Dublin Port inks eight-year reefer licence

February 12, 2026

Dublin Port has signed an eight-year licence agreement with Doyle Shipping Group (DSG) to operate new reefer gantries positioned on four purpose-built steel frames at the DSG container terminal on Alexandra Quay East.

Doyle Shipping Group operates one of three competing LoLo terminals in Dublin Port. In 2025, Dublin Port recorded its busiest LoLo year, with 9 per cent growth on 2024 volumes.

This investment in LoLo reefer infrastructure enhances refrigerated container handling at Dublin Port, supporting growing customer demand.

It strengthens the port’s ability to protect temperature-controlled goods – such as dairy products, meat, fish, fruit, beverages or pharma – helping ensure perishable cargo remains cold, or heated, while in port.

Cormac Kennedy, Head of Commercial and Programme Management Office, Dublin Port Company, said: “Growth in LoLo volumes in recent years has put pressure on land use, so investment of this type helps us stay ahead of demand and support our customers’ growth plans.

“In recent years, we have invested an average of €60 million ($71.3 million) annually in capital projects, with €120 million ($142.6 million) spent in 2025, and ramping up to an average of €175 million ($208 million) in the years ahead.

“As a self-financing organisation, we need to work closely with customers to ensure the capacity is in place to support their growth and that of the wider economy.”

READ: DSG installs multi-camera system on RTG cranes at Dublin Port

Glen O’Connor, CEO at Doyle Shipping Group, said: “Reefer gantries supply safe, continuous electrical power to refrigerated containers during dwell time in port. These new structures are engineered for high-density stacking (up to five high), reducing land use per unit.

“Direct EU services into Dublin have increased significantly post-Brexit, shifting traffic patterns and raising demand for temperature-controlled capacity.

“We are pleased to offer these additional spaces to customers importing or exporting temperature-sensitive goods. They also strengthen operational resilience by keeping reefers at temperature during adverse weather or sailing disruptions, helping avoid waste and protecting product quality.”

Last summer, Dublin Port announced that Phase Two of its Terminal 4 (T4) is opening this week, with some 160 new trailer spaces adding to the port’s operating land capacity over the coming month.