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Dublin Port Company’s MP2 Project has secured €73.8 million from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport, part of a larger €7 billion EU investment announced today. This funding is earmarked to enhance capacity, build new berths, and install shore-to-ship power, contributing to a more sustainable, safe, and smart transport infrastructure.
The MP2 Project aims to meet the rising demand for Roll-On Roll-Off (RoRo) freight, which is crucial given Ireland’s economic growth, increasing population, and the need for larger vessels on direct routes to Europe. The project includes constructing two interconnected berths, Berth 52 and Berth 53, at Terminal 5 on the North Port’s eastern end. These berths will feature double tier linkspans, allowing two decks of a ferry to be loaded simultaneously, and infrastructure for shore-side electricity to reduce in-port emissions from berthed ships. The berths are designed to accommodate the largest Ro-Ro vessels, up to 240 meters in length.
Dublin Port Company CEO Barry O’Connell emphasized the significance of this funding, stating, “Dublin Port is Ireland’s largest port, handling 80% of unitised freight volumes in the Republic of Ireland. We are a Tier 1 Port of National Significance under National Ports Policy and a ‘Core Port’ on the North Sea Mediterranean and Atlantic core network TEN-T corridors.”
O’Connell highlighted the MP2 Project as a critical part of the Port’s Masterplan 2040. “Our Masterplan 2040 is designed to ensure continued capacity to deliver Ireland’s key infrastructure requirements. The MP2 Project is the second core strategic project from this plan and significantly includes providing infrastructure for shore-to-ship power, reducing emissions from berthed vessels.”
This recognition at the EU level is a testament to the project’s importance, with the Department of Transport playing a key role in securing this funding. The MP2 Project is one of three core projects within the Port’s Masterplan 2040. The first, the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR) Project, also received CEF support and has seen substantial progress.
The MP2 Project focuses on optimizing existing port lands in the northeastern part of the Port estate. Upon completion, it will offer additional capacity for nearly one-third of the projected increase in Dublin Port’s Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo traffic through 2040. The third core project, the 3FM Project, aims to develop more port capacity on brown-field lands on the Poolbeg Peninsula.
This funding is part of a broader initiative to upgrade maritime ports across Ireland, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Lithuania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, and Poland. These upgrades will enable ports to provide shore-side electricity to vessels and support the transport of offshore renewable energy. In Ireland, both Dublin Port and Port of Cork have been selected to receive funding, along with three multi-country projects involving Irish partners.
