Irish Port and Shipping News

Killybegs Bulk Handling is specifically targeted at supporting the import and storage of wind turbines for onshore sites

Video Shows Killybegs Fisheries Harbour as a Renewable Energy Sector Port

4th January 2022 Power From the Sea

While Killybegs harbour is synonymous with the fisheries sector a new video released by Ronan Renewables shows just how the County Donegal port is increasingly catering to the renewable energy sector. While home to a large portion of the Irish fishing fleet…

An Irish-European Short-Sea Trader, the C-class cargoship Arklow Castle (built 2017/5,054dwat) departed Dublin Port this morning and passed its shipowners (Arklow Shipping) homeport located in Co. Wicklow. Asides operating in domestic waters, the short-sea trader is seen sailing in the North Sea having departed the UK east coast and bound for the near European continent. The vessel had set sail from either ports of Ipswich or Mistley, from where ships pass between the other ports of Felixstowe and Harwich before entering the open sea.

Irish Flagged Cargoship Trades in Domestic Waters & UK-Near European Continent

31st December 2021 Ports & Shipping

Departing Dublin Port this morning was Arklow Castle, one of 10 C-class cargoship newbuilds which continue to be built for the Co. Wicklow shipowner as the latest launch in the series took place just a fortnight ago, writes Jehan Ashmore.…

Irish Agrifood Exports: Department braced for quadrupling of vet health certs on food exports (to Britain) from next year. Above AFLOAT adds an 'Ireland' max feeder containership, one of a quartet custom built to serve Irish ports connecting the UK and mainland continental Europe.

Brexit's Red Tape to Fully Impact Hitting Irish Food Exports in the New Year

29th December 2021 Ports & Shipping

At the Department of Agriculture, planning for export health certificates is to more than quadruple to 310,000 next year when Britain’s post-Brexit checks on Irish agrifood exports start. The vast volume of red tape is being introduced on border controls covering…

The recent announcement of the resignation of the UK Brexit Minister David Frost compounds the uncertainty for traders looking at next year. Above, freight ferries ply the Irish Sea in both directions.

Post-Brexit Trade See Freight Companies Braced for More Uncertainty in 2022

28th December 2021 Ports & Shipping

Freight distribution and logistics sectors has faced unprecedented upheaval in 2021, as a consequence of adopting to the post-Brexit trading environment, dealing with the Covid pandemic, global supply chain issues, rising fuel costs, and an ongoing skills shortage. These issues…

Christmas: As Crews matter, a special seafarers’ Christmas service available as a digital download for seamen over the festive period has been developed by the Isle of Man Ship Registry and Dutch Seafarers’ Mission Association -Nederlandse Zeevarenden Centrale.

Christmas Service Available for Seafarers as a Digital Download from Isle of Man Registry

24th December 2021 Ports & Shipping

A special seafarers’ Christmas service available as a digital download for crew over the festive period has been developed by the Isle of Man Ship Registry (IOMSR) and the Dutch Seafarers’ Mission Association -Nederlandse Zeevarenden Centrale (NZC). OMSR director Cameron…

New Container Giant: MSC’s acquisition of a Brazilain operator, Log-In – Logistica Intermodal S.A., will add up to 15,000 TEU of capacity, edging MSC just above Maersk in the ranking table, according to a maritime analyst. Above: MSC Edith (1,658 TEU) arriving in Dublin Bay in recent years. AFLOAT adds, yesterday, a larger fleetmate MSC Joy (1,933 TEU) from Antwerp, Belgium, was observed arriving initially to Dublin Bay before the large Lo-Lo ship by Dublin Port standards, entered to berth at the DFT Terminal, a container division of Irish Continental Group.

New Container Giant: MSC to Overtake Maersk as Top Box-Line After Brazilian Acquisition

23rd December 2021 Ports & Shipping

LloydsLoadingList reports that the board of Brazilian regional container line Log-In – Logistica Intermodal S.A., has approved the acquisition of a 67% stake in the company by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in a bid valuing Log-In at just over $500m.…

As we approach the second anniversary of the MV Alta becoming grounded on the Cork coast, an expert has said the State has learnt nothing from previous wreck incidents. Also above, a local takes a break from his walk to inspect the cargoship MV Alta on rocks near the village of Ballycotton, Co Cork.

Alta, Cork's Grounded Ghostship: 'There Will be Hell to Pay if We Have a Marine Disaster'

23rd December 2021 Ports & Shipping

Little has been learned from the State about how to deal effectively with marine wreck incidents since the Kowloon Bridge disaster over three decades ago and the Irish coast remains exposed to a potential marine disaster, a leading international maritime…

Irish goods imports from the UK as a whole – including Northern Ireland – are down 49pc since 2015

Exports from Britain Increasingly Ship through the North

21st December 2021 Ports & Shipping

As Independent.ie writes, Britain is now far less important to Irish importers and exporters than it was before Brexit, figures show. A report by the Economic and Social Research Institute has found that goods from England, Scotland and Wales now…

Artist’s impression of a strategic hub for the offshore wind industry at Ros an Mhíl in Connemara

Government Sets Policy for Ireland’s Commercial Ports to Develop Infrastructure to Support Offshore Renewable Energy

20th December 2021 Ports & Shipping

The Department of Transport has published a Policy Statement setting out the strategy for commercial ports to facilitate offshore renewable energy activity in the seas around Ireland. The document will also assist Ireland’s commercial TEN-T ports in applying for EU…

Shipping Lines react to congestion that has led to carriers’ schedules being impossible to maintain and increasing blank sailings. MSC and Maersk have rationalised their northern Europe rotations to improve reliability, with Felixstowe (as above, Afloat's photo of MSC Cordoba) and Rotterdam among those to lose calls.

Shipping Lines Shuffle Schedules to Limit Delays at Europe’s Congested Ports

19th December 2021 Ports & Shipping

Containership carriers are continuing to reorganise their calls to northern Europe in an effort to avoid delays at increasingly congested ports. The 2M alliance of Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) and Maersk are the latest to amend two of their combined…

Arklow Cloud during an earlier phase of modular block construction as can be seen the upper superstructure /deckhouse's positioning at Ferus Smit's shipyard in the Netherlands, from where today the newbuild presented a spectular amidships launch into the ‘Winschoterdiep’ canal. See link below for video.

Arklow C-Class Cargoship Launched During Dull Skies Yet 'Cloud' Rises Fleet to Almost 60 Ships

17th December 2021 Arklow Shipping

Despite dull skies, a spectacular launch took place at a Dutch shipyard this morning of Arklow Shipping's latest newbuild which increases the fleet total to 58 cargoships, writes Jehan Ashmore The single-hold newbuild Arklow Cloud, a name used for the…

ESPO welcomes the EU Commission proposal setting out the new guidelines for the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

ESPO Welcomes Recognition of Multidimensional Role & Cross-Border Character of Europe’s Ports in TEN-T Review

15th December 2021 Ports & Shipping

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has welcomed the Commission proposal setting out the new guidelines for the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The proposal, which was published on 14 December, lifts the importance of the maritime dimension and the role…