The Port of Belfast


The 400 year-old history of the Port of Belfast is inextricably linked with the development and progress of the City of Belfast. 

The Port of Belfast is one of the principal maritime gateways on the island of Ireland, linking importers and exporters with Great Britain, Europe and onward to worldwide markets. 
Throughout the centuries, the history of the Port has recognised the importance of the foresight and bold vision of previous generations of Trustees, Operators and Commissioners in creating the basis of the modern Port. This bold and visionary approach carried on by successive generations of Harbour Commissioners has ensured the continued growth of the PortÕs capabilities and underpinned the development of regional trade. 
The modern port 
The Port handles over 60% of Northern IrelandÕs sea-borne trade and 20% for the Republic of Ireland, with cross border trade accounting for over 40% of BelfastÕs roll-on/ roll-off traffic. The Port is also Northern IrelandÕs leading logistics and distribution hub and is home to many well-known local businesses such as the George Best City Airport, Harland & Wolff, Bombardier, Odyssey, the NI Science Park and the Titanic Quarter development.  
The Port of BelfastÕs activities cover three distinct areas: 
¥	
Services to shipping. 

¥	
Warehousing and distribution services. 

¥	
Management and development of the Harbour Estate, including co-promotion with Titanic Quarter Ltd of the 185-acre Titanic Quarter development. 


The many benefits offered by the Port of Belfast Ð its location at the hub of Northern IrelandÕs motorway network; location at the centre of population, industry and commerce; modern port facilities; competitive port charges and efficient working practices Ð have enabled it to attract a wide range of shipping services to the Port and provide flexible transport options for IrelandÕs importers and exporters and for the travelling public. Regular shipping services operating at the Port provide nearly 80 freight and passenger sailings each week to Great Britain. Additionally, ten direct container sailings each week to Continental European Ports provide an essential link to worldwide markets. 

Roll-on/Roll-off 
On 7th May 2008, the Port and Stenaline opened a new £35m Stena Line ferry terminal on a 32 acre site at the mouth of the existing port, which will facilitate the reduction of crossing times to Loch Ryan, Scotland. The Port of Belfast is one of the busiest passenger Port in Ireland handling a record 1.3m passengers in 2007. 


Port Development
During 2007 the Port continued
its five year (2006-2010) £142m
Capital Expenditure programme
to deliver new terminals,
logistics facilities and container
capacity. The main highlights
included:
¥ The opening of a 75,000-tonne
capacity, animal feeds facility
at Stormont Wharf. This
deep-water facility ensures
the Port of Belfast maintains
its position as the leading
agriculture sector port on
the island.
¥ The opening of Belfast
Container Terminal (BCT),
the PortÕs second dedicated
container terminal at an 11.5
acre site at Herdman Channel.
BCT is one of the largest
container facility expansions
to be developed by an Irish
Port in the last decade.
¥ The opening of a 3,530sq m
warehouse facility for
Menzies Distribution Ltd.
This represents the first
development at the new
40-acre Logistics Park at
Airport Road West.
future
developments
95
ÔProject 2025Õ Ð The Future of the Port of Belfast
In July 2007, the Port of Belfast unveiled plans to reclaim 120 acres
of land from Belfast Lough at a cost of £630m to accommodate
economic growth.
The announcement was made as an economic report was published
detailing the scale of the PortÕs contribution to the Northern Ireland
economy. Produced by the London-based research consultancy ÔCEBRÕ,
the study forecast that by 2025 the Port, like all other Northern Ireland
Ports, will be required to cater for a doubling of traffic if Northern Ireland
is to match economic activity in the rest of the UK.
According to the independent study the PortÕs
activities, directly and indirectly, support 187,000 jobs
(27% of Northern IrelandÕs entire workforce) and 31%
of the regionÕs total economic value (£19.5 billion).
This study also calculated that the value of trade
handled by the Port in 2007 was £21.4 billion.
Although the ongoing removal of barriers to
international trade presents opportunities for
Northern IrelandÕs economy, it is also crucial to
ensure that Northern Ireland has the infrastructure
in place: the terminals, the quays, the warehouses
and the roads, to successfully manage the projected
growth and to allow for the closing of the performance
gap between Northern Ireland and the rest of the
UK and the Republic.
Roy Adair, CEO, Port of Belfast, said:
ÒThe report shows how important the Port of Belfast
is to the continued success of the Northern Ireland
economy. Economic growth means that current Port
land resources will become exhausted and it is for this
reason that we plan to reclaim 120 acres from Belfast
Lough. The new land will support an additional 6 km
of quayside and will require a total investment of
£630m. Since BelfastÕs earliest days, the Port has
ensured that local products can reach markets across
the world. From our original base at the bottom of
High Street, we have grown, and will continue to grow,
to meet the needs of the Northern Ireland economy.Ó
Tel. 028 9055 4422
Web. www.belfast-harbour.co.uk

History & Development
The first quay in Belfast was established
at the confluence of the Rivers Lagan and
Farset, however, access in the early 1600s to
and from the quay proved to be navigationally
tortuous for nearly two centuries. The
development of the Port of Belfast took a
significant turn in 1785, when a new body
was established to manage the affairs of
the Port under the title of ÒThe Corporation
for preserving and improving the Port &
Harbour of BelfastÓ. The Corporation,
mindful of the shortcomings of the existing
Port, realised that bold steps were necessary
for future development and embarked upon
a comprehensive large-scale improvement
of the Port.
For the next 30 years, attempts to open new
channels were frustrated by lack of finances
and appropriate powers. Despite the
limitations of these early wharfs and quays,
a secure economic platform for the Port of
Belfast was created which enabled local
industries such as linen and rope-making
to flourish and attracted prosperous new
industries such as shipbuilding.
The beginning of the year 1830 marked
the dawn of a new era destined to elevate
Belfast from a position of comparative
insignificance to a point where it ranked as
one of the best equipped Ports of the United
Kingdom. In 1839, the long overdue cutting
of a new channel was commenced using
steam engines. Completed two years later,
the new channel was opened with a depth
of 3 metres; the spoil from the cutting was
then used to create a 7-hectare island Ð
ÔQueenÕs IslandÕ Ð which has became
synonymous with Shipbuilding.
In 1847 a new Body was constituted to
control the Port of Belfast Ð The Belfast
Harbour Commissioners. The Harbour
Commissioners remain today as the
Custodians of the Port of Belfast, ensuring
the continued growth of the PortÕs capabilities
and underpinning the development of
regional trade.