3FM Project Set to Transform Poolbeg Peninsula

Dublin Port Company recently launched the €400 million 3FM Project, the third and final Masterplan Project which will deliver over 20% of the port capacity required by 2040, and includes a new bridge across the Liffey, three new public parks, and 5km of cycle and pedestrian routes.

November 2021 saw Dublin Port Company (DPC) launching the 3FM Project, the third and final Masterplan project needed to complete the development of Dublin Port and bring it to its ultimate and final capacity by 2040.

The 3FM Project will deliver 20% of the capacity required by 2040 by way of a new Lift-On/Lift-Off (Lo-Lo) terminal – 360,000 containers per annum – and a new Roll-On/ Roll-Off (RoRo) freight terminal – 288,000 freight trailers per annum – on one-fifth of Dublin Port’s lands, all located on the Poolbeg Peninsula, at an estimated cost of €400 million (2021 prices).

Construction will commence in 2026 and be completed between 2030 and 2035.

The project is at the pre-planning stage and DPC will lodge a planning application with An Bord Pleanála in early 2023. Between now and then, the company will prepare the detailed project design and environmental impact reports required for large infrastructure projects. November’s launch was the start of a detailed conversation with all stakeholders before that work begins.

“There is very little spare capacity for future growth of unitised trade in Dublin Port or in any other port in the country,” explained Eamonn O’Reilly, Dublin Port’s Chief Executive. “Planning for long-term needs as far out as 2040 is very difficult and it is important for us in Dublin Port to plan early to ensure that we are ready to construct nationally essential port capacity in advance of demand.”

Masterplan 2040 projects that Dublin Port will need capacity for an annual throughput of 3.1 million trailers and containers by 2040. “We are developing Dublin Port based on Masterplan 2040 at an overall estimated cost of €1.6 billion over the 30 years from 2010 to 2040,” Eamonn noted. “Port infrastructure is very expensive and, by the end of this year, we will have invested €500 million in the 11 years since 2010. Over the next five years, we will invest a further €450 million. We aim to begin to build the €400 million 3FM Project in 2026 and to complete it between 2030 and 2035.”

The project has six elements:

1.A new private road called the Southern Port Access Route (SPAR) to link the north and south port areas, taking HGVs off the public road via a new bridge across the River Liffey immediately east of the Tom Clarke Bridge – giving pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users a less congested route for active travel across the city.

2.The construction of the largest container terminal in the country in front of ESB’s Poolbeg Power Station with an annual throughput capacity of 360,000 containers (612,000 TEU).

3.The redevelopment of the existing blue container terminal to create a new Ro-Ro freight terminal in its place, with an annual throughput capacity of 288,000 freight trailers.

4.Creation of a 325-metre diameter ship turning circle in front of Pigeon House Harbour.

5.Development of 6.1 hectares (15.1 acres) of new public parks in three locations on the Poolbeg Peninsula to provide community gain:

a) 2.1 hectare (5.2 acre) sailing, rowing and maritime campus adjacent to the existing Poolbeg Yacht Club;

b) 1.2 hectare (3 acre) Pigeon House Park beside Pigeon House Harbour;

c) 2.8 hectare (6.9 acre) Port Park as a buffer between the Port and the Pembroke at Dublin Four development;

d) 5.5 km of cycle paths and pedestrian routes throughout the Poolbeg Peninsula.

6.Provision of a one-hectare site to accommodate utilities needed, firstly, for the City’s district heating scheme powered by the Covanta waste to energy plant and, secondly, to accommodate a range of utilities for the Pembroke at Dublin Four development.

Southern Port Access Route (SPAR):

“The benefits of the SPAR are that it will not only take HGV traffic from the Tom Clarke Bridge but will also take other non-Port-related HGV traffic,” explains Celine Daly, Technical Director, RPS Group, consultants, who also worked on the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment and MP2 Projects within Dublin Port. “And it allows public transport services onto the SPAR and there is an active travel route on the SPAR, which will be open to the public.”

New LoLo and RoRo Terminals:

The new LoLo container terminal will provide 650m of deep berthage with a cargo handling area and will help the Port to provide the capacity needed to deliver Masterplan 2040. “By creating a new container terminal, we are creating additional space for Lift-On/Lift-Off (LoLo) containers, which is very important, particularly given the increase in traffic coming from Europe,” explains Brendan Considine, Capital Programmes Director, Dublin Port Company. “In turn, that will free up the area where Marine Terminal Ltd (MTL) are at the moment for a Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo) operation, allowing for more efficient use of the space.”

Ferry Turning Circle:

Dublin Port Company undertook a comprehensive ship simulation project using ferries of up to 240m in length of varying power, demonstrating that the turning circle will allow those ships to move safely to and from their berth. “The reason we need the turning circle is due to the amount of increased traffic in Dublin Port and the fact that shipping companies are building larger ships and we need to be able to accommodate ferries up to 240m in length,” explains Michael McKenna, Harbour Master: “We need an appropriate and safe place for those vessels to be able to turn, either as they arrive into the Port or as they leave the Port. And it is key that the turning area is very close to their berth.”

Provision of Utilities:

The Poolbeg Peninsula is host to a number of utilities providers, including Irish Water, ESB, Synergen and the Covanta waste to energy plant. Dublin Port Company will provide an energy station on a one-hectare site adjacent to the new Port Park. “3FM will provide important solutions to a number of utility problems facing both Dublin and the Poolbeg Peninsula Area,” noted Cormac Kennedy, Head of Property, Dublin Port Company. DPC believe they can deliver a solution to connect Covanta’s district heating scheme to the existing pipe network. DPC is also ensuring that the former glass bottle site will have utility connections, including waste, water and a substation, and the company is also keen to work with wind-farm providers to provide both a landfall cable route as well as possibly a substation in the Poolbeg area.

Community Gain:

Within the 2040 Masterplan, Port-City integration is essential for the future development of the Port and the 3FM Project is particularly strong in this regard, as Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director, explains: “The Community Gain within 3FM includes two very substantial parks. Port Park, which is near Ringsend, will allow us to have proper greenways to go from that part into the nature reserve and onto the Great South Wall, and people can not only gain access to the Great South Wall but also learn about its 300-year-old history. The other park is beside Pigeon House Fort and that will give greater access to the water and to a part of the Port that hasn’t been seen in 50 years, to allow people to see the operation of what is the busiest port in Ireland.”