Belfast Harbour £300m plan includes deep water quay and autonomous vehicles

The beforehand determination prosperity 2025-2029 strategy outlines Belfast Harbour's plans to put £208m successful larboard improvements and £105m successful the ongoing regeneration and improvement of the harbour property and waterfront

A £300m program for the aboriginal of Belfast Harbour has been unveiled, featuring a caller heavy h2o quay and autonomous vehicles.

The ambitious strategy besides includes the operation of sustainable warehouses, City Quays 5 with office, retail, hospitality and accumulation space, affordable lodging and the targeting of a bid of caller productions astatine Belfast Harbour Studios.

The beforehand determination prosperity 2025-2029 strategy, launched connected Tuesday, outlines Belfast Harbour’s plans to put £208m successful larboard improvements and £105m successful the ongoing regeneration and improvement of the harbour property and waterfront. The biggest connection – which volition beryllium the largest-ever azygous superior task undertaken by Belfast Harbour – is simply a £90m heavy h2o quay to accommodate immoderate of the world’s largest cruise ships.

It volition besides grow the port’s capableness and capabilities for offshore upwind turbine assembly and installation, and is expected to beryllium completed by 2030. Other important larboard projects outlined successful the strategy see the transportation of new, sustainably powered cranes, the planning, plan and consent for a rebuild of Stormont Wharf, the operation of caller BREAAM Excellent sustainable warehouses and the deployment of autonomous vehicles crossed the larboard and estate.

Investment successful the harbour property volition see the £60m improvement of City Quays 5, a important mixed-use regeneration task including office, retail, hospitality and accumulation space.

There are besides plans to grow City Quays 4, including the improvement of 325 homes with affordable lodging options, are acceptable to determination forward. The purpose is to person an further 3,000 houses successful spot by the twelvemonth 2030, according to Belfast Harbour's projections.

The Harbour is besides gearing up to present The Harlander, an autonomous rider vehicle, crossed its property by 2029, with on-road trials starting this year. That's not each – a bid of caller productions astatine Belfast Harbour Studios are expected to boost the system by an awesome £200m by the extremity of the decade.

Functioning arsenic a spot larboard that's self-financed, Belfast Harbour reinvests each after-tax profits into processing some the larboard and the property for the wider payment of the metropolis and region.

Dr Theresa Donaldson, chairwoman of Belfast Harbour Commissioners, said: "By investing £313 million, we volition physique connected our strengths arsenic the region’s starring larboard and a captious economical hub, delivering for our customers and tenants.

"We volition proceed our pioneering efforts to diversify and decarbonise, helping to reimagine and regenerate the city, and bring further prosperity to the region.

"Crucially, we volition heighten our estimation arsenic a starring larboard for cruise tourism and leverage our expertise arsenic the lone larboard connected the land with offshore upwind facilities.

"As a spot port, Belfast Harbour reinvests each penny of post-tax profits backmost into the concern and the community, ensuring semipermanent worth for the region."

"Our concern to day has created jobs, strengthened proviso chains, raised sustainability standards and attracted large overseas investors to the city."

"Our 2025-29 strategy aims to proceed this translation and beforehand prosperity for the region."

Joe O’Neill, main enforcement of Belfast Harbour, commented connected their ambitions, saying, "The summation of a caller heavy h2o quay volition not lone adhd to the c. 300,000 cruise visitors welcomed by Belfast Harbour each year, it besides gives america the accidental to grow our capableness successful the assembly and installation of offshore wind.

"This strategy volition enactment Belfast Harbour astatine the forefront of the cleanable vigor transition."

"Our strategy volition besides enactment the Northern Ireland Executive and Belfast City Council to tackle cardinal issues including the proviso of housing, responding to clime alteration and helping turn a much sustainable and globally connected economy."

Stormont Economy Minister Conor Murphy said: "The projected investments enactment my department’s strategical objectives of creating bully jobs and reaching nett zero by 2050 and volition supply tangible benefits for the economy."

"Investment successful caller facilities that volition beforehand the vigor transition, arsenic good arsenic improving the attractiveness of the larboard arsenic a cruise destination, shows Belfast Harbour’s committedness to generating a prosperous aboriginal for all."