Bechtel to deliver port masterplan to support Ireland’s emerging offshore wind industry
Shannon Foynes Port expansion will establish its status as a key hub for European trade and renewable energy
Shannon Foynes Port Company has selected Bechtel to update its Vision 2041 masterplan to accommodate offshore and onshore investment within and adjacent to its harbor in Ireland. Bechtel will support SFPC in considering how to deliver significant growth and expansion of the port, including how it can support the burgeoning offshore wind industry, as well as the production of alternative shipping fuels that could transform Shannon Foynes into a leading European port.
Shannon Foynes Port is situated in Ireland’s deepest sheltered commercial harbor with jurisdiction over all marine activities on a 500-kilometre square area on the Shannon Estuary, stretching from Kerry to Loop Head to Limerick City. Alongside the world’s busiest shipping routes and with water depths of up to 32-metres, the port is uniquely positioned to expand as a cargo hub serving the domestic, European and worldwide markets. The port is the biggest industrial employer in the region and currently has the capacity to handle over 10-million tonnes annually. The expansion, including a new 1-kilometer-long dock, will increase capacity to 20-million tonnes annually and will be accommodated by up to 1200 hectares of land zoned for strategic development.
The port is also well positioned near the Atlantic wind resource that will be essential to Ireland reaching its ambition to generate 20GW of offshore wind by 2050. The expanded facilities at Shannon Foynes would include hydrogen and ammonia production facilities for long-term energy storage and will also consider the export of the renewable energy/fuels produced. Bechtel’s role will be to assess and refresh the port’s masterplan, known as Vision 2041, to best leverage these advantages and further boost growth and support the region’s emerging offshore wind industry.
Bechtel are global experts in ports, having delivered facilities around the globe, including Khalifa Port, the most advanced trading hub in the Middle East. Over 40 years ago, Bechtel was involved in the construction of Aughinish Alumina, the largest industrial complex on the Shannon estuary and adjacent to Foynes port. Bechtel is taking a growing position in Ireland supporting the renewal of infrastructure and the growth of renewables. The company was recently appointed by daa as its integrated delivery partner for Dublin Airport’s capital investment program, and is also supporting the Ervia Cork Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage project pre-FEED study for the development of CO2 transport pipeline networks, liquefaction, storage, and shipping facilities for CO2 clusters in Ireland. This project is part funded by the European Commission under the Connecting Europe Facility funding instrument.
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