Ceuta will have a deeper berth to accommodate larger ships

Although the great majority of citizens of Ceuta have not been aware of it, this North African city is shaping one of the most ambitious and relevant projects carried out in the last 20 years: the expansion of the third alignment of the Poniente Dock (yes, the well-known "Puntilla Pier"), which is now 9 meters deep and will be approximately 12.5 meters after completion.

A job carried out by the temporary company union Dique de Poniente Ceuta (formed by the companies Dragados S.A., Corsán Corviam de Construcción and Drace Infraestructuras S.A.) that will enable cargo ships that could previously not dock in Ceuta, to choose our city as a fuel stopover while passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.In addition, with this improvement, ships will have another option other than anchorage by barge in the bay, where there is no depth limit.

With the clear objective of facilitating the loading and unloading of liquid materials and, at the same time, increasing both the number of ships entering the port and their draught, this Pharaonic job also contemplates the direct link between the Levante and the Poniente docks. The goal is to give the latter more direct outlets to increase the bunkering services in Ceuta of the Vilma Oil and Ducar Installation suppliers.

The modus operandi? Several kilometres of state-of-the-art submarine pipelines, installed by a team of more than a hundred technicians, working from dawn until well into the night.

Little and Cockie, two floating crates more than thirty meters long

The main handicap faced by the port technicians was the natural characteristics of the Poniente dock, and that increasing the current depth was almost impossible.

With the objective of not giving up on this project, so necessary for the city of Ceuta, the solution was found in placing two large floating docks in the Port’s third line, where cargo ships could dock easily and safely.

Two docks, more than thirty meters in length, that were named Little and Cockie, were towed to the city by a ship from Cartagena in Murcia.

 A crucial project for the port agencies in Ceuta

Apart from being an important project endorsed by Puertos del Estado, that will open the city to deep-draught ships, the extension of the Poniente Port will result in a significant change for port agencies like Salama, an agency specialized in bunkering for ships in Ceuta.

 Thanks to this improvement, many more transatlantic and cargo ships will choose our port and our refuelling, food supply and crew change services. The end date? According to the latest data, the project could be completed by the end of April.