Port of Cork bids for Marino Point plant

THE Port of Cork has put in a bid for the former IFI plant at Marino Point, with plans to develop part of it as a national bio-energy centre.

The port’s marketing manager Captain Michael McCarthy also emphasised the company was still intent on developing a new €226 million deep water terminal at Ringaskiddy, but also saw immense potential with the Marino Point site near Cobh.

“The port has recently received a number of inquiries from the bio-energy sector. If we are successful with the bid, we plan to use some of the land at Marino Point to create a centre for the Irish bio-fuels industry,” Capt McCarthy said.

He said the Port of Cork had always identified the disused site as having a role to play in its plans, but not on the scale envisaged for the proposed deep water terminal at the Oysterbank, Ringaskiddy.

“We always identified Marino Point as having a role in handling some general types of cargo for us. But our emphasis is still on getting the container terminal at Ringaskiddy,” the captain said.

He said Marino Point would be an ideal location for bio-energy companies and could lead to major job creation in future years.

“Our ambition is to help increase employment in that sector in the Cork region,” Capt McCarthy said.

The port’s application for a new container terminal at Ringaskiddy was turned down recently by An Bord Pleanála, following a lengthy oral hearing.

“We are currently reviewing the whole planning application. The results of that review should be known in November,” he said.

The port authorities still view the Oysterbank as the best location for a new container terminal, because it has the deepest water in the harbour.

Meanwhile, Port of Cork management have announced they are investing €3.6 million in heavy equipment. The investment will include the purchase of a new LHM 400 crane and a hopper. Both pieces of plant equipment will be in operation at Ringaskiddy deepwater terminal by the end of this year.

The machinery will be sourced from Liebherr Werk Nenzing and E Buttimer & Company.

With larger ships on the increase, the port needs to offer customers a more flexible service to accommodate their needs.

The new crane and hopper will increase efficiency at Ringaskiddy and will provide customers with similar machinery to that being provided in other Irish Ports for similar size vessels and cargo.

Brendan Keating, the port’s chief executive, said changes in ship sizes to larger vessels and the important need to accommodate both existing and new customers led to the purchase .

“We need to be able to avail of new trade opportunities particularly in the area of project cargo and investing in such plant equipment will allow the port to do so. The Port of Cork is committed to expanding its facilities and modernising its cargo handling at Ringaskiddy,” Mr Keating added.