The volume of freight passing through Belfast Harbour reached new record levels in 2024, the trust port has announced.
Roll-on roll-off (RoRo) traffic increased from 610,000 freight equivalent units in 2023 to 617,000 last year.
Belfast Harbour said the traffic comprised HGVs, smaller commercial vehicles and cars for the motor trade passing through Stena Line’s terminal.
The total volume of goods handled by the north’s largest port recovered slightly in 2024 to 24.1 million tonnes, up from 23.9 million tonnes in 2023, but still below the 24.5 million from 2022.
Last year’s recovery was boosted by a record year for grains and feedstuffs, with 2.46 million tonnes registered, slightly ahead of the previous record of 2.43 million tonnes seen in 2021.
Claudine Heron of agri-food group W&R Barnett said the sector witnessed “exceptional demand” in 2024.
“We were delighted this aligned with operation of a new crane commissioned by Belfast Harbour mid-2023, delivering efficiencies and supporting record import volumes for grains and animal feedstuffs.”
Container traffic also increased by 3% year-on-year in 2024 to 124,000 units.
It followed two years of lower volumes following a post-pandemic high of 131,000 containers in 2021.
Belfast Harbour said the port’s traffic accounted for 25% of all sea trade for the island of Ireland last year.
Stena Line’s trade director, Paul Grant, said Belfast is now one of the ferry operator’s largest business hubs.
“That’s why have committed further significant investment in our fleet in the form of two purpose built NewMax vessels to operate on the Belfast-Heysham service which will an additional 40% freight capacity,” he said.
“The first ship Stena Futura will come into service on the route in autumn 2025.”
The overall volume of ferry passengers travelling through the port of Belfast remained steady at 1.7 million in 2024, with half a million cars sailing.
The number of tourist coaches increased last year by 5% to 12,700, but the number of cruise ships stopping in Belfast fell back from 158 in 2023 to 145 last year, although the diversity of ships and cruise liners increased.
The total number of cruise ship passengers slipped from 320,000 in 2023 to 260,000 in 2024.
Belfast Harbour said cruise tourism is still worth between £20-25m each year for the economy.
Last month the trust port announced plans to invest £90 million to develop a new deep-water quay, opening the port to the world’s largest cruise liners.
The new berth at the harbour’s ‘D3 terminal’ on the Airport Road, is expected to be ready for the 2028 tourist season.
Belfast Harbour’s port director, Michael Robinson, said: “The results for 2024 show that trade through Belfast Harbour remains resilient and that the port community has continued to transport people and deliver the goods and services relied on by communities and businesses in the region.”