General Description
Location: Cartagena is situated on the SE coast of Spain, in Murcia.
General overview: The port is situated in a natural harbour, which is entered from the S, entrance width 250m and depth 12.5m. The water area included within the limits of the harbour is approx 5.2ha. The port consists of the Cartagena basin and the eastern Escombreras basin. Cartagena is a major naval, commercial and fishing port with modern facilities for handling all types of vessels. The port mainly handles containers, fruit, vegetables, general cargo and cruise passengers. Escombreras handles solid bulk (grain, ore, cement, clinker and fertilizers) and liquid bulk (LNG, LPG, chemicals, crude oil and refined oils).
The Port of Cartagena contains almost 218 hectares of commercial water surface and 1.7 million square meters of land area, including 521.6 thousand square meters of warehouses. It also operates 4.8 hectares outside the basin area.
Cruise traffic has increased dramatically in the Mediterranean area over the past few years, and the Port of Cartagena is committed to providing outstanding services to its passengers. To this end, it has added a new berth for cruise vessels located in the marina near the city center. The berth accommodates vessels to 300 meters long with 12.5 meters draft, an esplanade of over three thousand square meters, and four ship mooring dolphins.
The Alfonso XII Quay has become a valuable commercial and leisure center for the Port of Cartagena. Providing underground parking, commercial offices, parks, gardens, and restaurants, it is a showcase of the city’s heritage and culture.
The Cartagena Basin contains the Cruise Terminal and the Marina with capacity for 400 recreational vessels, the Yacht Club, and commercial areas. The new Alfonso XII Quay is 400 meters long with alongside depth of 9 meters.
Also in the Cartagena Basin is the Container Terminal at the Santa Lucia Quay. The quay is 385 meters long with alongside depth of 11 meters, and the terminal covers 127 thousand square meters. It includes a roll-on/roll-off ramp for containers and has the capacity to handle 25 containers per hour.
The General Goods Terminal at the San Pedro Dock in the Cartagena Basin contains 405 meters of multi-purpose quay with alongside depth of 11 meters. The terminal covers over 130 thousand square meters and includes refrigerated warehouses with capacity for seven thousand pallets and shed area of six thousand square meters.
The Port of Cartagena’s Escombreras Basin contains the Solid Bulk Terminal at the Principe Felipe and Isaac Peral Quays. The Principe Felipe Sur Quay is 350 meters long with alongside depth of 13.5 meters. It covers over 109 thousand square meters with alongside depth of 13.5 meters that can accommodate vessels of 75 thousand TPM.
With six thousand square meters of closed warehouse and warehouses and tanks of seven thousand square meters for chemical fertilizers, the quay is directly connected to Spain’s railway system. The Principe Felipe Oeste Quay’s berth is 180 meters long with alongside depth of 11.9 meters dedicated to solid and liquid bulk cargoes. The quay covers over seven thousand square meters.
The Port of Cartagena’s Isaac Peral Quay covers 164 thousand square meters, and its wharf is 480 meters long with alongside depth of 13.2 meters. It can accommodate vessels to 60 thousand TPM, and it contains five closed warehouses with capacity for 19.2 thousand square meters of cargo. The Quay also has direct connections to the nation’s rail network.
The Port of Cartagena’s Inflammable Cargo Terminal serves several quays. The Principe Felipe Norte Quay is a multi-purpose quay for solid and liquid bulk cargoes, and it can accommodate vessels to 200 meters long with 12.5 meters draft. The Bastarreche Quay, at 762 meters long with alongside depth of 21 meters, handles supertankers carrying fuel oil and gas.
The Maese Quay is 367 meters long with alongside depth of 10.6 meters. With 12 gas oil taps, it handles all kinds of gas oil, petroleum, and lubricant oil. The Pantalan Quay has two berths, one of them 225 meters long with alongside depth of 14.5 meters and the other 200 meters long with alongside depth of 11.1 meters. These berths serve butane tankers carrying petroleum, methanol, and liquefied petroleum gases.
Traffic figures: Approx 19,230,000t of cargo, 64,500TEU, 104,000 passengers and 1,400 vessels handled annually.
Load line zone: Summer.
Max size:
Cartagena Basin: Cruise vessels: LOA 300m, draught 11.25m.
Escombreras Basin: Largest vessels handled:
By draught: "VK Eddie" LOA 332m, draught 21.4m, 305,261DWT.
By length: "Front Comanche" LOA 333m, draught 21.1m, 300,133DWT.