zoomImage Courtesy: Dublin Port Company

Shipping and port activity in Ireland rose by 7% in the first quarter of 2017 when compared to the corresponding period of 2016, Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO)

All five of the country’s principal freight segments saw volume increases in the first quarter of 2017. Unitised traffic, which consists of roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) and lift-on/lift-off (LoLo) traffic, continued to rise, growing by 5% when compared to the first quarter of 2016.

The RoRo freight sector for the Republic of Ireland saw volume growth of 7% in the first quarter of 2017, representing the fifth consecutive quarterly increase in this freight category.

Exports in the LoLo segment in Ireland rose by 6% compared to the same period a year earlier, while LoLo imports remained relatively unchanged, rising by 0.5%. Overall, LoLo traffic increased by 3% to 174,248 TEU.

IMDO added that the country’s bulk traffic segment saw tonnage volumes grow by 8%, excluding transhipments, when compared to the same period last year. This was driven primarily by an 11% increase in dry bulk tonnage, as well as 10% growth in break bulk volumes, representing the largest level of dry bulk volume recorded since 2007.

“The relatively large expansion in dry bulk reflects the fact that a high degree of volume fluctuation exists in this market when viewed on a quarterly basis. As for break bulk volumes, this is the largest quarter on quarter increase in this segment since Q2 2015,” according to IMDO.