Editing Rosslare Europort (section)

==Planned development and investment at Europort==

The Europort is set to undergo a major transformation over a three to five-year period with new investment of over €30 million invested to provide capacity, facilities and technology to facilitate major growth.  There will also be initiatives under the strategic plan for the port including development of the Rosslare Europort Business Park by the Dutch company XELLZ targeting the future Offshore Wind Market and the creation of a [[Free economic zone|Free Zone]] at Rosslare Europort and the Europort Business Park.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rosslareeuroport.ie/en-IE/news/XELLZ-acquires-additional-100-000sqm-of-land-to-de |title=Free Zone |access-date=11 December 2020 |archive-date=26 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126030844/https://www.rosslareeuroport.ie/en-IE/news/XELLZ-acquires-additional-100-000sqm-of-land-to-de |url-status=live }}</ref>  It is intended to use technology to create Ireland's smartest digital and automated Port so that the Europort will meet all customs and Brexit requirements for state agencies.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rosslareeuroport.ie/en-ie |title=Europort website |access-date=11 December 2020 |archive-date=1 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201180842/https://www.rosslareeuroport.ie/en-ie/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Verona Murphy]], former president of the [[Irish Road Haulage Association]] and a local [[Teachta Dála|TD]], believes the port needs a €200m upgrade to take full advantage of the opportunities Brexit provides, as Rosslare is currently a roll-on roll-off port, taking trucks, drivers and trailers, whereas she maintains what is needed is to update to a load-on load-off container-type port, requiring crane infrastructure and significant land reclamation. The Irish government has said it will invest more in ports like Rosslare as businesses seek certainty amidst the confusion caused by Brexit.<ref name="BBC" />

The Europort’s Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) project received a major boost with the announcement of €2.5m in EU funding under the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/news/rosslare-euroports-offshore-renewable-energy-project-gets-25m-funding-boost-from-european-union/a1580804881.html |title=Rosslare Europort's offshore renewable energy project gets €2.5m funding boost from European Union |publisher=Irish Independent |website=independent.ie |date=22 June 2023}}</ref>

In April 2023, the Irish Government approved a major capital investment programme at Rosslare Europort for the expansion of Terminal 7 at Rosslare including redeveloping the existing site and demolishing many existing buildings to allow for the construction of a new border control post, which will include new buildings and associated external site infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://businessplus.ie/news/rosslare-europort-upgrade// | title=Ministers finally commit to Rosslare Europort upgrade | date=25 April 2023 }}</ref> In total, as of April 2023, €350 million is set to be invested in the Offshore Renewable Energy, the infrastructure plans, the port Masterplan, digitilisation and the N25 Rosslare Europort Access Road.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rosslare Europort welcomes major investment into Port Facilities |url=https://www.rosslareeuroport.ie/en-IE/news/Rosslare-Europort-Welcomes-major-investment-into-P |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503113720/https://www.rosslareeuroport.ie/en-IE/news/Rosslare-Europort-Welcomes-major-investment-into-P |archive-date=May 3, 2023 |website=Rosslare Europort}}</ref>