Belfast Harbour to invest in £15m revamp to prepare for new ferries

Belfast Harbour is investing £15m in a redevelopment of Victoria Terminal 2 in order to handle the next generation of freight ferries due to arrive next year.

Victoria Terminal 2 at Belfast Harbour currently handles more than 200,000 freight units on ferries between Belfast and Liverpool each year, providing a vital trade link between Northern Ireland and England. The level of transit through the port has been rising recently, and the harbour is investing in order to future proof the terminal in anticipation of both increased traffic and new larger ferries.

Ferry firm Stena Line currently operates the freight and passenger crossings on this trade route, and is expanding its operation when its new E-Flexer ships arrive next year. The new ships have been built in China and have a 40% larger freight capacity, but berthing them will require infrastructure at the terminal site and a new ramp will need to be built to allow simultaneous onboarding of vehicles.

Belfast Harbour port director Michael Robinson said: "The upgrade of the VT2 ferry terminal represents another significant investment by Belfast Harbour in Northern Ireland's transport infrastructure and will provide best-in-class facilities for Northern Ireland's importers and exporters. The project includes the design and construction of a two-tier ramp that will make it faster to load and discharge traffic, improve customers' experience and enhance connectivity to one of Northern Ireland's key markets.

Source: Belfast Telegraph