Dublin’s Great South Wall has taken on the appearance of the Cork Harbour shoreline thanks to a new biodiversity project.

According to RTÉ News, a series of large concrete blocks imprinted with a mould of the Ringaskiddy coastline have been placed at the foot of the wall — providing a rougher topography that is hoped will be a safe haven for marine micro-organisms to thrive.

Researchers at UCD who developed the scheme chose the nooks and crannies on the water’s edge at Ringaskiddy above more than 60 other shorelines, both naturally rocky and human-made, as the model for their project in collaboration with the Dublin Port Company.

And if the Dublin Bay experiment is successful, then Ringaskiddy’s topography could be replicated on sea walls, piers and other structures around the country.

RTÉ News has more on the story HERE.

Dublin Port Company is inviting applications for the position of Marine Operative on a full-time basis.

This role will include all aspects of Marine Operative work within Dublin Port, which operates VTS, pilotage and tug service 24/7, all year round as part of its harbour function.

The successful candidate will be a member of a multi-skilled team of Marine Operatives interacting with other groups who are interdependent on each working towards a common goal (ie pilots, VTS, shipping desk, etc).

The role includes but is not limited to pilot cutter helming/crewing, vessel positioning, responding to marine emergencies and/or pollution incidents and operating on all marine craft including all work vessels and driving port vehicles.

For more details on the role, including salary and benefits, download the job profile from the Dublin Port Company website and apply via LinkedIn Easy Apply.

Dublin Port Company (DPC) is reminding students from the port’s local community to apply for its annual Scholarship Programme. The closing date for applications is Friday, 1st September 2023, and forms are available from DPC’s website

The Dublin Port Scholarship Programme is the longest-running education bursary of its kind in the city’s Docklands area. It was set up by Dublin Port Company (DPC) in 2001 to contribute to the community by providing financial support for people to fulfil their potential through education.

Since 2001, the programme has awarded more than €1.2 million to local students living in the port area, enabling them to progress to third-level education. Last year, the Scholarship Programme celebrated its 21st anniversary, awarding 24 new bursaries. To date, more than 1,250 local students, ranging from school leavers to mature learners have been supported through the initiative.

"Since 2001, the programme has awarded more than €1.2 million to local students"

Applicants to the Scholarship Programme are assessed by an independent panel based on several criteria, including candidates’ motivation and commitment, and not solely on academic achievement.

Previous recipients include students who might not otherwise have pursued a course in higher education because of financial constraints in undertaking further study. Many applicants have since gone on to successfully complete third-level studies in courses ranging from Business and Law to Physiotherapy, Nursing, and Music at leading Irish universities, as well as colleges in England and Wales.

Edel Currie, Community Engagement Manager, Dublin Port Company, said: “I would really encourage students from the local community to apply for our Scholarship Programme this year. We know what a difference this Scholarship can make, especially to students who needs that extra level of support in order to progress to third level education. Our door is always open, come and talk to us about the application process itself or the experiences of previous recipients. There are amazing stories of people from our community who have flourished in their chosen career path, and it all started with a first step to apply for the Port Scholarship. Don’t hesitate to take that step and get in touch. There’s still plenty of time to get your application in to us by 1st September 2023.”

Dublin Port Company is inviting applications for the position of Marine Operative on a 12-month fixed term contract.

The successful candidate will be part of Dublin Port’s harbour function, which operates VTS, pilotage and tug service 24/7, all year round.

Dublin Port Company is an infrastructure provider and services at the port are provided by private sector companies, operating in competitive markets under the terms of a variety of franchise agreements. These franchises include long-term land leases, land licences, stevedoring licences and operating agreements.

Key responsibilities include crewing of of the pilot cutter, multicat vessel and all DPC work vessels; buoyage work; Eastlink Bridge operations; fender operations; berthing guidance for Marine Pilots; transportation of marine pilots within the port estate; emergency response to oil spills; VTS operation providing meal relief cover (when certified); tug mate duties (when trained); safety checks on marine safety equipment; incident reporting; and quay wall, lifebuoy and fender condition reporting.

Candidates must have Officer of the Watch (OOW) certification and or equivalent Certificate of Competency (CEC) suitable for working within the Irish Mercantile Marine; excellent interpersonal and communication skills; a full, clean class B driving licence; and computer skills. The must also be capable of achieving a VTS operator’s V103 certificate, and possess relevant and in-date STCW qualifications. Previous pilot boat work or similar experience is advantageous but not essential.

To apply please send a covering letter and CV to DPC Human Resources at [email protected]. The closing date for applications is Sunday 27 August 2023.

Dublin Port Company (DPC) has completed a successful first-round trial using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a low-carbon biofuel produced from waste material that can be used as a direct replacement for conventional marine diesel, in one of its Pilot Boats.

The Pilotage Service is estimated to contribute up to 20% of Dublin Port Company’s carbon emissions, and this is a significant aim for reduction, in line with Ireland’s Public Sector Energy targets, which states the public sector must improve its energy efficiency by 50% before 2030.

HVO fuel was supplied by Certa, DPC’s contracted fuel service provider, and a trial commenced in April, which saw approximately 200 pilot transfers completed on the DPC Dodder - one of four Dublin Port Pilot Boats - exclusively using 100% HVO.

DPC will now begin phase two of the trial, testing the biofuel in the Liffey and Camac Pilot Boats, which run on older engines to the DPC Dodder and its sister boat, the DPC Tolka. The Liffey and Camac are approximately 15 years old and are driven by two Caterpillar C12 engines. The DPC Tolka and the DPC Dodder run on two Scania DI16 engines.

Laura Byrne, Certa’s Business Development Manager for Sustainable Fuels, pictured with Dublin Port CEO Barry O’Connell to mark Dublin Port Company’s Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) trial in its DPC Dodder Pilot Boat Photo: Robbie Reynolds

This is the latest example of DPC working towards a more sustainable future. DPC exceeded the 2020 Public Sector Energy Efficiency Targets and is planning to make Port Centre and Terminal 1 near zero-emission buildings by 2030.

The Pilotage Service is a crucial aspect of Dublin Port operations and involves the provision of qualified Pilots with local marine knowledge to assist guiding large ships into the Port along navigable channels.

An exciting solution at the forefront of sustainable energy, HVO is a low-emission diesel alternative fuel. HVO has been demonstrated to significantly reduce fuel-related carbon emissions with no modification required for existing diesel engines.

"HVO is a low-emission diesel alternative fuel"

Initial results from the trial indicate that the use of HVO fuel in the Pilot Boats cuts emissions between 80-90%, which is encouraging news as Dublin Port targets a greener future and is in accordance with the Government’s Climate Action Plan 2023, which aims to halve national emissions by 2030.

If trials using HVO on Pilot Boats Liffey and Camac are successful, moving all four of Dublin Port’s Pilot Boats to HVO will reduce Dublin Port Company’s CO₂ emissions between 10-15% ahead of the 51% CO₂ emission reduction target for 2030.

While HVO fuel can be mixed with diesel, Dublin Port Company is using 100% HVO for the purpose of these trials.

Operators of the Pilot Boats noted that there were no obvious issues in handling or performance of the DPC Dodder while running on HVO and that exhaust fumes had reduced significantly.

The Pilotage Service is vital to Dublin Port’s operations. It is managed 24/7 with a highly skilled team of 21 Marine Operatives, 1 Marine Supervisor, 5 VTS Officers and 12 Pilots. It runs, on average, 10-15 return trips per day and in 2022 there were 3,908 over the year.

Pilot Boats travel up to 10 nautical miles (18.5km) offshore to safely deliver a Dublin Port Pilot to an inbound ship. The job involves transferring a Pilot to or from a ship by driving a Pilot Boat alongside the moving ship as it enters or leaves a Port, which is a high-risk activity. As a result, the Pilot Boats that are used to transfer Pilots are considered safety critical equipment and must have high reliability. The phased approach to this trial allows DPC to robustly check and verify the boats’ performance with this front of mind.

Barry O’Connell, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said: “The use of HVO fuel in our Pilot Boats is a potentially transformative step as we work towards our 2030 Climate Action Plan targets. We are pleased to work alongside our fuel suppliers Certa on this and from the information we have received from the first trial, the initial signs have been highly encouraging. We are now looking forward to seeing the results of phase two. With our Pilotage Service being such a vital part of Port operations, it is important that we run these trials and make sure it is the right fit for what is an extremely important and highly skilled job.”

Laura Byrne, Business Development Manager for Sustainable Fuels, Certa, said: “We are very excited to continue our long-standing relationship with Dublin Port Company. We are pleased to work together to facilitate the Port’s decarbonisation efforts by introducing HVO fuel on their Pilot Boats as they continue to work towards their sustainability goals.”

The Board of Dublin Port Company has announced the appointment of Barry O’Connell as its new Chief Executive Officer from 14th November 2022 following an open and competitive recruitment process.

Barry joins Dublin Port Company from the Coca-Cola System, where he has held multiple senior executive roles in bottling operations around the world since 1992. Barry has been a CEO since 2009 and has successfully led organisational transformation initiatives in Austria/Slovenia, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia. These initiatives have typically involved major capital investment projects in the areas of manufacturing and logistics, step-changes in sales and marketing strategy, innovative digitisation initiatives and significant investment in building organisational culture and capability. In leading such change initiatives, Barry has acquired significant experience in the areas of strategy, leadership, organisational change, and stakeholder management.

Barry replaces Eamonn O’Reilly, who stepped down from the role on 31st August after twelve highly successful years during which Dublin Port has undergone an historic transformation with the development and ongoing implementation of Masterplan 2040. Under Eamonn’s stewardship, the major infrastructure developments delivered to date have facilitated enormous growth in freight throughput at Dublin Port. The challenge in the coming years is the effective and timely delivery of the remaining elements of the approved Masterplan.

The Board is confident that Barry’s experience in senior international and operationally complex positions make him ideally placed for the role and task ahead. A native of Cork, Barry holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Limerick with further studies in Cranfield University and the IMD in Switzerland.

Announcing the appointment, Chairperson of Dublin Port Company, Mr. Jerry Grant, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Barry O’Connell as the next Chief Executive Officer of Dublin Port Company. We believe that he will build on the major achievements of the past ten years and continue to shape the evolution of this critical national infrastructure meeting Ireland’s international trade, climate and sustainability objectives in line with national port policy.

Barry joins the Company at an important and exciting time as we focus on delivering the final Masterplan project, the 3FM Project, through planning and achieving the ultimate capacity envisaged in Masterplan 2040. This will futureproof Dublin Port and national port capacity for the medium term, but also continue Dublin Port’s mission to further integrate the City and port communities. Port-city integration is a key strategic objective of Masterplan 2040 to be delivered through diverse industrial heritage, cultural, community, and educational programmes. The Plan also envisages digitisation of operations to further advance capacity optimisation and customer service priorities.

“We are confident that Barry and the executive team will build on the Company’s strong financial position and operational performance to deliver on these strategic objectives.”

In accepting the appointment, Barry O’Connell looks forward to taking up the role saying:

“It is a privilege to be joining the Dublin Port Company team at this crucial time and to be able to play my part in developing the Port to meet the future needs of Dublin and the wider Irish economy. I am very much looking forward to working with the Board and a highly competent and motivated team to continue to deliver value to customers, community and stakeholders.”

Dublin Port Company is currently recruiting for the roles of Project Manager and SharePoint Administrator & Document Controller.

Candidates for Project Manager in the Programme Management Office — which is delivering the port’s €1.6bn capital programme — should have a minimum of eight years’ experience of managing civil engineering projects, preferably from scheme inception, through project evaluation and appraisal, outline design/planning application, detailed design, procurement, to project delivery and final handover.

The capital programme is being delivered in a live port environment with multiple stakeholders and challenges, so experience in dealing with project complexity and uncertainty would be an advantage.

The SharePoint Administrator & Document Controller, meanwhile, will manage the day-to-day running of the SharePoint document management system and ensure compliance with agreed Dublin Port Company SharePoint guidelines and folder structures.

They will be responsible for controlling the numbering, filing, sorting and retrieval of electronically stored or hard-copy documentation produced by technical teams, projects or departments in a timely, accurate and efficient manner.

Further details of both roles are available on the Dublin Port website. The closing date for applications is Friday 25 February.

Friday 14 January is the last day to apply to join the Marine Operatives pool with the Dublin Port Company.

The port’s multi-skilled and multifunctional Marine Operatives, under the supervision of a team leader, operate with full flexibility and carry out marine-related tasks.

Marine Operatives will be expected to carry out duties in all sections of the port company’s Marine Function for which they are qualified and/or trained.

Appropriate training will be provided to facilitate staff to achieve qualifications as required. The panel will be active for a period of two years maximum.

Reporting to the Harbour Master and/or their designate (Marine Supervisor), the successful candidates will take on a role that includes all aspects of Marine Operative work.

They are required to have relevant work boat and passenger experience and associated qualifications. Officer of the Watch (OOW) certification is preferable but not essential.

The successful candidates must have a valid driving licence, and demonstrate a proven track record with excellent work ethics, be enthusiastic and possess exceptional interpersonal and communication skills and have the ability to prepare clear and concise reports.

Candidates should carefully consider their proximity to Dublin Port and whether they will be in a position to work in accordance with the shift patterns that will apply to them.

Please see the Dublin Port website to view the full profile of this role. Applications can be made via LinkedIn Easy Apply or alternatively send full personal, career and current remuneration details to [email protected]

Plans are in train for as many as 95 cruise liner calls to Dublin Bay in 2022, according to the Minister of State for international transport.

Hildegarde Naughton was responding to a Dáil question from Galway independent TD Noel Grealish regarding the continued suitability of Dublin Port for tourism traffic.

According to the minister, Dublin Port Company has taken bookings for 28 cruise ships in Dublin Port next year, with a further 67 anchoring in Dublin Bay and tendering into Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

“However, the actual cruise calls to be facilitated will depend on a decision on the resumption of cruise activity,” she said, underlining that such would be guided by any prevailing COVID-related restrictions.

The minister also noted that since the beginning of this year, Dublin Port has seen a “significant increase” in shipping services bypassing the UK land bridge post-Brexit.

“In Dublin Port, these direct services are using the cargo berths that were in the past used by cruise. It is clear that once cruise traffic recommences, Dublin Port will have reduced capacity for cruise ship visits in the coming seasons.

“However, there is spare capacity in other ports particularly with Cobh having a dedicated cruise berth in Ireland. This ideally places them as alternative options for the cruise industry and creates opportunities for tourism activities on a regional basis,” she added.

Dublin Port Company has established a scholarship programme to provide opportunities for individuals living in the Port area of Dublin to fulfil their potential through education.

The programme is targeted at school leavers, mature student and others with a strong and focused ability and potential who would otherwise experience significant obstacles to progressing in third-level education.

Full information on the programme, including selection criteria and application forms, is available from the Dublin Port website or by writing to Dublin Port Company Head Office: Port Centre, Alexandra Road, Dublin 1, D01 H4C6.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 27 August.