The Port of Algeciras receives authorization to establish its outer anchorage
The new waiting area will have capacity for a maximum of 11 vessels, will prohibit bunkering operations, and will be subject to restrictions during the summer
The Directorate-General of the Merchant Marine (DGMM) has authorized the outer anchorage of the Port of Algeciras, a new waiting area for vessels located off the coasts of San Roque and Manilva (Málaga). The decision was announced this Monday, November 9, by the president of the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA), Gerardo Landaluce, during a meeting of the institution’s Board of Directors, following several years of processing the project.
The measure will establish two areas for vessels to stop and anchor outside the Bay of Algeciras, designated North and South, exclusively for vessels that must wait before accessing port facilities. The anchorage will have capacity for a maximum of 11 vessels, which will require prior authorization from the Algeciras Harbourmaster’s Office to remain there.
The APBA believes this authorization will improve the organization of maritime traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar, where international east-west shipping routes converge with north-south movements, with more than 120,000 vessels passing through.
According to the port authority, the new area will help clear spaces where inbound and outbound traffic from the Strait Traffic Separation Scheme intersect, as well as facilitate the coordination of maritime movements to and from the Port of Algeciras.
APBA president Gerardo Landaluce said, “This is an important step toward improving the safety, efficiency, and competitiveness of the Port of Algeciras, while also providing greater operational certainty for shipping companies and operators.”
The resolution will be published in the coming days in the Official Gazette of the Province of Cádiz, although it will not take effect immediately. Before the anchorage can begin operating, the Algeciras Harbourmaster’s Office must issue a resolution setting out additional maritime safety conditions. The resources of the Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR) must also be operational.
Once it is operational, anchoring will always require prior authorization from the Harbourmaster’s Office and must comply with the rules and instructions issued by that body.
Bunkering operations (bunkering) and any other commercial activity will be prohibited in the new areas. The Port Authority has anchorage areas A, B, C, and D for these activities, located inside the Bay of Algeciras.
The port authority also expects the anchorage’s launch to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by avoiding drifting, when vessels remain adrift or move at low speed while waiting for instructions to enter the port.
The layout of the two areas, North and South, will keep the exit clear for recreational vessels from the Port of Sotogrande. In addition, their use will be restricted from June 16 to September 15, a period during which the Algeciras Harbourmaster’s Office may authorize anchoring for maritime safety reasons.
The authorization comes after years of joint work among the bodies involved in the project, particularly the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras, Puertos del Estado, and the Directorate-General of the Merchant Marine.
During this process, various technical and environmental studies have been carried out which, according to the APBA, demonstrate that the selected option balances the operational needs of the Port of Algeciras with the conservation of the marine environment’s natural values.
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