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A memorandum of understanding has been signed today between Ireland’s first green hydrogen company, EIH2, the Port of Cork and the Port of Amsterdam.

This partnership will enable Ireland to maximise its use of offshore wind as a source of energy, by providing an alternative route to market for such renewable electricity. Earlier this year, the Irish Government identified an additional 2GW of offshore wind to be used for green hydrogen production, and this partnership provides the route to market that is needed for Ireland to become a net exporter of energy over time.

This partnership will help to enable the establishment of a supply chain for green hydrogen between Ireland and Europe via the port of Amsterdam.

This partnership agreement reflects the high level of collaboration between Ireland and The Netherlands and the European approach of working together to become the first Net Zero continent. The event forms part of a major offshore wind mission organised by the Netherlands Embassy in Ireland from 11th to 14th September and held in Cork. The purpose of the mission is to increase collaboration on the energy transition between Ireland and The Netherlands at a national level and business to business.

The event will bring together key stakeholders from the wind sector in Ireland and The Netherlands including supply chain, developers, academics, utilities, policy writers and policy influencers.

The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding was attended by the Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Policy, Mr. Rob Jetten, and the Irish Minister of State for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy, Mr. Ossian Smyth, as official witnesses to the agreement. Also represented were Lord Mayor Cork City, Cllr Deirdre Forde and Deputy Lord Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Anthony Barry.

Pearse Flynn, EIH2’s founder said: “Our goal at EIH2 is to help both Ireland and Europe achieve their ambitious energy targets. The recent RePowerEU plan quadruples the role for Green Hydrogen in Europe. This was reflected in Ireland’s recent carbon budgets, with an additional 2GW of offshore wind planned specifically for green hydrogen production. This partnership is the beginning of a supply chain for green hydrogen from Ireland where there is a lot of wind but not a lot of hydrogen demand to Europe where the situation is reversed.”

Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer of the Port of Cork Company said: “At the Port of Cork Company, we see significant opportunities for Cork Harbour to become a hub for renewable energy, which will benefit the environment, local businesses and create employment in the region. We hope to utilise our facilities at this strategic location, working together with like-minded partners to support the development of renewable energy opportunities.”

Ireland and the Netherlands have traditionally enjoyed strong and historic trade relations and both countries have placed strategic priority on the development of production capacity and international distribution of green hydrogen.

Gert-Jan Nieuwenhuizen, Director Business Development Cargo of Port of Amsterdam said: “Port of Amsterdam is very pleased with the signing of this MoU with such valuable partners. It underlines both the strong ties between Ireland and our port and the increasing importance of green hydrogen. For Port of Amsterdam, priorities are to make green hydrogen available to the large industrial clusters in the greater Amsterdam area, as well as to serve as a gateway to the European hinterland, including regions with high potential demand in Germany. The developments in the south of Ireland and the technical proficiency of Irish parties, mean the country will be well positioned for the future export of this new energy source. The port of Amsterdam will offer a route to market for Irish green hydrogen, both in our port itself, and in the rest of Europe.”

Published in Port of Cork
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One of the world’s leading providers of engineering, procurement and construction services to the energy industry has been appointed by energy company EI-H2 to help develop Ireland’s first commercial scale green hydrogen production facility.

Worley will soon enter the concept design phase of plans for the 50-megawatt plant that will be located in Aghada, close to lower Cork Harbour.

It will see green hydrogen produced by electrolysis, powered by renewable energy. Once operational, the facility is expected to supply over 20 tonnes of green hydrogen per day to a diverse commercial market and remove 63,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

The project — which as previously reported on Afloat.ie will be one of the largest green energy facilities of its kind in the world — will also generate job creation in the local area and assist in meeting the targets of Ireland’s recent Climate Bill which mandates emissions reductions of 51% by 2030.

Worley’s technical and commercial experts will be developing the concept design for the facility, utilising best practice from similar projects around the globe to accelerate project delivery and achieve the earliest possible commercial production date, supporting Ireland in its ambition to become a leader in green energy.

With a portfolio of future projects in the pipeline for Ireland, this first-of-its kind project also marks the start of many planned developments for EI-H2.

“We are delighted to partner with Worley as we look to deliver Ireland’s first green hydrogen production facility in Aghada, Co Cork,” said Tom Lynch, chief executive of EI-H2. “We firmly believe that Ireland is incredibly well positioned to become a global leader in green energy.

“At EI-H2, we believe in partnerships that last. In that context, Worley are the natural choice to develop this key infrastructure.”

Eoghan Quinn, vice president of power and new energy at Worley, added: “This is an exciting opportunity for Worley to apply our vast experience in delivering the world’s most ground-breaking green hydrogen projects to the Irish market.

“As more renewable energy comes online, Ireland has a strategic role to play in decarbonising Europe. We continue to grow our strong footprint in this geography, supporting our customers to build a more sustainable future.”

The project is expected to be operational before the end of 2023.

Published in Cork Harbour

Port of Cork Information

The Port of Cork is the key seaport in the south of Ireland and is one of only two Irish ports which service the requirements of all six shipping modes i.e., Lift-on Lift-off, Roll-on Roll-off, Liquid Bulk, Dry Bulk, Break Bulk and Cruise. Due to its favourable location on the south coast of Ireland and its modern deep-water facilities, the Port of Cork is ideally positioned for additional European trading as well as for yet unexploited direct deep-sea shipping services.

The Port of Cork is investing €80 million in a container terminal development in Ringaskiddy. The Cork Container Terminal will initially offer a 360-metre quay with 13-metre depth alongside and will enable larger ships to berth in the port. The development also includes the construction of a 13.5-hectare terminal and associated buildings as well as two ship to shore gantry cranes and container handling equipment.

The development of new container handling facilities at Ringaskiddy was identified in the Port of Cork’s Strategic Development Plan in 2010. It will accommodate current and future container shipping which can be serviced by modern and efficient cargo handling equipment with innovative terminal operating and vehicle booking systems. The Port of Cork anticipates that Cork Container Terminal will be operational in 2020.

The Port of Cork is the key seaport in the south of Ireland and is one of just two Irish ports which service the requirements of all shipping modes.

The Port of Cork also controls Bantry Bay Port Company and employs 150 people across all locations.

A European Designated Core Port and a Tier 1 Port of National Significance, Port of Cork’s reputation for quality service, including prompt and efficient vessel turnaround as well as the company’s investment in future growth, ensures its position as a vital link in the global supply chain.

The port has made impressive strides in recent decades, most recently with the construction of the new €80m Cork Container Terminal in Ringaskiddy which will facilitate the natural progression of the move from a river port to a deepwater port in order to future proof the Port
of Cork. This state-of-the-art terminal which will open in 2020 will be capable of berthing the largest container ships currently calling to Ireland.

The Port of Cork Company is a commercial semi-state company responsible for the commercial running of the harbour as well as responsibility for navigation and berthage in the port.  The Port is the main port serving the South of Ireland, County Cork and Cork City. 

Types of Shipping Using Port of Cork

The Port offers all six shipping modes from Lift-on Lift-off, Roll-on Roll-off, Liquid Bulk, Dry Bulk, Break Bulk and Cruise liner traffic.

Port of Cork Growth

The port has made impressive strides in recent decades. Since 2000, the Port of Cork has invested €72 million in improving Port infrastructure and facilities. Due to its favourable location and its modern deepwater facilities, the Port is ideally positioned for additional European trading as well as for yet unexploited direct deep-sea shipping services. A well-developed road infrastructure eases the flow of traffic from and to the port. The Port of Cork’s growing reputation for quality service, including prompt and efficient vessel turnaround, ensures its position as a vital link in the global supply chain. The Port of Cork Company turnover in 2018 amounted to €35.4 million, an increase of €3.9 million from €31.5 million in 2017. The combined traffic of both the Ports of Cork and Bantry increased to 10.66 million tonnes in 2018 up from 10.3 million tonnes in 2017.

History of Port of Cork

Famous at the last port of call of the Titanic, these medieval navigation and port facilities of the city and harbour were historically managed by the Cork Harbour Commissioners. Founded in 1814, the Cork Harbour Commissioners moved to the Custom House in 1904.  Following the implementation of the 1996 Harbours Act, by March 1997 all assets of the Commissioners were transferred to the Port of Cork Company.

Commercial Traffic at Port of Cork

Vessels up to 90,000 tonnes deadweight (DWT) are capable of coming through entrance to Cork Harbour. As the shipping channels get shallower the farther inland one travels, access becomes constricted, and only vessels up to 60,000 DWT can sail above Cobh. The Port of Cork provides pilotage and towage facilities for vessels entering Cork Harbour. All vessels accessing the quays in Cork City must be piloted and all vessels exceeding 130 metres in length must be piloted once they pass within 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) of the harbour entrance.

Berthing Facilities in Cork Harbour

The Port of Cork has berthing facilities at Cork City, Tivoli, Cobh and Ringaskiddy. The facilities in Cork City are primarily used for grain and oil transport. Tivoli provides container handling, facilities for oil, livestock and ore and a roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ramp. Prior to the opening of Ringaskiddy Ferry Port, car ferries sailed from here; now, the Ro-Ro ramp is used by companies importing cars into Ireland. In addition to the ferry terminal, Ringaskiddy has a deep water port.

Port of Cork Development Plans

2020 will be a significant year for the Port of Cork as it prepares to complete and open the €86 million Cork Container Terminal development in Ringaskiddy.

Once operational the new terminal will enable the port to handle up to 450,000 TEU per annum. Port of Cork already possess significant natural depth in Cork harbour, and the work in Ringaskiddy Port will enable the Port of Cork to accommodate vessels of 5500 to 6000 TEU, which will provide a great deal of additional potential for increasing container traffic.

It follows a previous plan hatched in 2006 as the port operated at full capacity the Port drew up plans for a new container facility at Ringaskiddy. This was the subject of major objections and after an Oral Planning Hearing was held in 2008 the Irish planning board Bord Pleanala rejected the plan due to inadequate rail and road links at the location.  

Further notable sustainability projects also include:

  • The Port of Cork have invested in 2 x STS cranes – Type single lift, Model P (148) L, (WS) Super. These cranes contain the most modern and energy-efficient control and monitoring systems currently available on the market and include an LED floodlight system equipped with software to facilitate remote diagnostics, a Crane Management System (CMS) and an energy chain supply on both cranes replacing the previous preferred festoon cabling installation.
  • The Port of Cork has installed High Mast Lighting Voltage Control Units at its two main cargo handling locations – Tivoli Industrial & Dock Estate and Ringaskiddy Deep-water & Ferry Terminals. This investment has led to more efficient energy use and reduced risk of light pollution. The lights can also be controlled remotely.
  • The Port of Cork’s largest electrical consumer at Tivoli Container Terminal is the handling and storage of refrigerated containers. Local data loggers were used to assess energy consumption. This provided timely intervention regarding Power Factor Correction Bank efficiency on our STS (Ship to Shore) Cranes and Substations, allowing for reduced mains demand and reducing wattless energy losses along with excess charges. The information gathered has helped us to design and build a reefer storage facility with energy management and remote monitoring included.

Bantry Port

In 2017 Bantry Bay Port Company completed a significant investment of €8.5 million in the Bantry Inner Harbour development. The development consisted of a leisure marina, widening of the town pier, dredging of the inner harbour and creation of a foreshore amenity space.

Port of Cork Cruise Liner Traffic

2019 was a record cruise season for the Port of Cork with 100 cruise liners visiting. In total over 243,000 passengers and crew visited the region with many passengers visiting Cork for the first time.

Also in 2019, the Port of Cork's Cruise line berth in Cobh was recognised as one of the best cruise destinations in the world, winning in the Top-Rated British Isles & Western Europe Cruise Destination category. 

There has been an increase in cruise ship visits to Cork Harbour in the early 21st century, with 53 such ships visiting the port in 2011, increasing to approximately 100 cruise ship visits by 2019.

These cruise ships berth at the Port of Cork's deepwater quay in Cobh, which is Ireland's only dedicated berth for cruise ships.

Passenger Ferries

Operating since the late 1970s, Brittany Ferries runs a ferry service to Roscoff in France. This operates between April and November from the Ro-Ro facilities at Ringaskiddy. Previous ferry services ran to Swansea in Wales and Santander in Spain. The former, the Swansea Cork ferry, ran initially between 1987 and 2006 and also briefly between 2010 and 2012.

The latter, a Brittany Ferries Cork–Santander service, started in 2018 but was cancelled in early 2020.

Marine Leisure

The Port of Cork has a strategy that aims to promote the harbour also as a leisure amenity. Cork’s superb natural harbour is a great place to enjoy all types of marine leisure pursuits. With lots of sailing and rowing clubs dotted throughout the harbour, excellent fishing and picturesque harbour-side paths for walking, running or cycling, there is something for everyone to enjoy in and around Cork harbour. The Port is actively involved with the promotion of Cork Harbour's annual Festival. The oldest sailing club in the world, founded in 1720, is the Royal Cork Yacht Club is located at Crosshaven in the harbour, proof positive, says the Port, that the people of Cork, and its visitors, have been enjoying this vast natural leisure resource for centuries. 

Port of Cork Executives

  • Chairman: John Mullins
  • Chief Executive: Brendan Keating
  • Secretary/Chief Finance Officer: Donal Crowley
  • Harbour Master and Chief Operations Officer: Capt. Paul O'Regan
  • Port Engineering Manager: Henry Kingston
  • Chief Commercial Officer: Conor Mowlds
  • Head of Human Resources: Peter O'Shaughnessy