Dublin Port’s MP2 Project awarded EUR73.8 million in funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility for Transport

17 July 2024

Funding will increase capacity, construct new berths & install shore-to-ship power

Dublin Port Company's MP2 Project has been awarded EUR73.8 million in funding from the EU's CEF Transport (Connecting Europe Facility for Transport) programme. It is one of 134 projects within a €7 billion EU investment being announced today, supporting sustainable, safe and smart transport infrastructure.

The CEF Transport funding will be applied to key components of the MP2 Project which will increase berth capacity to handle projected future demand for Roll-On Roll-Off (RoRo) freight. This will meet the needs of economic growth, Ireland's rising population, operator demand for new RoRo services and the needs of larger vessels on direct services to Europe.

This includes the construction of two inter-dependent berths, totalling 572 metres, Berth 52 and Berth 53, at Terminal 5 at the eastern end of the North Port. They will include double tier linkspans (where two decks of a ferry can be loaded simultaneously), as well as infrastructure for the installation of shore-side electricity supply for ships while berthed in port. The berths are designed to cater for the largest in class Ro-Ro vessels of up to 240m length.

Speaking about the award, Dublin Port Company CEO Barry O'Connell said,

"Dublin Port is Ireland's largest port, handling 80% of unitised freight volumes in the Republic of Ireland. We are a Tier 1 Port of National Significance under National Ports Policy and a 'Core Port' on the North Sea Mediterranean and Atlantic core network TEN-T corridors.

"Our Masterplan 2040 is designed to ensure continued capacity to deliver Ireland's key infrastructure requirements and the MP2 Project is the second core strategic project from this plan. Significantly, it includes providing infrastructure for the installation of shore-to-ship power - significantlyreducing in-port emissions from berthed vessels.

"This recognition of the Masterplan at EU level is very welcome. The Department of Transport has been instrumental in ensuring the significance of the MP2 Project is understood, and we greatly appreciate their role in securing this funding for Ireland."

The MP2 Project is the first of the three core projects in the Port's Masterplan 2040, the first of which is the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR) Project which also received CEF support, and considerable work has already been undertaken on this project.

The MP2 Project focuses on the use of existing port lands in the north-eastern part of the Port estate. When complete, it will provide additional capacity for almost one-third of the projected increases in Dublin Port's Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo traffic to 2040.

The third and final core project to complete Masterplan 2040 is the 3FM Project, which is focused on developing additional port capacity on port owned brown-field lands on the Poolbeg Peninsula.

Under the wider funding announced today, maritime ports in Ireland, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Lithuania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece and Poland will be upgraded; developments will allow them to supply shore-side electricity to vessels and transport offshore renewable energy. Two Irish ports (Dublin Port and Port of Cork) and three multi-country projects involving Irish partners were selected to receive funding.

More on the Dublin Port Masterplan - click here

More on the MP2 Project - click here