Latest news with #ConorMowlds
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Conor Mowlds departs Port of Cork role
The Port of Cork Company has announced the departure of its chief commercial officer. Conor Mowlds, who joined the company in 2018 and has played a key role in its growth and development since, is stepping down from his role in the coming weeks to take up a new international opportunity in the maritime sector. Mr Mowlds played a key role last year in the securing and delivery of a massive funding package to begin the delivery of new port infrastructure required for the offshore renewal energy (ORE) sector, to allow the port handle the ships and equipment needed to build vast offshore windfarms. Less than two weeks ago, he briefed EU Commissioner Michael McGrath on the company's ORE plans and funding requirements. Previously the head of the National Maritime College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy, Mr Mowlds has held various senior roles in both the public and private sectors in Ireland and the UK, including with GAC Group, NMCI Services, the Irish Maritime Development Office, and the Marine Institute. He is currently the chairperson of Cruise Ireland and was recently appointed to the board of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce. Originally from Dublin, he is a graduate in Maritime Business and Law from Southampton and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. Port of Cork Company CEO, Ann Doherty, paid tribute to him for his work over the years. 'His deep industry expertise, commercial acumen, and dedication to the port's development have played a significant role in shaping our future. We wish Conor every success as he embarks on this exciting new chapter in his international career,' she said. Interim arrangements are being made, and details of the recruitment process for the chief commercial officer role will be published in due course, the port said.
Irish Examiner
30-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Port of Cork set to open €100m deepwater berth dedicated to offshore energy development
The Port of Cork is poised to become the first port in the Republic to deliver dedicated quay facilities for the offshore renewable energy sector through a new €100m development. The 200-metre long CORE1 (Cork Offshore Renewable Energy 1) deepwater berth at Ringaskiddy East will be ready for use by October, port officials have said. It will have the length, depth, and load-bearing capacities required by companies that will build the large-scale offshore wind farms proposed for the Irish and Celtic seas. However, the Port of Cork Company has said it will need additional land and funding to provide the full range of dedicated quayside facilities that the sector requires if it is to help Ireland achieve its ambitious targets to create at least 37GW of offshore renewable energy generation capacity by 2050 — about six times our current peak electricity demand. The port company set out its progress on offshore renewable energy infrastructure for EU Commissioner Michael McGrath and his officials during a visit to the CORE1 project, which is being co-financed by the EU to the tune of some €38m. 'It would not have happened without a grant from the EU,' the port's commercial officer Conor Mowlds said. 'But there are challenges facing the port now after handing over 30-acres for offshore renewable energy (ORE). "However, Cork has the potential to become the centre of gravity to support Ireland's ORE sector — similar to what happened to Aberdeen during the North Sea oil boom.' Mr McGrath said that, given the scale of EU funding involved, he wanted to see the project first-hand and be briefed on where it fits within the Port of Cork's overall capital development ambitions. 'They have very ambitious plans for the years ahead, which will have to be brought forward in a phased manner and will require extensive consultation with the local community, statutory processes will have to be followed, and then funding packages put together," he said.
