News
Larne Harbour is Voted Irish Port of the Year
Monday 12 October 2009
Prestigious Award comes to the Port of Larne
Larne is Voted Irish Port of the Year
The Port of Larne has been voted 'Port of the Year' at the prestigious annual Export & Freight Transport & Logistics Awards.
The Port was presented with the award, sponsored by Norfolkline, at a glittering ceremony held recently in Belfast before a packed audience of leading players in the industry.
The Port of Larne's prime position in the Northern Ireland logistics chain is even more important now during the recession when reliability and efficiency are vital. In 2008 the port handled 415,000 ro-ro freight units and, although it has experienced a downturn in the first half of 2009, it still offers a tremendous facility to the industry.
The Port of Larne prides itself on offering a top-class facility to ferry operators and the industry as a whole. There is a core, dedicated and very experienced team who take great pride in keeping the port operating 24/7 with up to 28 ro-ro sailings a day. The port's own maintenance team are on call 24 hours a day to make sure that Larne's four ship-to-shore vehicle ramps are always available.
Extensive marshalling and parking areas for lorries have been added to in recent years with the commercial development of facilities immediately alongside the port. There is now a hotel within 200m of the entrance, two new haulage depots have been built, as well as autoparts, tyre and vehicle servicing units. A fiilling station with truckers' eating area has also been built.
Even in the present difficult economic climate, the Port of Larne is preparing for the future and has just started out on a Masterplan which will set out development proposals for the next 20 years, designed to keep Larne in its top position.
The Transport & Logistics awards ceremony - now in its eighth year - is organised annually by Export & Freight, Ireland's leading transport magazine, and is recognised as the premier event in the Irish transport calendar. There are 16 categories covering every aspect of the transport and logistics sectors, with the aim of identifying the best in the industry.
The magazine, and its sister publications, 'Plant & Civil Engineer,' which covers the plant, construction and quarrying sectors, and 'Sustainable Ireland' covering the energy, environmental and waste management markets, is published by Hillsborough based 4Square Media.
