Waterford's strategic Belview container port terminal is continuing to make progress towards a resumption of normal traffic levels, following the collapse earlier this year of its major operator, Bell Lines, a meeting of Waterford Harbour Commissioners heard yesterday.

The annual statutory meeting of the Commissioners re-elected Dr Tom Brennan as chairman, unopposed. In an address to the meeting, he said that forecast tonnages for 1998 indicated major growth in traditional bulk and general cargoes.

Meanwhile, new customers at the terminal are striving to recapture the Lo-Lo container business which was diverted to other ports and modes in the wake of the Bell closure. There are now 12 services per week, operated by seven carriers, from the port to Britain, France, Belgium and Holland.

Dr Brennan said that in 1996, 759 trading vessels carried 1.9 million tonnes of cargo in and out of the port which was visited by 24 cruise liners.

Results to date for this year indicated steady growth in heavy fuel oil imports to the ESB's Great Island power station, and the construction boom had boosted bulk cement imports at Belview.

Frozen meat exports and other traditional commodities were also doing well.

Infrastructural development is continuing with a 150 metre multi-modal extension due for commissioning on November 1st.

Stevedoring licences for the port will be announced in the coming week and are expected to generate further investment in infrastructure.

Construction of a 60 metre extension to a private bulk facility near the Belview terminal is under way.