Dublin Port Company reports 2019 growth of 3.6pc to 1.5 million unitised units

The Dublin Port Company has reported a growth in unitised volumes of 3.6 per cent to 1.5 million units for 2019 including ro-ro, reported London's Port Technology.

Despite this, a company statement notes, the continued strength in unitised growth was offset but a large one-off decline in dry bulk commodities and, as a result, overall tonnage growth for the year was just 0.4 per cent.



Said Dublin Port CEO Eamonn O'Reilly: 'While overall tonnage growth was low at 0.4 per cent, there were one-off factors behind the decline in bulk solid volumes in 2019 which will not be repeated in 2020.'



Looking at the 2019 trade figures in detail, containers and freight trailers accounted for 83 per cent of all cargo including ro-ro.



Ro-ro grew by 2.6 per cent in 2019 to 1.1 million units (1,059,103). Meanwhile, container volumes grew 6.5 per cent to 774,000 TEU and have now, 12 years later, finally surpassed the pre-recession level of 2007.



Imports of new trade vehicles through Dublin Port decreased by 4.4 per cent to 99,000 during 2019.



'The dominant feature of 2019 was the continued strong growth in the unitised modes with ro-ro ahead by 2.6 per cent and lift on lift off (lo-lo) by 6.5 per cent,' said Mr O'Reilly.



'Behind these growth figures, however, we saw a marked difference between the UK and the EU-26. Where GB volumes declined by 0.2 per cent, volumes on ro-ro and lo-lo services to Continental Europe grew 10.7 per cent,' he said.



'The continued large growth in unitised volumes underpins the need for Dublin Port Company to continue the major EUR1 billion (US$1.09 billion) investment programme from now to 2029.



'In December, we finalised a EUR300 million private placement debt facility and, with the finance now in place, capital investment will continue apace during 2020 on the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project, at Dublin Inland Port and on the redevelopment of the port's road network to provide the capacity needed as the port grows to maximum capacity utilisation by 2040,' said Mr O'Reilly.


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