In Pictures: 5 Mega Mediterranean Ports
In 2015, PTI reported on the five busiest ports in the Mediterranean. Four years later, PTI has readdressed the question and reflected the number of changes, innovations and expansions that have taken place and compiled a list of five mega Mediterranean ports.
Port of Tanger Med, Morroco
![Tanger Med, Morroco](https://ast.porttechnology.org/wp-content/media/20190821105245/iStock-498627911-1024x554.jpg)
The Port of Tanger Med is cargo port located on the Strait of Gibraltar about 40 km east of Tangier, Morocco. The port is connected to more than 170 ports in 77 countries providing a processing capacity of 9 million containers and 700,000 trucks.
Tanger Med is the largest port on the Mediterranean and in Africa by capacity. The port entered into service in July 2007 with an initial capacity of 3.5 million shipping containers.
The port is a strategic priority of the Moroccan government for the economic development of the North Morocco region.
Tanger Med has recently launched the third phase of its expansion in the shape of Tanger Med port 2 in a ceremony led by Mohammed VI, King of Morroco, and further strengthened its position as the most innovative port in Africa and as a major trade hub.
Port of Algeciras, Spain
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The Port of Algeciras, located in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain, is one of the largest commercial port in the Mediterranean.
The port is the second-largest container port in Spain, handling almost 100 million tons in 2015, and the third in the Mediterranean Sea.
In January 2019, PTI reported that after a one-a-half-meter long cobra was discovered in a cargo terminal at the Port of Algeciras, Spain, on January 17, 2019. A video of the discovery emerged on YouTube.
Port of Valencia, Spain
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The Port of Valencia, the second busiest port in the Mediterranean and sixth in Europe, as of 2015, handles approximately 4.4 million TEU a year.
The plans for the new container terminal are designed to help it service the largest ships in the world, which can carry 24,000 TEU, as well as position it to utilize automated technology in the future.
Data and supply chain specialists Traxens have announced that it is collaborating with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) on a pilot Internet-of-Things (IoT) project in the Port of Valencia.
Port of Piraeus, Greece
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The Port of Piraeus is the main seaport of Athens, Greece. Located upon the Saronic Gulf on the western coasts of the Aegean Sea, the Port of Piraeus is the largest port in Greece and one of the largest in Europe.
The port is the main link between the mainland and the Aegean islands and Crete. It also serves as the main sea gate of Europe at its southeastern edge.
The Container Terminal of the Piraeus Port Authority began operation in June 2010. The terminal has a projected annual capacity of 1.000.000 TEUs. Its mechanical equipment includes seven gantry cranes, one Mobile Crane and eight RMGs.
It also features three berths; the East1 with 500m length and 18m depth, the East2 with 330m length and 11m depth, as well as the West one with 320m length and 12m depth.
Shipping company COSCO’s subsidiary unit, COSCO Pacific, has recently received approval from the Port of Piraeus, Greece, to invest a further US$285 million in its container-handling facilities.
The Port Authority of Piraeus has recently announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, which is aimed to strengthen cargo flows.
Port of Genoa, Italy
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The Port of Genoa is the major Italian seaport and one of Europe’s busiest trade hubs. It serves as a major outlet for industrial products in Northern Italy and most of Central Europe.
Genoa and Savona process more than 15 million electronic import and export documents a year, as well as managing approximately 20,000 users, 1,500 companies and six container terminals.
With a trade volume of 51.6 million tonnes, it is the busiest port of Italy by cargo tonnage.[4] The port is also used as a dismantling station when necessary and was recently named as the port where the Costa Concordia was to be dismantled.[5]
The port has recently become the 40th member of the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA).
The port authority, which encompasses Italy’s largest container port in Genoa and nearby Savona-Vado Ligure, has joined the organization to support its integration of ‘Port Community Systems’, as well as enhancing and developing new functions and modules.
Fuente : Port Technology