Belfast Harbour handles more than 488,000 tonnes of break bulk goods (including timber, steel, paper and more) every year.

With world-class freight facilities, it's no wonder why hauliers, manufacturers and carriers continue to choose Belfast for their Irish Sea freight operations. 

In this article, we will be covering some of the port's best features and its most popular freight routes. Let's get started. 

Warehousing

Belfast Harbour sits on a 2,000 acre estate, and has devoted more than 2 million square feet to warehousing for freight companies - that’s more than 28 football pitches. 

A large portion of these warehousing facilities are used for break bulk cargo, for which the port has invested significant resources into providing “purpose-built” storage. 

New innovations

Belfast Harbour, alongside Stena Line, have developed ‘smart port’ technologies to support unaccompanied transport with easier check-in.

“SmartGate is a self-service system for simpler planning, efficient check in and quicker processing. Creating easier workflow between administration and driver.”

- Stena Line Freight

Meanwhile, Belfast Harbour and Stena Line have also helped improve check-in for drivers with self check-in and automated procedures.

Easy access

Location, location, location!

Not only does it have world-class facilities, but the port also boasts quick and easy M2 motorway access, getting you onto the main routes for both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland with ease.

Continued investment

Belfast Harbour continues to make significant investment in improving its facilities and offering new solutions for transporters and passengers. This commitment has earned Belfast Harbour a stellar reputation with ferry operators and freight customers, and the port continues to grow as a key hub for trade across the Irish Sea.

According to the Irish Times:

“...the harbour operator, part of the Trust Port network and operated as an independent statutory body, reported turnover of £82.9 million (€97.7 million) in 2023, up 7 per cent on the previous year. Underlying profit before tax of £36.7 million was also up 7 per cent from 2022, it said. The performance was driven by a 4 per cent increase in RoRo freight…”

Routes

These are the key freight routes to & from Belfast Harbour.

Belfast ⇄ Cairnryan

6 x 2+ hour crossings per day in each direction.

For convenient freight transport between Northern Ireland and Scotland, Stena Line’s Belfast ⇄ Cairnryan service is the no.1 choice. 

Facilities onboard include:

• Drivers lounge with complimentary meal and soft drinks
• Quiet area with 26 first class reclining chairs
• Satellite TV
• Cinema
• WiFi
• Special offers for van drivers

And more.

Belfast ⇄ Heysham

2 x 9+ hour crossings per day in each direction.

Made for accompanied and unaccompanied freight, the Stena Line Belfast ⇄ Heysham service has everything you can expect from a Stena Line route - brilliant facilities, complimentary meals and a driver exclusive lounge.

To boost capacity on this popular service, Stena Line has commissioned two new hybrid Ro-Ro vessels from Jinling Shipyard, Weihai.  Each has a capacity for 2,800 lane meters of freight.

The Stena Futura and Stena Connecta will be able to operate on biofuel and methanol, and both vessels are expected to be operational by late 2025 - with the Futura scheduled for June and the Connecta for November. 

Belfast ⇄  Liverpool Birkenhead

3 x 8+ hour crossings per day in each direction.

Available for both driver accompanied and unaccompanied shipments, the Stena Line Belfast ⇄ Liverpool Birkenhead service is ideal for journeys between Northern Ireland and Southern England. 

The route is a great alternative to Belfast ⇄ Heysham for shorter road transport journeys to/from the midlands, south of England and Wales.

Drivers can benefit from complimentary meals, a separate drivers lounge and more onboard.

The future of Belfast Harbour

With continued investment and excellent facilities, Belfast port continues to grow. In fact, between the three routes mentioned above (Belfast ⇄ Cairnryan, Belfast ⇄ Heysham and Belfast ⇄  Liverpool Birkenhead), more than 390,000 accompanied and unaccompanied freight units were shipped from/to Belfast between January and August 2024.

Take advantage of our excellent rates and industry-leading service by booking your Irish Sea freight ferry tickets with us.

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