Dublin Port plans €600m development

The Dublin Port Company is hopeful of completing the first major phase of its ambitious 30-year €600m development plan within the next five years.

The €200m redevelopment of the Alexandra Basin site will create 200 construction-related jobs over the course of its five-year building phase and allow for an estimated increase in overall port volumes of 30% over a 10-year period.

The company has lodged a planning application for the project with An Bord Pleanála and is hopeful of receiving approval within 12 months. Following that, it is envisaged that work will commence immediately and finish in 2019.

Dublin Port Company chief executive, Eamonn O’Reilly said the ABR (Alexandra Basin Redevelopment) project “will give us the infrastructure, capacity and versatility needed to future-proof Dublin Port; catering for larger-sized vessels and increased trade volumes as Ireland returns to economic growth”.

He added that the project will utilise existing port lands and be financed by the company’s own resources. Last year saw Dublin Port Company increase pre-tax profits by 15.5%, to €22.8m; generate a turnover of €68.4m (up by nearly 5% on the previous year) and exit 2013 debt free.

ABR will see 3km of Dublin Port’s existing 7km of shipping berths made deeper (around 42% of the current berth volume), with some also being made longer; and will allow bigger and longer ferries, container vessels, bulk ships and cruise ships to use the port.