Belfast Harbour was visited today by the North’s Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins, MLA, and Economy Minister Dr. Caoimhe Archibald, MLA, to see the planned location of a 50-acre offshore wind terminal and new home for visiting cruise ships.
The ministers boarded one of Belfast Harbour’s pilot boats to view the channel and be briefed on the plans for the new facility, as Afloat recently reported, which, from 2028, will host some of the largest cruise vessels in the world. The dual-purpose site will also facilitate the assembly, maintenance, and shipping of the next generation of offshore wind turbines.
Stage 1 of the project, to build a new deepwater berth, is already under construction, following a landmark £90m investment by Belfast Harbour. The project is a key deliverable of Belfast Harbour’s Advance Regional Prosperity 2025-2029 strategy.
Stage 2 will see the terminal further reinforced to handle the next generation of offshore wind turbines, with some core components weighing more than 1,000 tons. This stage will also enable the provision of shore power facilities so that vessels can run on clean energy while docked.
As a trust port, Belfast Harbour is self-financing and invests all post-tax profits in developing the port and estate to benefit the city and wider region. The ministers heard that in recognizing the shared challenges and opportunities of offshore wind energy for both jurisdictions, Belfast Harbour has entered into an innovative collaboration with the Port of Cork to enable the transformative potential of the offshore renewable sector across the island.
This collaboration aligns with the Shared Island approach outlined in the Irish Government’s Programme for Government; the Taoiseach recently announced an additional €1b for the Shared Island Fund in support of cross-border projects.
The ports are jointly working with relevant departments to make a submission to the Shared Island Fund to support the partnership. Each port is seeking funding of around £50 million to complete infrastructure works to enable the assembly of the next generation of wind turbines. It is anticipated that turbines assembled in Belfast and Cork will be shipped to and installed at wind farms in the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, and the North Channel.
Belfast Harbour is currently the only port on the island with purpose-built offshore wind facilities, following an investment of £53 million in 2013. It is within a 200km range of 30 planned offshore wind farms with a projected capacity of more than 30 GW—enough to power 20 million homes. Given the economic opportunity for the region, the port is keen to expand its capacity, as Northern Ireland and its neighbours strive to meet clean energy targets.
