General Description
Location: Augusta is situated on the SE coast of Sicily.
General overview: Augusta is an important industrial port mainly due to the activity of petrochemical and petroleum refining and the production of unleaded petrol. It is also an military logistics base. The main area is the sheltered harbour of Porto Megarese which is protected by Isoletta di Augusta and three breakwaters. There are additional berths to the south of the sheltered harbour, either side of Penisola Magnisi. The port is sheltered from the E and SE by breakwaters, with depths in the approaches to 35m and entrance can be made by day or night. The port has three berths for NATO vessels. The N zone of the port handles general dry cargoes like sulfur, magnesite, fertilizer, potassium, and sodium. Other cargoes are coils, steel, wood, marble and granite, and a variety of special cargoes.
The Augusta Bay is made up of three large sections:
● Xifonio Port which is the part of the sea between Punta Izzo and Punta Carcarella.
● Megarese Port: is the interior of the harbor section of the north / west coast bounded by the northern dams, Central and South. Stretching for 9 km north-south direction and 4 km towards East – West.
● The Priolo Breast: is the area located in front of oil refineries and is from the southern Megarian dam and Magnisi Peninsula.
Traffic figures: Approx 33,000,000t of cargo, including 31,500,000 million tons of liquid bulk (petroleum and chemical products). Commodities through the port include about 1,500,000 million tons of fertilizers, phosphates, cement, iron, marble, timber, fossil coal, and basal. 3,388 vessels are handled annually.
Load line zone: Summer.
Max size:
-Porto Megarese (ERG): Tankers: LOA 380m, draught 20.36m, 600,000DWT.
-Seno del Priolo: Tankers: Max draught 7.6m, 12,000DWT.