Irish Port and Shipping News

Changing Tradewinds? - Dutch carbon emission-free shipping firm EcoClippers first acquired sailing ship De Tukker, is to undergo a refit to return the sail-trainee vessel to its original cargoship role while still under sail on the North Sea. This will also see paying passengers on routes between the UK and mainland Europe.

EcoClippers Acquire First Sail Ship for Sustainable Shipping on North Sea 'Liner' Trade Routes

30th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

A zero-carbon emission shipping company in the Netherlands has acquired this month its first vessel that will transport cargo as well as passengers under sail on the North Sea within the first half of 2022, writes Jehan Ashmore. Alkmaar based…

Ships lining up ahead of Brexit Day last January

Rosslare Europort "Makes History" With 371 Per Cent Increase in European Freight Last Year, Iarnród Eireann Says

24th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

Iarnród Éireann has said Rosslare Europort has made history as Ireland’s leading port for direct European freight. The Co Wexford port recorded its highest ever activity with a 371 per cent increase in European freight last year and overall volumes…

Maritime EU ETS: ports call on EU for an ambitious scope that avoids carbon and business leakage.

Ports in Europe Call for An Ambitious Scope that Avoids Carbon & Business Leakage

24th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has welcomed the proposal to include shipping in an Emission Trading System (ETS). Putting a price tag on shipping emissions through the EU ETS should deliver clear climate gains and push the sector to choose…

The Port of Milford Haven has appointed Tom Sawyer as the new chief executive officer of the UK' biggest energy port located in south Wales.

Port of Milford Haven, UK's Largest Energy Port Appoints New CEO

20th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

In south Wales the Port of Milford Haven which is the UK’s largest energy port, has announced the appointment of ‘Tom Sawyer’ as its new chief executive officer. Tom will officially start his position at the end of April 2022,…

Kuba Szymanski to Chair Seafarers Hospital Society

19th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

The Seafarers Hospital Society (SHS) has appointed Captain Kuba Szymanski as the new Chair of the board of the 200-year-old UK maritime charity, following the retirement of Peter McEwen MBE MNM. Szymanski, who is well known to Afloat readers for…

Peel Ports Group in the UK announced today that it was awarded 'Port Operator of the Year for 2021'. The group includes an Irish operation Peel Ports Dublin (MTL Terminals) which neighbours Poolbeg Y&BC, Ringsend. The container terminal provides short-sea connections with ports in Central Europe and Irish Sea as well as 'feeder' services connecting the Far East, India and South America. Above BG Ireland (on left) which previously served the terminal and the deck of P&O Ferries ropax Norbank underway from another terminal when bound for Liverpool, one of several UK ports operated by the group.

Peel Ports Group Named 'Port Operator of the Year 2021' by Industry Bible UK Ports Directory

17th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

The Peel Ports Group have been awarded the accolade 'Port Operator of the Year for 2021' after securing the most online votes, amongst those who voted, from the maritime directory’s 15,000-strong readership of professionals in the sector. The win comes…

Record cargo at the Port of Felixstowe is believed to be the biggest containers handled ever on a single ship in Europe when on board MSC Diletta. AFLOAT adds another containership Anna G which following repairs in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, made a recent first 'commercial' sailing since from the UK's biggest box boat port when tracked two days later to the German North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven.

Record Container Cargo at UK Port, Largest Ever Handled By Ship in Europe

14th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

The UK Port of Felixstowe, operated by Hutchinson Ports, has handled what is believed to be the largest number of containers ever on a single ship in Europe. A total of 23,773TEU (standard containers) were handled on the 24,000 TEU…

Global shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions and the sector is under growing scrutiny to become cleaner. Above Afloat captured this scene of the Maersk Mette, an E-class containership.

Container Giant Maersk Speeds Up Decarbonisation Target by a Decade

13th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

Shipping container giant AP Moller-Maersk now plans to achieve net zero emissions in its business by 2040, a decade earlier than previously announced, on the back of rising customer demand for green transportation and technical leaps. With about 90% of world…

Unifeeder Shortsea Expanding in the Irish Sea

12th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

From this Friday (14 January), Unifeeder Shortsea will be launching its new shipping service linking Rotterdam to/from the ports of Dublin, Cork and Belfast. The company promises that this new service in the Irish Sea offers an enhanced carrying capacity,…

New smarter technology installed for the navigation system at the Port of London, from where above at the UK capital is the iconic landmark of Tower Bridge seen in recent years with Svitzer Brunel passing under the raised drawbridge. The 58.5 tons bollard pull tug had assisted cruiseship Silver Wind moored alongside HMS Belfast at the Pool of London. The tug is one of a quartet of tractor tugs built in 2003 by Astilleros Zamakona, the same Spanish shipyard that built in 2010 Dublin Port's pair of Voith-Schneider propelled 53 bollard tugs Beaufort and Shackleton.

Largest UK Port in Volumes, London Sees Smarter Navigational Technology for Busier River Thames

6th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

The Port of London last year was confirmed as the largest port in the UK by volumes handled, after a break of over two decades. The port on the River Thames and estuary has installed a state-of-the-art, air traffic control…

Afloat today tracked Anna G the 'feeder' containership at the Port of Felixstowe where also at Britain's biggest box-boat port was another grey-hulled vessel but considerably larger the OOCL Hong Kong which arrived from Singapore, Asia. A major milestone was achieved recently, when the North Sea port passed the 100m TEU mark since it handled its first container in the 1960s.

Dun Laoghaire Containership Anna G Arrives At UK's Biggest Box-Boat Port Where Giant Asia-Europe Ship Is Berthed

6th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

The 'feeder' containership Anna G which departed Dun Laoghaire Harbour following lengthly repairs was tracked by Afloat having arrived this morning to Felixstowe, the UK's biggest box-boat port, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 101m Anna G (3,992grt) is described as a…

DFDS sale ship pair but lease-back (Lysvik Seaways above) one of the two vessels that carries containers and paper products Afloat adds that are loaded and discharged through the side port loading feature as also seen above on the starboard side.

DFDS Sale Container/Sideport Ships But Leased Back to Continue Nordic-UK-Europe Service

5th January 2022 Ports & Shipping

Danish shipping operator DFDS which operates the Rosslare-Dunkirk 'Brexit-Bypass' ferry route has entered into sale and lease-back agreements for two container/sideport loading ships, writes Jehan Ashmore. The deal took place last month between DFDS and the Finnish shipping firm Godby…

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…