Three Years Investment into Port of Belfast (Northern Ireland)

The Port of Belfast will invest in a logistics terminal for handling the offshore operations of DONG Energy in the Irish Sea and to promote Belfast’s “green economy”.

The project is part of the Port Development Plan 2011-2013, the largest single investment, as reported by the Port Authority. The tender for the terminal is soon to be published.

Furthermore, the three-year plan includes projects in the commercial port clearance and handling area such as the renewal of cranes.

About DONG Energy

DONG Energy is one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, headquartered in Denmark. Dong’s business is based on procuring, producing, distributing and trading in energy and related products in Northern Europe. They have approx 6,000 employees and generated EUR 7.3bn in revenue in 2010. DONG Energy has built more large scale offshore wind farms than any other developer in the world, making it the market leader in the field.

About Port of Belfast

Belfast Harbour (also Port of Belfast) is a major maritime gateway in Northern Ireland, serving the Northern Ireland economy and increasingly that of the Republic of Ireland. With almost 1.2 million passengers and half a million freight units annually, Belfast is Ireland’s second largest maritime gateway.

It is a major centre of industry and commerce and has become established as the focus of logistics activity for Northern Ireland. Around two thirds of Northern Ireland’s seaborne trade, and a quarter of that for Ireland as a whole, is handled at the port which receives over 6000 vessels each year. The Port of Belfast is located at the centre of Northern Ireland’s largest industrial and commercial zone with two thirds of the region’s major industrial employers located within 15 km of the Port.

It is Ireland’s leading dry bulk port, dominating the market with regard to imports of grain and animal feeds, coal, fertilisers and cement. Over 95% of Northern Ireland’s petroleum and oil products are also handled at the Port.

The Port and its land have been valued recently at over £10 billion.

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Source: offshorewind, April 28, 2011;