Features: - Tanker Operator

INDUSTRY - GIBRALTAR REPORT
Photo credit – NORDEN
Gibraltar looks to
both anchorages as
expansion needed
Gibraltar is still experiencing significant growth in the number of calls made to the
anchorages and there is vast potential to increase the number of callers still further.
Various plans are in place to handle
the extra volume of shipping
anticipated. TAKEROperator
spoke with some of the major
players on the Rock about their plans for
the future.
Captain Peter Hall, Port of Gibraltar CEO
and Port Captain saw one of his main
marketing tasks as answering the question;
“What can Gibraltar do about building on the
transit traffic?”
Plans are currently being implemented to
increase the number of bunker slots available
in the light of the steady increase in business
seen since 1998 when bunker calls passed the
3,000 mark for the year.
Since then the number of vessels arriving
for bunkers has climbed to almost 6,000,
registering 5,965 in 2008. Adding other vessel
calls to the list gives a grand total of 9,749 for
the year.
The surge in bunker calls has not stopped
as in the first eight months of this year, the
number of vessel calls was up by a further
16% to 4,343 vessels, which took on around
3 mill tonnes of fuel – up 10% compared
with figures produced up to the end of
August 2008.
Naturally, having such a volume of vessels
anchored just a mile or so from the port for
several hours has attracted a plethora of other
concerns offering services, such as those
involved in crew changes, ship supply, repairs
and maintenance and general agency work.
Such is the volume of traffic in and around
the Bay of Gibraltar, the Port Authority has
been studying ways of increasing the number
of anchorage slots for several years, which
today are more or less full.
One solution was the opening up of the
Eastern Anchorage, which until recently was a
free anchorage zone primarily used by vessels
awaiting orders. However, the Port of
Gibraltar has introduced a fee system for
vessels anchoring in the area. Trials have also
taken place involving a bunker barge
refuelling a vessel. One of the major concerns
were the conditions encountered, which at
times could restrict operations.
For large vessels, about 10 slots are
available in the more sheltered Western
Anchorage, which are more or less full most
of the time. On the Eastern side, as well as
bunkers, spares, crew changes, fresh water
and stores could and are being delivered.
However, the risks have to be constantly
balanced against any operations, Capt
Hall said.
To help overcome these problems, as well
as monitor shipping in the area, Transas is
installing a VTS, which should be operational
in the New Year. The system will include
weather sensing software in an effort to give
early warning of the approach of inclement
weather conditions, radar systems and CCTV.
The sensors would be married up to the
procedural requirements. This move was
partly prompted by two high profile drybulk
carrier incidents in the past couple of years.
November/December 2009 TANKEROperator 11