Dublin Port has cleared a hurdle on their major redevelopment plan.
An Bord Pleanála, Ireland's governmental planning body, has granted permission for the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR) project, the largest single infrastructure development project in the port's history, to enable the handling of much larger ships.
The project envisages deepening the port's existing seven kilometres of berths as well as lengthening it by three. It will also provide an entrance channel with at least ten metres depth. The project should take five years to complete, costing an estimated €230 (US$253) million.
Because of the port's location, at the heart of Dublin Bay and Dublin City, the project was subjected to a rigorous assessment by An Bord Pleanála for possible impacts on the environment.
As well as being a record year for cargo for the port, 2015 will be a record year for the port's cruise business, with expectation that in the full year, nearly 100 cruise ships will bring 200,000 visitors to Dublin. These include some of the world's largest cruise ships such as MSC 'Splendida', 'Royal Princess' and 'Celebrity Silhouette'.