Moroccan port Tanger med 2 gets new SF Marina tug dock
Handling over nine million containers a year, the Port of Tanger Med in Morocco is the largest port in Africa and the Mediterranean. A recent expansion of the facility—Tanger Med 2—brought in Svitzer to provide terminal towage and line-handling services. To support the tug fleet, Tanger Med partnered with SF Marina to build a 70m L x 10m W floating concrete dock.
Barcelona, Spain-based SF Marina subsidiary Marina System Ibérica S.L. (MSI) oversaw the installation of the 10 custom SF2770-10m dock sections. Connected in parallel, the steel-reinforced concrete pontoons are virtually unsinkable. With a low center of gravity and substantial mass, they are extremely stable, even with vehicle traffic. The 11.5m ramp accommodates the local 2.5m tidal fluctuation.
A 2.7m freeboard provides room to service the 29m tugs and a considerable area to dock against. Large concrete blocks act as fenders and keep the boats from riding up onto the pontoon. Cast utility ducts provide power to the 32A pedestals. Engineered to withstand years of heavy use, the pontoons are secured with an elastic Seaflex mooring system.
“Since it first opened in 2007, the Port of Tanger Med has quickly grown to become the 18th largest port in the world by capacity,” said Francisco Sarrias, MSI director of engineering. “We’re proud that SF Marina was chosen to play a part in the expansion of the facility and appreciate Somagec’s fine work on the project.” Casablanca, Morocco-based Somagec Group was the construction partner on the project.
MSI designs and builds a wide range of floating structures for ports, offshore aquaculture, and the marine renewable energy industry. In 1989, SF Marina signed a license agreement with MSI which has subsequently developed into a productive joint venture. Its website is www.msicom.net.
Since 1918, Gothenburg, Sweden-based SF Marina has engineered and manufactured floating breakwaters and concrete dock pontoons, and related marine structures that are built to withstand extreme weather events. Through a robust network of international offices, it has completed recreational and commercial vessel projects around the globe.
