Beatriz Calzada, president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, officially inaugurated this Tuesday the expansion of the Muelle de Naos, in Arrecife, whose works have concluded this July after twelve months of work.
During the presentation, Calzada was accompanied by the head of Infrastructure of the Port Authority, Antonia Bordón, who explained the details of the project, the head of the area of Finance and Subsidies of State Ports, José Luis Arroyo. Also the Minister of Environment of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Samuel Martín, the director of the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality of the Government of the Canary Islands, Luis Arráez and the Government Delegate in the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana.
Beatriz Calzada stressed that this work will improve the connectivity of the island of Lanzarote with the rest of the Archipelago, as it will allow safe docking for regular line and ro-ro cargo ships in the face of inclement weather. "Currently, ships dock at the Muelle de los Mármoles, where they encounter difficulties when there is bad weather. With this new, much more sheltered berth, ships will be able to carry out their operations in complete safety, which guarantees the absolute connectivity of the island of Lanzarote for both passengers and goods, which, as we all know, is essential for the Canaries."
In addition, this new dike will allow the companies Fred Olsen and Armas to operate at the same time, thus improving the connection frequencies between the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The project, explained the president, had a final budget of 11,982,930 euros, and has been co-financed by the European Fund of the European Union, which contributes to reducing social and economic disparities between the citizens of the Union, in a 47.27% of the total amount up to 5,294,000 euros.
Thanks to European funds, in the last decade the Port Authority of Las Palmas has made investments in the Port of Arrecife for an amount of 40 million euros, 85% from Europe. Among the actions that have been carried out are the extension of the Muelle de los Mármoles, with 21.4 million investment, the expansion of the Muelle de Naos, of almost 12 million, or the south breakwater of Muelle Naos, with an investment of more than 8.6 million euros.
Ships up to 200 meters in length
The docking line of the Muelle de Naos has been extended by 149.70 linear meters, with an operating area width of 13.10 meters and a ro-ro ramp of 37 meters x 30.5 meters. The extension of the docking line has been carried out thanks to the construction of seven boxes. Five of them make up the main alignment, one serves as a heel for the execution of the ro-ro ramp and another serves as a connection between the new dock and the existing breakwater.
The UTE FCC-Tiagua has been awarded the project, in which the widening of the southern breakwater of Naos, which gives access to the extension of the Muelle de Naos, has also been carried out to achieve two lanes, one for entry and one for exit of four meters each, with shoulders of one meter on both sides. In addition, a mooring point has been added through a mooring buoy located south of the new dock, which allows ships up to 200 meters in length to dock.
Also, the pipes for the services of lighting, low voltage, supply and telecommunications have been placed; the access door has been changed to a double door of eight meters wide, a new perimeter fence of marine aluminum of three meters high along 20 meters of demolished backrest has been placed, horizontal road markings have been executed and vertical signage has been placed.
