4.2 Future capacity requirements

Ports Policy and the Planning and Development System

4.1 Introduction The sustainable development of the port sector depends to a large extent on the relationship and interaction between the sector and the planning system. Ports act as international gateways, generate large volumes of traffic, and are key centres of economic activity. They are located at a unique interface between land and sea, in many cases in or near to major conurbations.

National Ports Policy is not prescriptive as regards the specific location of future port capacity. Locational indications regarding the specific location of future port capacity developments are incorporated within the existing planning and development hierarchy. The role of National Ports Policy is to establish a framework for setting out the likely requirements in the future, to highlight the strategic importance of providing for the continued development of the commercial port network, and to set out the bodies tasked with developing this additional capacity.

The provision of adequate and efficient capacity into the future is a crucial Government strategic objective. The policy review consultation document listed a number of emerging trends in global maritime transportation, which provide important indicators as to what may be required to ensure “adequate and efficient capacity” (Department of Transport, 2010) at Irish ports into the future.

Figure 4.1: Average gross tonnage of vessels calling at Irish ports

2,000

Average Gross

1,500

1,000

500

2000 2003 2006 2009 2011

The first of these trends is the shift by global shipping lines toward larger vessels requiring access to deeper water and the reduced availability of vessels to use smaller ports. This trend is very evident over the past decade. In 2000 the average gross tonnage of commercial vessels entering the State’s ports was 1,095 tonnes; in 2011 that figure had risen by 69% to 1,855 tonnes (see Figure 4.1).

Therefore, Government expects the Ports of National Significance (Tier 1) to lead the response of the State commercial ports sector to future national port capacity requirements. There is also a role in this regard for the Ports of National Significance (Tier 2) to develop additional capacity to aid competitive conditions, within the unitised sectors in particular.

It is the Government’s position that those ports considered to be of national significance must be capable of the type of port capacity required to ensure continued access to both regional and global markets for our trading economy.

This trend is both driven by economies of scale and is one of the shipping industry’s responses to environmental regulations.

As can be seen in Table 4.1, the Department has previously commissioned several reports on current and future capacity demand.

Shareholder support for major port capacity developments designed to address national capacity requirements will only be considered within the framework established above.

The most recent report was the Dublin Port National Development Plan Study, conducted in 2009. It referred to the need for significant additional unitised port capacity within the Greater Dublin Area emerging in the 2020–2030 period. This was incorporated into the most recent Regional Planning Guidelines for the area.

In light of the importance of the planning for future capacity, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport intends to instigate a more formalised approach toward capacity forecasting through commissioning independent analyses at regular intervals from 2018 onwards.

Since publication of that report, the unitised market sectors have experienced fluctuating and differing fortunes; LoLo traffic in the State fell by 8% in the period 2009–2011 while RoRo traffic increased by 8% in the same period. However, recent analysis by both Dublin and Cork port companies indicates that the conclusions of the Dublin Port National Development Plan Study remain largely valid and the State will require additional significant unitised capacity in the post-2030 period.

As part of broader Departmental work on freight policy, the Department will establish a format for regular, on-going origin and destination surveys in order to independently establish freight flows to/ from the ports. The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) has conducted research on this matter and is expected to report shortly to the Department.

In addition to the above, there are other emerging capacity requirements and opportunities in other areas, including cruise tourism and the offshore energy market.

The planning, financing and development of largescale infrastructure projects, such as major port capacity proposals, requires significant organisational, operational and financial resources. It is important that, in the State commercial ports sector, bodies bringing forward significant port capacity developments have the resources required to ensure that the State’s and the public’s interest is protected and enhanced.

Year	Report
1998	Assessment of Irish Commercial Seaport Capacity