Irish Port and Shipping News

The annual ESPO Award on Social Integration of Ports' theme for this year’s edition is “port projects or strategies in the field of circular economy that benefit the city and/or the surrounding community.

ESPO Award 2024 Will Reward ‘Circular Economy’ Projects in Europe's Ports - Competition is Open

21st March 2024 Ports & Shipping

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Award on Social Integration of Ports is entering its 16th edition. The theme of this year’s edition is “port projects or strategies in the field of circular economy that benefit the city and/or the…

Newbuild MV Arklow Resolve preparing for sea trials when under tow from the Royal Bodewes shipyard near Groningen to Delfzijl on the Ems Estuary, which borders Germany. This morning, the EcoTrader 6,800 dwt class cargo ship carried out trials in the Wadden Sea, where ferries go back and forth to Borkum, the largest of the East Frisian Islands in the North Sea, which is due north of the Dutch province of Groningen.

Arklow Resolve Underway in the Wadden Sea for Shipbuilder Sea Trials While Ferries Go Back & Forth

20th March 2024 Arklow Shipping

Newbuild MV Arklow Resolve departed the Dutch north-east port of Eemshaven for the Wadden Sea on the southern North Sea for shipbuilder sea trials this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore. This is Arklow Shipping Ltd.'s latest newbuild, which represents the fifth…

Eucon Add New Vessel Bringing Enhanced Services to Ireland

17th March 2024 Ports & Shipping

Eucon have announced the addition of a sixth ship to their fleet keeping Europe and Ireland well connected. The additional vessel, the MV Ranger, will be welcomed into their fleet this Wednesday 20 March, expanding their sailing frequency, capacity, flexibility…

At the Port of Sligo this morning, a general cargo ship, Wilson Lahn at the Deepwater Quay to load fishmeal, while another Wilson ASA operated cargo ship, Wilson Mosel, which last night completed loading the same cargo, is also seen at dawn, departing and bound for Norway. The scene of two ships at once at the north-west port follows the same scenario on 11 February, when more vessels of the Bergan-based operator, Wilson Ruhr, departed the port and also went to Norway, while Wilson Elbe was inbound. Up until then, a two-ship scene was a rare sight at the small regional port.

Busy Times at the Port of Sligo as Wilson ASA Cargo Ship Trio Load Fishmeal

11th March 2024 Ports & Shipping

While tracking vessels in the north-west today, among them passenger ferry Aran Islands Express, a trio of general cargo ships operated by Wilson ASA have been trading in the Port of Sligo at the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore The operator…

A container ship docked at an Irish port

Appointment of Recognised Security Organisations (Ports)

10th March 2024 Ports & Shipping

The Marine Survey Office (MSO) of the Department of Transport has appointed four companies to the panel as Recognised Security Organisations (Ports) for the period covering 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028. These companies appointed as RSOs for the…

A Port of Cork Pilot on board inbound Eucon vessel Elbtrader as CLdN vessel Catherine is outbound with Cork Harbour Cruises vessel Spirit of Doolin on the right

New Ships, New LoLo Services Between Dublin, Cork and Rotterdam

10th March 2024 Ports & Shipping

CLdN, headquartered in Luxembourg, has chartered two 962 TEU lift-on / lift-off (LoLo) cargo vessels, M/V Pavo J and M/V Andromeda J) to sail new services between its recently acquired Distriport terminal in Rotterdam, Dublin and Cork. It says this…

During 2023, taking all European Sea Port Organisation (ESPO) board meetings and technical committees together, women represented 41% of the port professionals participating in the meetings. ESPO is the principal interface between European seaports and the European institutions and its policy makers. Above last year’s ESPO General Assembly, in Bremen, Germany.

In 2023 Women Represented 41% of Port Professionals Participating in ESPO Work

8th March 2024 Ports & Shipping

In 2023, taking all ESPO board meetings and technical committees together, women represented 41% of the port professionals participating in the meetings. This is a slightly higher level compared to the share of women participating in 2022, which was 38%.…

Making its debut, newbuild Arklow Grace of the G-class sets off on its maiden voyage from Delfzijl on the Dutch coast bordering Germany on the North Sea, but the cargo ship sailed to the nation’s Baltic Sea side.

Arklow Shipping’s Dutch G-Class Newbuild Makes Maiden Voyage to German Baltic Sea Port

5th March 2024 Arklow Shipping

After a tow from Ferus Smit’s Dutch shipyard in Westerbroek last month, newbuild Arklow Grace has since completed builder’s sea trials along with the cargo ship’s maiden commercial voyage, writes Jehan Ashmore. The tug Waterpoort towed the fourth of five…

Clydeport: KGV Dock in Glasgow will process over a thousand wind turbine components - weighing more than 60,000 tonnes - in 2024. Above is the Treville with wind-turbine blades on board whilst at the south-west Scotland port, AFLOAT notes the same vessel is due to the west of Ireland with a call to the Port of Galway on 9 March.

Peel Ports Clydeport on Track for Record Year Amid Wind Turbine Boom

3rd March 2024 Ports & Shipping

In south-west Scotland, Peel Ports Clydeport is set for a record year handling wind turbine components at the King George V Dock site in Glasgow as the operator continues to support the renewable energy sector. The UK’s second largest port…

This year the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) two-day annual conference is to be held in the heart of the Paris (25-26 April). The Organisation is the principal interface between European seaports and the European institutions and its policy makers.

European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Conference 2024 Heads for Paris on 25-26 April

27th February 2024 Ports & Shipping

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) is holding its Annual Conference in the heart of the Paris on 25 and 26 April. This year’s conference in the French capital can simply not be missed, for various reasons. We are listing…

The record-breaking delivery of 80-metre-long wide-turbine blades from the BBC Citrine ship marks a significant milestone for the Port of Waterford and its personnel

Port of Waterford Makes History with Record-Breaking Cargo Delivery

26th February 2024 Ports & Shipping

The Port of Waterford made history over the weekend as it handled a cargo of a record-breaking scale. The port received a vessel load of 80-metre-long wide-turbine blades, the largest ever in size to be imported to Ireland. The blades…

Reminder of Requirements for Passenger Ship and Crew Transfer Tendering Operations

26th February 2024 Ports & Shipping

The Department of Transport advises ship owners, ship operators, shipmasters, harbourmasters and ships’ agents of the requirements for passenger ships engaged in the tendering of passengers between the ship and the shore and for the transfer of crew/technicians embarking or…

Stakeholders in the Maritime and Port Industry today welcome the EU parliament (IMCO) vote to adopting its report on the reform of the Union Customs Code (UCC).

Maritime & Port Industry Welcome IMCO Vote on UCC Reform to Urge for a Further Secure, Smart, Safe Competitive Customs Union

22nd February 2024 Ports & Shipping

The European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee (IMCO) has today adopted its report on the reform of the Union Customs Code (UCC). This core economic legislation determines the efficiency, resilience and competitiveness of the EU’s external border for trade. More than…

Another of Arklow Shipping’s oldest ‘R’ class cargo ships, Arklow Rogue has been sold to Norwegian operator Wilson ASA, noting AFLOAT highlights, historically the class originally 16-strong, represent the largest same-ship series ever ordered by an Irish shipowner. Above, a fellow R class, Arklow Resolve (name revived for ASL’s ‘newest’ next generation R class) in this rare scene from 2017 of the cargo ship (since sold) in layover mode in Dublin’s ‘Docklands’ financial quarter, where no merchant ships have regularly traded upriver for over 30 years, since the Guinness stout ships, but with recent plans to attempt to Resolve the capital’s chronic quay road traffic, some have proposed reviving the Guinness barges to transport the black stuff from St. James Gate downriver to the ferryport.

Another Remaining Arklow Shipping Cargo Ship of the Older ‘R’ Class Joins Norwegian Rival Wilson

20th February 2024 Arklow Shipping

One of Arklow Shipping Ltd's oldest cargo ships of the first ‘R’ class, Arklow Rogue with almost 24 years service, has been sold to Norwegian rival Wilson ASA with around 130 ships is Europe's largest short-sea operator, writes Jehan Ashmore. During…

The latest IMDO Unitised Traffic Report shows that overall, unitised volumes, which encompasses both RoRo and LoLo markets, were below trend in Q4 2023, and have stagnated throughout the year. Above AFLOAT’s photo captured a containership which regularly operates a short-sea feeder service linking the Irish ports of Dublin, Waterford, Cork and mainland Europe.

Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) Publish Unitised Traffic Report for Q4 2023

14th February 2024 Ports & Shipping

The latest Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) Unitised Traffic Report for Q4 2023 has been published with an Executive Summary below. As part of the Marine Institute, the IMDO is Irelands' dedicated, development, promotional and marketing office for the shipping…

As part of Smurfit Kappa Group’s global operations, is in Europe, where giant paper reels AFLOAT adds, are loaded on board Sto-Ro carrier vessels serving in the Gulf of Bothnia, Baltic Sea and North Sea which involves a ro-ro liner service starting in Sweden, linking Germany, UK, Netherlands and Germany. The Sto-Ro vessels are time-chartered to Smurfit Kappa, through Wagenborg Shipping, Sweden A.B. a subsidiary of Dutch world-wide operator, Royal Wagonborg.

Volumes at Smurfit Kappa Group Return to Growth for Q4, 2023

7th February 2024 Ports & Shipping

Smurfit Kappa, Europe’s largest paper packaging producer has said today that it has increased volumes in the fourth quarter for last year. As RTE News reports the increase has snapped three successive quarterly declines that led to a 12% drop…