'A challenging 2020' for Port of Cork but new freight services showed adaptability

The Port of Cork has reported that total traffic through the Port was down 2% to 9.2 million tonnes in 2020. 

According to the Port, the dip in trade traffic is a direct result of the challenges posed by Covid-19 and the cancellation of cruise calls to Cork in particular.

However, overall container traffic through the Port of Cork reached 250,000 TEUs, an increase of 4%. The Port attributes the strong performance in this area to several drivers, chief amongst them a demand from customers for direct routes, resulting in the introduction of several new container services.

In April 2020, CLdN Ro-Ro SA commenced a new weekly freight service between Cork and Zeebrugge. This route subsequently increased to twice weekly, highlighting the positive demand for direct, unaccompanied freight links to the EU, as shippers look to avoid the uncertainty surrounding the UK land bridge as a consequence of Brexit.

A further new route was established in June 2020, when Independent Container Line (ICL) commenced a new weekly direct service from Cork to USA, giving Ireland its first direct container service to the USA in many years.

However, Covid-19 did impact heavily on the Port’s tourism-related activities, with Brittany Ferries services to the continent decreasing sharply and only two cruise ship calls completed, compared to over a hundred calls in the previous year. 

The outlook for a return to cruise activities, in particular, remains poor and looks likely to remain so until the worst of the pandemic has ed.

Other areas of Port traffic, such as liquid bulk and break bulk decreased marginally however these areas are set to return in 2021.

Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of Cork said: 

“While 2020 was a challenging year, our port operations remained open throughout and we continued to play an important role in ensuring supply chains were maintained across the southern half of the country”.

He continued: “Some areas of our trade were adversely affected, particularly our cruise business, which effectively ceased last March due to Covid. That said, with the significant efforts that are being placed in the development of effective return protocols, we are confident that we will see a return to some level of cruise activity by the end of this year, and certainly in 2022. 

"Even with the challenges of the global pandemic and the advent of Brexit, the Port of Cork has welcomed several new freight services to the continent and an exciting, innovative direct link to the US, showing our resilience and capability to adapt, and our commitment to fulfilling our role as a vital cog in keeping the region moving”.

Bantry Bay Port Company, sister Port to the Port of Cork, had a strong performance and reported an increase in total trade traffic in 2020 to 1.3 million Tonnes.