Malaga Port expansion project receives Ministry of Transport's approval

The first major expansion of the docks at the Port of Malaga has received the Ministry of Transport's green light. The state ports agency has given its approval to the future dock number eight.

This is the long-awaited plan to fill in the old basin where fishing boats and vessels belonging to the Guardia Civil and customs services used to moor.

A large storage area for goods will be created on the resulting open space. In addition, dock number nine will be extended to increase capacity.

"This authorises us to approve the project tender at the next board meeting. In addition to the land reclamation of dock eight, the extension of dock nine is almost as important, because we're adding nearly 100 metres," president of the port authority Carlos Rubio said.

The platform will add 70,000 square metres of land area, in addition to the new dock, which will allow operations with baby capsize vessels. These can carry up to 70,000 tonnes of bulk cargo, with a deadweight tonnage of 100,000 to 130,000 tonnes compatible with piers of approximately 14 metres, as this one will be.

This space will act as a multi-purpose facility, allowing the berthing not only of bulk carriers but also Ro-Ro vessels (roll-on/roll-off cargo) and car carriers. This will give Malaga greater versatility, enabling simultaneous operations at docks seven and eight, handling, for example, two bulk carriers at the same time or one carrying industrial solid bulk cargo (clinker) and another carrying soybean meal, wheat or corn.

This operation will also allow for an increase in the length of dock nine by almost 100 metres (from 722 to 815), significantly strengthening the berth capacity. In fact, it will allow for the simultaneous loading and unloading of two large container ships, each 360 metres long. "This will be a major leap forward."

Once the board of directors has authorised the tender, given the project's high cost (almost 50 million euros), it will need the approval of the Spanish cabinet.

"In these types of projects, the decision doesn't usually take long. I hope we'll get authorisation before the end of the year." This will open the bidding process and the contract will be awarded early next year.

The construction period will be two to three years. "It's a complex project because they have to bring in a caisson-making machine and then dredge the entire manoeuvring area for the new terminal. It's a complex project, but nothing that hasn't been done before."

In other news, regarding the new customs headquarters, whose first tender had to be withdrawn due to an appeal by the builders' association, Carlos Rubio hopes to reach an agreement with state ports on the drafting of the new specifications, in order to put it out to tender again at the meeting in July.

"This month we will have two very important tenders. One (the one from the customs agency) would be directly for starting construction and the other (dock eight) would be the first step towards its approval by the cabinet and its subsequent awarding," Rubio said.

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