Belfast City Council has approved amended plans connected with a new multi-purpose deepwater berth at Belfast Harbour, clearing the way for changes including a relocated and enlarged cruise terminal building.
The approved application also covers an additional baggage building, revised parking and drop-off areas, improvements to an existing access track, street lighting, landscaping and other supporting infrastructure.
The decision is another step in Belfast Harbour’s £90 million D3 development, which is intended to accommodate some of the world’s largest cruise ships while also supporting offshore wind projects and other port activity.
What has been approved?
The latest decision relates to amendments to the landside elements of the wider project rather than approval of an entirely new scheme. Work on the main deepwater terminal is already under way.
Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ revised plans cover land at D3 beside Airport Road West in the Harbour Estate. The changes include relocating and extending the principal cruise terminal building, providing a separate baggage building and revising the associated vehicle, passenger and operational areas.
The wider development includes a 340-metre solid quay with mooring dolphins, a deepwater berthing pocket and a new terminal. The berthing pocket is planned to be dredged to approximately 9.8 metres below chart datum, with around 372,000 cubic metres of material removed.
The facility will be multi-purpose. During the cruise season it will receive passenger ships, while at other times it can support project cargo, break-bulk and dry-bulk operations. The quay is also being designed to serve the assembly and installation requirements of the offshore wind sector.
New capacity for larger cruise ships
The deepwater berth will allow Belfast to receive larger vessels and provide more modern passenger-handling facilities. Its dual-purpose design is intended to protect the harbour’s cruise business while opening further opportunities in renewable energy and specialist cargo.
Belfast Harbour previously said the new quay and cruise terminal are due to enter operation in 2028. The project represents the largest single capital investment undertaken by the Trust Port, which reinvests its post-tax profits into the harbour and surrounding estate.
The initial construction contract was awarded to Northern Ireland-based GRAHAM. Plans published for the scheme describe a heavy-duty quay capable of supporting both cruise operations and the handling of large offshore wind components.
Belfast’s cruise market continues to grow
Belfast is marking 30 years of cruise tourism in 2026. The city is scheduled to welcome 141 cruise calls during the season, including 10 inaugural visits.
The harbour describes Belfast as the busiest cruise port on the island of Ireland and the second busiest in the United Kingdom after Southampton. Cruise tourism is expected to contribute approximately £26 million to the Northern Ireland economy during the 2026 season.
In 2025, Belfast recorded 147 cruise calls and welcomed more than 320,000 passengers and crew. The season also included the port’s 1,500th cruise call since its first two visits in 1996.
The number of turnaround voyages—cruises beginning or ending in Belfast—is also growing. These calls can deliver additional benefits for hotels, transport providers and other local businesses because passengers may stay in the city before or after sailing.
Environmental consent and marine licences
The marine works required separate consideration by Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The project was subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment, with environmental consent granted in June 2026 subject to conditions attached to the associated marine licences.
Those licences cover the construction work, capital dredging and disposal of dredged material. The capital-dredging licence currently runs until 31 August 2028.
The approval of the revised landside arrangements does not remove the project’s environmental and operational conditions. Construction and dredging must continue in accordance with the relevant planning approvals, marine licences and environmental controls.
A terminal with more than one purpose
For Belfast, the development is designed to solve two long-term capacity requirements through a single piece of infrastructure. It should provide cruise lines with a berth suitable for newer and larger ships while giving offshore wind developers access to a heavy-duty deepwater quay.
The latest planning decision allows Belfast Harbour to incorporate revised passenger facilities into that wider scheme. When complete, the terminal should strengthen Belfast’s ability to receive both visiting cruise ships and turnaround sailings without leaving the valuable quayside idle outside the main cruise season.
Sources
- Belfast Harbour: work commences on new cruise and offshore-wind terminal
- Belfast Harbour: Belfast’s 2026 cruise season
- Belfast Harbour: 2026 cruise activity and terminal timetable
- DAERA: marine licence applications for the D3 cruise berthing facilities
- DAERA: D3 capital-dredging licence
- Northern Ireland Travel News: amended terminal plans approved