Port of Larne

What Port of Larne does

Port of Larne, legally Larne Harbour Limited, is a statutory Competent Harbour Authority under the Pilotage Act 1987 operating a multi-purpose seaport at Larne, Northern Ireland. It is a private limited company wholly owned via P&O Holdings Group, which is itself a subsidiary of DP World. The port has been in continuous operation since the harbour was purchased by James Chaine in 1866 and was reorganized into its current corporate form in 1912.

The port's primary assets are five multi-purpose berths with depths from 5.5m to 7.5m (up to 8.0m+ with tide), 185m maximum vessel length, 50,000m² of hard standing rated to 26T/m², a reinforced berth capable of 18T/m² loads, 20 acres of open storage, and 5,000m² of covered storage. It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with up to 20 daily sailings to Cairnryan and Troon under VHF Channel 11 port control, CCTV, and radar monitoring that feed a Port Marine Safety Code-compliant Marine Safety Management System. Throughput is approximately 200,394 freight units and 521,205+ passengers per year, with cruise vessels up to 180m accommodated and a dedicated push into offshore wind and heavy-lift project cargo.

Commercially, the port earns through published port charges and harbour dues (a 2026 Schedule of Rates is in effect), licensing/lease revenue from the wholly owned Port of Cairnryan Ltd — which is leased to P&O Ferries — and direct commercial engagement for project cargo and cruise vessel work via the Port Director. Customer base spans ferry operators (P&O Ferries), cruise lines serving the Antrim Coast, offshore wind project cargo clients, and bulk freight forwarders using RO/RO facilities. Recent positioning emphasizes the renewables vertical and Antrim Coast tourism gateway, supported by a partnership with the local Tourist Board.

Name

Port of Larne

Legal name

Larne Harbour Limited

Website

https://portoflarne.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Port of Larne is a multi-purpose statutory harbour in Northern Ireland, owned by DP World via P&O Holdings Group, handling roll-on/roll-off freight, passenger ferries, cruise vessels, and offshore wind project cargo across five berths with 24/7 operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port Operations and Marine Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (48831), Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ferry Terminal, Port & Passenger Handling Services (THAEAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Terminals & Cargo Handling Infrastructure (RoRo, Bulk, Container) (IMAFAJAF), Ferry Terminal & Passenger Pier Operations (Ferry-Specific) (THAIAJAJ), Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB)

Keywords

• Port operations
• Marine freight services
• Passenger ferry terminal
• Project cargo handling
• Offshore wind logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Larne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Port Charges and Harbour Dues: Standard port charges for vessel berthing, cargo handling, and passenger services. Schedule of rates published annually (2026 charges document available).
2. Cairnryan Port Lease: Port of Cairnryan leased to P&O Ferries Limited who run ferry services to Northern Ireland. General cargo vessels up to 115m accommodated on No2 Berth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Port of Larne operates a multi-purpose marine port in Northern Ireland providing freight ferry services, passenger ferry services, project cargo handling (including offshore wind and renewables), cruise vessel handling, and landside storage and parking facilities. The port offers 24/7 operations across five multi-purpose berths and supports roll-on/roll-off traffic to and from Great Britain and beyond.

Product overview

Port of Larne operates as a multi-purpose port with ferry, cargo, cruise, and storage operations. The core offering includes freight and passenger ferry services to Cairnryan (handling 200,394+ freight units and 521,205+ passengers annually), specialized project cargo handling for offshore wind and renewables sectors, and cruise vessel services for ships up to 180m. Supporting infrastructure includes multi-purpose berths with depths up to 8.0m, 50,000m2 hard standing for heavy cargo, 20 acres of open storage, 5,000m2 covered storage, a terminal building with amenities, and 250-space car parking. The port operates 24/7 and is part of P&O Holdings Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of DP World.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Larne Port: Multi-purpose port operations including ferry services, freight handling, and cruise vessels

Products and services

• Freight Ferry Services
• Passenger Ferry Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Handles over 200,000 freight units and 521,000+ passengers annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, parent and minor.

• P&O FerriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorP&O Ferries operates ferry services from the Port of Cairnryan (leased facility). General Cargo vessels up to 115m accommodated on No2 Berth. P&O Ferries Port Manager and Harbour Master handle enquiries for Cairnryan operations.
• DP WorldparentOthersDP World is the ultimate parent company through P&O Holdings Group ownership. Provides direction and commitment through Divisional Security Policy and Health Safety and Environmental Policy.
• Local Tourist BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint promotion with local Tourist Board to promote Northern Ireland tourism through cruise vessel calls and Antrim Coast gateway positioning.
• Loch Ryan Statutory Harbour Authorities CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort of Cairnryan Ltd is a member of the Loch Ryan Statutory Harbour Authorities Committee and Loch Ryan Marine Safety Forum.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stena Line: One of the largest ferry operators in the Irish Sea and a direct user of competing ferry ports (Belfast, Heysham, Cairnryan, Rosslare). Highly comparable as a tenant/operator of RO/RO ferry infrastructure similar to what P&O Ferries operates at Cairnryan/Larne.
• Rosslare Europort: Irish port handling ferry and freight services to Wales and France. Comparable as a regional multi-purpose ferry and freight terminal on the Irish Sea / Celtic Sea corridor with similar traffic profiles.
• P&O Ferries: The anchor ferry tenant at Larne–Cairnryan and a wholly owned group company via P&O Holdings/DP World. Operates the European Causeway and European Highlander-class ferries that define Larne's core freight and passenger volumes.
• Port of Belfast: The other major port in Northern Ireland, offering ferry, container, bulk, and cruise services to the same Northern Ireland catchment. It competes directly with Larne for regional freight, project cargo, and cruise calls and offers deeper-water infrastructure.
• Port of Dublin (Dublin Port Company): Ireland's largest port handling ferry, container, and cruise traffic. Comparable as a multi-purpose port operator competing for similar Irish Sea unitised freight and cruise business on adjacent routes.
• Heysham Port (Peel Ports): Peel Ports-owned RO/RO and container port in northwest England serving Irish Sea ferry routes. Directly competes with Cairnryan/Larne for freight and passenger flows and is operated within a similarly integrated UK ports group.

Broad incumbents

• Peel Ports Group: Major UK port group (Liverpool, Heysham, Dublin, Clydeport). Comparable as a regional port conglomerate with overlapping RO/RO, container, and bulk capabilities serving the same Irish Sea and west-coast markets.
• DP World: Ultimate parent of Larne Harbour Limited and one of the world's largest port operators. Comparable as the broader corporate operator of Larne and many other container, cruise, and general cargo terminals globally.
• Associated British Ports (ABP): UK's largest port group operating 21 ports across the country, including several ferry, container, and bulk terminals. Comparable as a broader port operator providing ferry and cargo infrastructure across multiple UK regions, though not a single-port direct competitor.

Regional players

• Port of Cork: Multi-purpose Irish port handling container, bulk, ferry, and cruise traffic. Comparable in scope and customer mix (freight, ferry, cruise) but operates on the south coast of Ireland rather than the Irish Sea corridor where Larne competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/larneharbour
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/larne-harbour-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Port of Larne