Dublin Port Company has reported that the Ireland port's volumes have recovered in the first quarter of 2022 against the background of a large decline in Q1 2021 because of Brexit.
Dublin Port has achieved an overall growth of 13.7% to 8.9 million gross tonnes compared to the same period in 2021, with imports from January to March growing by 14.2% to 5.4 million gross tonnes and exports increasing by 12.8% to 3.5 million gross tonnes.
"Given that the first quarter of 2021 was very weak in the wake of Brexit – with overall cargo volumes back by -15% – we anticipated, and, duly saw, strong recovery of 14% in the first quarter of the year to nine million gross tonnes," commented Dublin Port’s chief executive, Eamonn O’Reilly.
Unitised trade (Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo) of the European port accounted for 82% of all cargo volumes in the quarter and the number of trailers and containers combined increased by 13.3% to 363,000 units.
Within this, there was a strong recovery in RoRo with a growth of 22.9% to 250,000 units. This was partly offset by a decrease in LoLo of 3.5% to 112,000 units, equivalent to 202,000 TEU.
"Dublin Port accounts for four-fifths of all trailers and containers handled in ports in Ireland and, in the first quarter of 2022, volumes grew strongly by +13% to 363,000 units," said Eamonn O’Reilly, who explains, "This recovery was driven, in large part, by the 23% growth to 192,000 units in freight volumes on services to the ports of Holyhead, Liverpool and Heysham. However, volumes on these routes are still 18% below their pre-Brexit levels. Elsewhere, volumes of trailers and containers on services to the European Union and beyond – which had increased by 18% last year – grew in the first quarter of 2022 by a further 2% to 171,000 units."
At the same time, bulk Liquid imports of petroleum products returned to the pre-pandemic record levels of 2019 with strong growth of 20.2% to 1.1 million tonnes, while bulk solids (including agrifeed products, ore concentrates and cement products) finished the quarter +8.0% ahead at 600,000 tonnes.
"Imports of petroleum through Dublin Port account for nearly one-third of all of the country’s energy needs and, in the first quarter, volumes of petrol, diesel and other fuels increased by one-fifth," noted Eamonn O’Reilly.
Dublin Port’s chief executive concluded, "Dublin Port’s last record year was 2019 and volumes in the first quarter of this year were 8% lower than they had been three years ago. The level of growth we are now seeing at the start of 2022 suggests that record throughput levels will again be seen by 2023 or 2024. This growth maintains the pressure on us to continue to deliver our large capital programme at pace. This will not be easy against the background of high inflation which is particularly evident in the construction sector."
