Opening up the east of Ireland

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources Frank Fahey T.D., launched a new container shipping service from Drogheda Port to Rotterdam in early November.

Captain Martin Donnelly, Harbour Master, with the Drogheda Port Company explained the significance of securing the new service against stiff competition.

The new service jointly operated by Geest Ireland Ltd., and Norfolk Line Containers currently runs once a week from Drogheda, sailing on Tuesday. A second vessel sailing on Friday evening will be added to the schedule in February. Martin enthused: “the two companies have come together in a joint vessel sharing arrangement. It is a very novel concept and we are very excited about it. It is a huge coup for Drogheda. It comes on the back of our port development of Tom Roe’s Point and the dredging of the channel.”

Securing the service for the port represents a vote of confidence in the Drogheda Port Company and its new development. Martin elaborated: “we have spent about £14 million here in developing the port. That includes the construction of a new 160 metre quay with a 210 metre “always afloat” ship berth pocket along side so we can berth two ships. We also have about 14 acres of storage with one new crane on site and a second crane coming on site in February.”

The development included dredging the channel. “That allows us to take in bigger and larger ships. With the facilities we now have and the additional land. We are now in a position, strategically located on Dublin’s doorstep to offer a viable alternative to Dublin Port. We used take in ships up to 3,000 tonnes deadweight. Now those ships can go up to 5,000 to 5,500 deadweight. The economies of scale will kick in very much now. If you can send one ship instead of two the benefits are there to be seen,” Martin added.

The arrival of “blue chip” companies such as Geest Ireland an Norfolk Line Containers has certainly put the port in the shop window. “The service is operating very well and is very successful. That will make the other market leaders stand and look at their own operations and in doing that they will look at Drogheda and what we have to offer. Companies are always trying to improve their position both competitively and in terms of their customer focus.”

The new service will add an estimated 20,000 truck movements to port traffic and increase ship movements by 200 per annum. “There is going to be a big increase in traffic but when you build a port, you are building it with the view of increasing your tonnage throughput. Throughput projections were all pre-forecast at the very early planning stages of this development,” Martin explained.

Martin revealed that there is a broad welcome in the town for the new service. “There is concern about what impact it will have on the town. Both Louth Co. Co. and Drogheda Corporation have been very supportive of the Port Company in securing this business and have put in some temporary traffic measures to ease traffic getting off the dock.

Support for the development project is good. People can see the blue containers rolling up the North Quay on a regular basis and they know what is happening down here. Indeed since Geest and Norfolk have arrived there has been quite a spend in the town.”

The development of Tom Roe’s Point has brought the port to a new level. Traditionally the port was renowned for bulk movements. “Drogheda was primarily a regional bulk port. We had been been doing some container traffic directly to Scandanavia (Lys Line) but the volumes were small. Now you have a regional port that is breaking new boundaries. We are now entering into the more specialised market of container handling. We are putting up the facilities and the service and we know we can give the customer what they need in order to do business in Drogheda,” Martin enthused.

Drogheda has built its reputation over the years on customer loyalty, good pricing, quality of service, and importantly for its extremely good industrial relations. “There has never been a strike at this port. In the face of the large competing ports these are the elements that we excel on. That is why people want to come to Drogheda. They know we are going to provide them with a top quality service,” Martin revealed.

Another huge plus for the port is its close proximity to Dublin city. “We are sitting on the door step of the capital city. We are only 40 minutes from the centre of the city. You can get from Drogheda docks to the centre of the city faster than you can from Dublin docks,” he enthused.

Martin would like to see further improvements to the road infrastructure in Drogheda and its hinterland. To that end the Ballymakenny cross route which will take a direct link off the new facility at Tom Roe’s point to the motorway is a priority. “That is being pushed very hard by us, the local authorities and officials in the department of the Marine. With the success of the port a speedy access to the motorway is essential. It is important to get our traffic onto the motorway as quickly as possible

Flush with the success of securing the Geest Ireland and Norfolk Line Containers service, the Drogheda Port Company is not content to sit on its laurels. “We will continue to push out the boundaries to attract more business to Drogheda. We have a new facility to offer. We have a skilled and qualified workforce and we have the know how to do it at a competitive price. If the customer is happy with the service, they will come to Drogheda,” Martin concluded.