The shipping platform

Location: Aden is located on the southern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, approx 95nm E of the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. General overview: The port of Aden is situated between the promontories of Aden (Jebel Shamsan, 553m) and Little Aden (Jebel Muzalqam, 374m) and is protected from the NE and SW monsoons by these hills and along the northern boundary by the land, enabling it to operate without restriction all year. The harbour covers an area some 8nm EW and 3nm NS. The port consists of the Outer Harbour, providing anchorage areas, the Oil Harbour at Little Aden on the W side of the harbour, and the Inner Harbour to the E. These harbours are reached by an entrance channel, starting from mid-way between the promontories of Elephant's Bank and Little Aden. The outer section of the channel has a depth of 16.0m. From the bifurcation point, a channel heading NW to the Little Aden Oil Harbour has a depth of 14.7m, leading to 4 dolphin berths for oil tankers at depths of 11.6-15.8m, alongside LPG and dry cargo berths, and a Ro-Ro berth, all at a depth of 11.0m. The channel to the Inner Harbour, leading NE from the bifurcation point, has a least depth of 15.0m. The Inner Harbour has 9 alongside berths, plus 6 buoys and 3 bunkering (dolphin) berths with depths of 5.5-11.9m. On the N side of the Inner Harbour, the Aden Container Terminal (ACT) provides 700m of quays with depth alongside of 16.0m. Off the ACT, is a turning area, depth 15.0m, diameter 700m. At the E end of the Inner Harbour, a short channel, depth 11.0m, leads to the Ma'alla Terminal, with 4 container/general/bulk berths of total length 750m, depth 11.0m, and a Ro-Ro berth, depth 7.6m. At the E end of this terminal is the Home Trade Quay, length 250m, depth 6.7m. The Inner Harbour also contains a fisheries harbour and Ro-Ro berth, max draught 6.0m and a ship repair yard with one floating dock in operation. The Inner Harbour is protected by a short breakwater at Ras Marbut, where the harbour control tower is situated. Exports: Refined oil products, salt, frozen fish, manufactured foodstuffs, flour, scrap steel. Imports: Crude oil, bulk and bagged foodstuffs, construction materials, lubricants, vehicles, general cargo, livestock. Traffic figures: Approx 2,000 vessels and 15,600,000t of cargo, including 380,000TEU handled annually. A small number of dhows are also handled. Load line zone: Tropical. Max size: Little Aden Oil Harbour: LOA 280m, draught 14.7m, (15.8m with flood tide and special permission from the harbour master), 110,000DWT fully laden. Aden Container Terminal (ACT): LOA 350m, draught 14.8m. Inner Harbour buoy berths: LOA 275m, draught 11.3m, 50,000DWT. Ma'alla Multipurpose & Container Terminal: LOA 190m, draught 10.7m, 40,000DWT. Minimum underkeel clearance: Vessels in both harbours are required to have a minimum UKC of 0.6m, but vessel with draughts greater than 11.3m require a minimum UKC of 1.2m. Note: Vessels exceeding these limitations set by the harbour master Aug 05 may only berth with the permission of the port officer.