Displaying items by tag: IrelandFrance ferry routes

18th January 2014

Winter Launch of New Continental Routes to Heat-Up Competition

#FerryFrance – It may only be the first month of 2014, yet two new direct Ireland-France ferry routes are launched. Irish Ferries Dublin-Cherbourg route which opens today and LD Lines Rosslare-St. Nazaire-Gijon (Spain) services which began last weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Irish Ferries new 19-hour route connecting the capital and the continent is served by the 500 passenger ro-pax ferry, Cartour Epsilon.

The same ferry design from the shipyard of Visentini also applies to the Scintu, that launched the LD Lines service. She departed Rosslare yesterday on her second call to the port as the renamed Norman Atlantic, to reflect her Irish-Iberian 'landbridge' route role.

Never before has there been so much choice in services between Ireland and France with five routes served by four operators. This increased level of competition can only be good news for passenger customers and freight hauliers.

In addition to Irish Ferries new route, the ferry firm also operates the cruiseferry, Oscar Wilde on the established routes of Rosslare-Cherbourg, reopening late February and a high-season service to Roscoff.

Rosslare port is also home to Celtic Link Ferries operations on the Cherbourg route served by another Visentini built ro-pax, Celtic Horizon.

Final player on the Ireland-France market, Brittany Ferries run the Cork-Roscoff service which is to resume in mid-March with crossings carried out by flagship Pont-Aven.

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ESB know the importance of offshore wind in tackling climate change and delivering net zero. Ireland has a unique capability given its prime location to take advantage of the potential of offshore wind. ESB are working hard to develop offshore wind projects for the benefit of everyone across society in Ireland and the UK. This includes ongoing engagement with marine users and local communities so ESB can deliver these significant projects.

Offshore wind will play a major role globally in our fight against climate change. It will help to replace energy generated by burning fossil fuels with that from a clean, safe and secure renewable energy source. Ireland’s geographic location on the exposed edge of the Atlantic presents us with a significant opportunity to generate electricity from wind – both offshore and onshore.

Power from onshore wind farms currently provide over one-third of Ireland’s electricity needs. But, whilst its marine area is many times the size of its landmass, Ireland’s offshore wind potential is only starting to be realised. ESB have a coastline stretching over 3,000km but only one operational offshore wind farm – Arklow Bank, with a capacity of 25 MW. In contrast, Belgium’s coastline is only 63km long, but it has already developed more than 2,000 MW of offshore wind. In Great Britain, with a coastline four times the length of ours, offshore wind generation now equates to over 440 Arklow Banks, with an installed capacity of 11,0000 MW as of late 2021.

The Irish Government's target to install 5,000 MW of offshore wind capacity in our maritime area by 2030 is set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021. It also has the objective to source 80% of Ireland’s electricity needs from renewables by the same year. In line with this, ESB is applying its professional and proven engineering expertise to the challenges set within the Climate Action Plan.

ESB are committed to playing a strong role in developing Ireland’s offshore wind potential for the benefit of the people of Ireland. This will be done in consultation with marine users and local communities, and with due care for the marine environment.