The Shannon Foynes Port Company is to invest €2.4m on buying its own multi-purpose vessel to carry out dredging and other navigational maintenance work along the Shannon Estuary.
The company has commissioned Dutch ship specialists Damen Shipyards in Gorinchem to build the vessel, which will begin its work on the estuary by November.
The vessel will be involved in dredging, bed levelling and the maintenance of jetties and aids to navigation.
The company has had to engage contractors from the UK or Europe to carry out annual dredging at a cost of around €100,000.
Shannon Foynes said the purchase of the new vessel will mean it can carry out year-round estuary maintenance, to ensure safe navigation for commercial users of the estuary from Loop Head to Limerick Port.
