, and we greatly appreciate their role in securing this funding for Ireland.” 

The MP2 Project is the first of the three core projects in the Port’s Masterplan 2040, the first of which is the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR) Project which also received CEF support, and considerable work has already been undertaken.

The MP2 Project focuses on the use of existing port lands in the north-eastern part of the Port estate. When complete, it will provide additional capacity for almost one-third of the projected increases in Dublin Port’s ro-ro and lo-lo traffic to 2040.

The third and final core project to complete Masterplan 2040 is the 3FM Project, which is focused on developing additional port capacity on port owned brown-field lands on the Poolbeg Peninsula.

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