#LinkspanScrap -A tug arrived in Dun Laoghaire Harbour this morning to remove a barge involved in the process to dismantle infrastructure of the former Stena HSS berth, writes Jehan Ashmore.

MTS Indus had sailed from Brixham in the UK to moor alongside the barge that arrived earlier this summer at St. Michaels Pier, from where Stena Line for almost two decades had operated as the only major client of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company.

Stena’s pioneering HSS fast-ferry service to Holyhead launched in 1996 was revolutionary, bringing a completely new concept of ferry travel on the Irish Sea and setting new technical innovation globally. The HSS Stena Explorer was the first of a trio of HSS1500 (number reflecting passenger capacity) class craft capable of also carrying large freight trucks.

In more recent years, Stena suffered heavy losses and the near 20,000 gross tonnage craft was withdrawn in 2014, though an existing route from Dublin Port to the Welsh port was consolidated with the introduction of larger second replacement ferry.

Contractors at the Dun Laoghaire ferry terminal began work earlier this summer to dismantle all Stena related infrastructure consisting of the adjoining passenger gangway, linkspan and associated equipment at No 5 berth. These constituent parts were broken up on site, using the barge as working platform as well to torching work carried on shore on the site of the vehicle marshalling area, from where scrap merchants loaded trucks for removal.

Yesterday it was observed the lashing of equipment on the barge in addition to containers, portacabins and heavy machinery used in the works. According to DLHC, the MTS Indus was expected to tow the red-hulled barge to the Holyhead today. The north Wales port which is operated by Stena, however may not have the tug arriving until tomorrow, again weather permitting.

The works carried along the centre of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour waterfront also saw the removal of the pontoon located next to Berth No. 4. This is now the only berth complete with linkspan on St. Michaels Wharf.

With the completion of the work to remove Stena infrastructure, Berth 4 will now be made available for a new operator, should DLHC be successful in securing a suitable client in a tender process to resume a seasonal-only service next year.