#BelfastPort – In this 400th anniversary year of Belfast Harbour which was established by a Royal Charter, the port in 2013 has embarked on a Port Master Plan for a period over the next 20-30 Years.

The Masterplan sets out Belfast Harbour Company's (BHC) medium to long term development plans for consultation in order to inform stakeholders and assist local and regional planning authorities to prepare and revise their own plans.

BHC plays an essential role in the local economy of Belfast and regional economy of Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland economy is largely dependent on seaborne trade and BHC handles 60% of this trade and 20% for the island of Ireland.

Belfast Harbour directly and indirectly supports approximately 31% of Northern Ireland's Gross Value Add (GVA) and 27% of employment. The Harbour Estate, extending to almost 2,000 acres, is home to over 650 businesses employing circa 17,000 people.

Forecasts for Belfast Harbour, indicate a potential growth in port tonnage of circa 68% from 17.6 million tonnes in the base year (2012) to 29.3 million tonnes in 2030. This represents a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 2.8%

The capacity analysis and resulting infrastructure and land strategy indicates that, to accommodate the projected tonnage of 29.3 million tonnes, an additional 60 acres of land must be created through reclamation.

The infrastructure and land strategy includes a significant increase in the intensification of use of the current facilities through the redevelopment of existing infrastructure.

For further details of the Belfast Harbour Port Masterplan, click here to download a PDF copy.