Dublin Port Welcomes Planning Permission for €230m ABR Project

10th July 2015

#dublinport – Dublin Port Company today welcomed the decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant permission for the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR) Project which will transform Dublin Port's infrastructure and enable it to service the economy for decades ahead. The project will increase the port's ability to handle large ships by deepening and lengthening three kilometres of the port's seven kilometres of berths. It will also deepen the port to provide an entrance channel with a depth of at least 10m.

The ABR Project is the largest single infrastructure development project in the history of Dublin Port. The project is expected to take five years to complete, costing an estimated €230m.

Given the port's sensitive location at the heart of Dublin Bay and Dublin City, the project was subjected to a rigorous assessment by An Bord Pleanála of possible impacts on the environment generally and specifically on protected Natura sites.

Today's decision comes as trade volumes continue to rise at Dublin Port with 2015 set to be a record year. New figures show total throughput (imports and exports) rose by 5.0% in the first half of 2015 with imports growing particularly strongly at 5.6% as the domestic economy improves.

As well as being a record year for cargo, 2015 will be a record year for the port's cruise business with nearly 100 cruise ships bringing 200,000 visitors to Dublin expected for the full year. These include some of the world's largest cruise ships such as MSC Splendida, Royal Princess and Celebrity Silhouette, measuring up to 333m long. Until now these ships have had to reverse into Dublin Port given their lengths. The ABR Project will allow larger ships to routinely call at Dublin, turn within Alexandra Basin and berth as far upriver as East Link Bridge. This will create a positive economic impact for the city, enhance inbound tourism and contribute to the development of Docklands.

The port is also seeing strong growth in ferry passenger numbers, up 4.8% in the six months to June on routes between Dublin and Britain and between Dublin and France.

Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive of Dublin Port Company said: "I am delighted that An Bord Pleanála has granted Dublin Port planning permission for the ABR Project and to say that we can finance the project immediately. The engineering design works are already at an advanced stage and we expect the first phase of works to be tendered and a contractor ready to start by October 2015."

"The ABR Project is a complex undertaking that required co-ordinated planning with a range of bodies including Dublin City Council, the National Roads Authority (NRA), the National Transport Agency (NTA), ESB Networks and Eirgrid. I am pleased to say that all of our dealings were positive and supportive. We have achieved strong consensus on how to deliver this major piece of port infrastructure in a way that is compatible with the operations of other major infrastructure providers within and adjacent to the port."

An Bord Pleanála's planning permission has paved the way for the last remaining steps to deliver the ABR Project in good time. The priority now is for Dublin Port to begin the engineering works as soon as possible. Against a background of strong growth in port volumes, there is still a window of opportunity in which to carry out major construction works before volumes grow to the extent that the port has to turn some trade away during the construction phase.

To capitalise on this window, Dublin Port's next focus is on progressing the other consents required from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Having liaised with both organisations throughout the planning application, Dublin Port hopes to secure the necessary consents within months.

The ABR Project is the first major project from Dublin Port's Masterplan 2012 to 2040. While bringing it through the planning process, Dublin Port Company has also been working on smaller projects including a new terminal for imported cars, a new high capacity firewater main and completion of the Alexandra Quay Container Terminal. The redevelopment of eight hectares of land within the port is also underway and Dublin Port Company will shortly lodge a planning application with Dublin City Council to redevelop the port's road network to ensure it has the capacity to handle the doubling in port volumes projected by 2040.

Dublin Port is Ireland's largest port and is one of 83 core ports on the EU's TEN-T network. In October 2014, the EU agreed funding of €2.4m towards Dublin Port Company's costs of bringing the ABR Project through to the point of being ready for construction.1

Following on from this, on 30th June 2015, the European Commission announced further funding of €22.8m for the construction phase of the project. 2 Finally, the project is also under appraisal by the European Investment Bank (EIB) for €100m of long-term debt finance. 3

Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive of Dublin Port Company said: "The positive decsision by An Bord Pleanála and the financial support from the EU and EIB put us in a good position to commence construction works later this year subject to our gaining the remaining necessary consents from the EPA and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Bringing large infrastructure projects through to the construction phase is a long, detailed and careful process. Given our high growth rates, we intend to review our Masterplan 2012 to 2040 in the first quarter of next year and begin to plan the next major development after the ABR Project."

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About Dublin Port

Dublin Port is Ireland’s largest and busiest port with approximately 17,000 vessel movements per year. As well as being the country’s largest port, Dublin Port has the highest rate of growth and, in the seven years to 2019, total cargo volumes grew by 36.1%.

The vision of Dublin Port Company is to have the required capacity to service the needs of its customers and the wider economy safely, efficiently and sustainably. Dublin Port will integrate with the City by enhancing the natural and built environments. The Port is being developed in line with Masterplan 2040.

Dublin Port Company is currently investing about €277 million on its Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR), which is due to be complete by 2021. The redevelopment will improve the port's capacity for large ships by deepening and lengthening 3km of its 7km of berths. The ABR is part of a €1bn capital programme up to 2028, which will also include initial work on the Dublin Port’s MP2 Project - a major capital development project proposal for works within the existing port lands in the northeastern part of the port.

Dublin Port has also recently secured planning approval for the development of the next phase of its inland port near Dublin Airport. The latest stage of the inland port will include a site with the capacity to store more than 2,000 shipping containers and infrastructures such as an ESB substation, an office building and gantry crane.

Dublin Port Company recently submitted a planning application for a €320 million project that aims to provide significant additional capacity at the facility within the port in order to cope with increases in trade up to 2040. The scheme will see a new roll-on/roll-off jetty built to handle ferries of up to 240 metres in length, as well as the redevelopment of an oil berth into a deep-water container berth.

Dublin Port FAQ

How old is Dublin Port?

Dublin was little more than a monastic settlement until the Norse invasion in the 8th and 9th centuries when they selected the Liffey Estuary as their point of entry to the country as it provided relatively easy access to the central plains of Ireland. Trading with England and Europe followed which required port facilities, so the development of Dublin Port is inextricably linked to the development of Dublin City, so it is fair to say the origins of the Port go back over one thousand years. As a result, the modern organisation Dublin Port has a long and remarkable history, dating back over 300 years from 1707.

Where was the original Dublin Port located?

The original Port of Dublin was situated upriver, a few miles from its current location near the modern Civic Offices at Wood Quay and close to Christchurch Cathedral. The Port remained close to that area until the new Custom House opened in the 1790s. In medieval times Dublin shipped cattle hides to Britain and the continent, and the returning ships carried wine, pottery and other goods.

How big is Dublin Port?

510 acres. The modern Dublin Port is located either side of the River Liffey, out to its mouth. On the north side of the river, the central part (205 hectares or 510 acres) of the Port lies at the end of East Wall and North Wall, from Alexandra Quay.

Who owns Dublin Port?

Dublin Port Company is a State-owned commercial company responsible for operating and developing Dublin Port.

What is Dublin Port Company?

Dublin Port Company is a self-financing, and profitable private limited company wholly-owned by the State, whose business is to manage Dublin Port, Ireland's premier Port. Established as a corporate entity in 1997, Dublin Port Company is responsible for the management, control, operation and development of the Port.

Name someone famous connected to Dublin Port?

Captain William Bligh (of Mutiny of the Bounty fame) was a visitor to Dublin in 1800, and his visit to the capital had a lasting effect on the Port. Bligh's study of the currents in Dublin Bay provided the basis for the construction of the North Wall. This undertaking led to the growth of Bull Island to its present size.

Is Dublin the largest Port in Ireland?

Yes. Dublin Port is the largest freight and passenger port in Ireland. It handles almost 50% of all trade in the Republic of Ireland.

Who handles the Cargo in Dublin Port?

All cargo handling activities being carried out by private sector companies operating in intensely competitive markets within the Port. Dublin Port Company provides world-class facilities, services, accommodation and lands in the harbour for ships, goods and passengers.

Who is the Chief Executive of Dublin Port?

Eamonn O'Reilly is the Dublin Port Chief Executive.

Who is the Harbour Master of Dublin Port?

Capt. Michael McKenna is the Dublin Port Harbour Master

How many passengers come through Dublin Port each year?

In 2019, 1,949,229 people came through the Port.

How many cruise liners arrive in Dublin Port?

In 2019, there were 158 cruise liner visits.

How many tonnes of exports were shipped by Dublin Port?

In 2019, 9.4 million gross tonnes of exports were handled by Dublin Port.

How many ships arrive at Dublin Port each year?

In 2019, there were 7,898 ship arrivals.

What is the total throughput of goods at Dublin Port?

In 2019, there was a gross tonnage of 38.1 million.

How many tourist vehicles come through Dublin Port?

In 2019, there were 559,506 tourist vehicles.

How many trade vehicles come through Dublin Port?

There were 98,897 lorries in 2019

Can pleasure craft enter Dublin Port?

Boats can navigate the River Liffey into Dublin by using the navigational guidelines. Find the guidelines on this page here.

What is the VHF Channel for Dublin Port control?

VHF channel 12. Commercial vessels using Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire Port typically have a qualified pilot or certified master with proven local knowledge on board. They "listen out" on VHF channel 12 when in Dublin Port's jurisdiction.

Is there a Dublin Bay webcam?

A Dublin Bay webcam showing the south of the Bay at Dun Laoghaire and a distant view of Dublin Port Shipping is here

What is Dublin Port’s 'distributed museum'?

Dublin Port is creating a distributed museum on its lands in Dublin City.  A Liffey Tolka Project cycle and pedestrian way is the key to link the elements of this distributed museum together. The distributed museum starts at the Diving Bell and, over the course of 6.3km, will give Dubliners a real sense of the City, the Port and the Bay. For visitors, it will be a unique eye-opening stroll and vista through and alongside one of Europe’s busiest ports: Diving Bell along Sir John Rogerson’s Quay over the Samuel Beckett Bridge, past the Scherzer Bridge and down the North Wall Quay campshire to Berth 18 - 1.2 km. Liffey Tolka Project - Tree-lined pedestrian and cycle route between the River Liffey and the Tolka Estuary - 1.4 km with a 300-metre spur along Alexandra Road to The Pumphouse (to be completed by Q1 2021) and another 200 metres to The Flour Mill. Tolka Estuary Greenway - Construction of Phase 1 (1.9 km) starts in December 2020 and will be completed by Spring 2022. Phase 2 (1.3 km) will be delivered within the following five years. The Pumphouse is a heritage zone being created as part of the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project. The first phase of 1.6 acres will be completed in early 2021 and will include historical port equipment and buildings and a large open space for exhibitions and performances. It will be expanded in a subsequent phase to incorporate the Victorian Graving Dock No. 1 which will be excavated and revealed.   The largest component of the distributed museum will be The Flour Mill. This involves the redevelopment of the former Odlums Flour Mill on Alexandra Road based on a masterplan completed by Grafton Architects to provide a mix of port operational uses, a National Maritime Archive, two 300 seat performance venues, working and studio spaces for artists and exhibition spaces. The Flour Mill will be developed in stages over the remaining twenty years of Masterplan 2040 alongside major port infrastructure projects.