The project was entirely self-financed by DPC and was delivered on schedule and within budget.
T4 represents a milestone in the realization of the ABR Project, which is the first of three major capital development initiatives under Dublin Port’s Masterplan, designed to futureproof the port’s cargo handling capacity until 2040.
The new freight terminal is expected to handle more than 220,000 RoRo units annually, accounting for over one-fifth of all RoRo units at Dublin Port based on 2022 volumes. This makes it the port with the highest RoRo freight capacity in the Republic of Ireland.
The expansion of T4’s capacity involved reconfiguring 4.1 hectares of existing port lands, creating more efficient space for handling European and UK unaccompanied RoRo units. This development comes at a time of increasing demand for unaccompanied RoRo freight services (goods on trailers transported by ferry without a driver) to and from the greater Dublin market post-Brexit. Additionally, it has enabled the establishment of a new transhipment route to Santander, explains the operator.
T4 also introduces 3 kilometres of new quay walls, upgrading the Victorian-era port infrastructure to support direct routes between Dublin and Liverpool/Heysham operated by ferry company Seatruck. The project entailed the demolition of an old jetty, which was replaced with two modern jetties, each measuring 270 meters, capable of accommodating the largest ferries, measuring 240 meters in length. These jetties have been future-proofed to allow for shore-to-ship power in the years ahead.
Minister of State, Jack Chambers, TD, who inaugurated T4, highlighted the port’s significance, stating:
“Dublin Port is Ireland’s largest freight and passenger port, handling approximately 51% of national tonnage. Its importance is even more pronounced in the unitized freight sector as it handles 71% of all Load-on/Load-off and 80% of all Roll-on/Roll-off tonnage in and out of the country. T4 will greatly enhance Roll-on/Roll-off capabilities at the Port.”
Barry O’Connell, Chief Executive of Dublin Port Company, emphasized the importance of T4 in further enhancing the port’s efficiency, especially in facilitating growing customer demand for direct shipping routes between Dublin, the UK, and Europe. O’Connell also stressed the need to continue the Masterplan 2040 projects to meet the demand in the long term.
The development of T4 has led to the closure of an entrance onto East Wall Road, paving the way for DPC’s Liffey Tolka Greenway project, set to commence construction in 2024.