Port handles more cargo, less people

THE Port of Cork recorded further growth in traffic in 2006, topping 10 million tonnes of cargo handled for the second year.

The company’s chairman Dermot O’Mahoney said yesterday that the throughput of container traffic had increased 10.6%.

The number of containers shipped through the terminal was 107,000, with most of the traffic passing through Rotterdam, Antwerp and Zeebrugge.

Mr O’Mahoney said oil traffic accounts for 57.3% of cargo handled at the port, or 5.9 million tonnes last year, the bulk of which was for Conoco Philips refinery in Whitegate.

Non-oil traffic performed very well in 2006, showing an increase of 224,000 tonnes or 5.4% compared with the same period in 2005. Increases were recorded in commodities such as salt, cement, iron and steel, scrap and ore concentrates.

Imports of agri-products grew strongly during 2006, with cereals increasing by 20,000 tonnes to reach 158,000 tonnes and imports of animal feeds increasing from 522,000 tonnes to 652,000 tonnes.

The port’s facilities for the importation of trade cars are used by Ford, Opel, Fiat, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Citroen, Chrysler and Skoda. The number of vehicles handled in 2006 reached 72,000, a rise of 16.4% over the same period in 2005.

A record 38 cruise ships docked in the port, bringing 33,000 passengers. Mr O’Mahoney said ferry passengers declined 11.4% to 158,000, while tourist cars fell 12.6% to 47,000.