The strategic position of Limassol Port, the accession of Cyprus to the EU, the deregulation of services at the ports, the expected lifting of the Turkish embargo as well as the solution to the Cyprus problem, are reasons which lend very optimistic prospects to the future of the port as well as to the cargo and passenger traffic through it.

     Limassol Port, a port of multiple uses, is the main port of Cyprus. It commenced operations in 1974, immediately following the coup d’etat and the Turkish invasion. In essence, it started working as the main port of the country following the occupation of Famagusta Port, which was handling 83% of the total cargo of our country.

     It provides services to ships, loading/unloading of cargo and passenger traffic. The marine area of the port is one sq km and its land area is 1.3 sq km.

     The Port Manager assisted by a Senior Pilot have the responsibility for the harmonious operation of the port.

     Construction of the Limassol Port commenced in 1971, as a replacement of the Old port and thenceforth the expansion and upgrading of its installations continues, in accordance with strategic master plan of that time. Referring to its historical evolution, the port, developed in stages according to the following stages:

     Creation of the Port (1971–10/1973) started with the construction of the port basin with a circle of turning radius 500m (depth 12m) and the construction of two quays of a total length of 880m (north 430m and western 450m) with maximum depth 11m. A covered warehouse (Warehouse No 2) having an area of 6080sq.m was also constructed and a crane on rails (Luffing Crane) was installed on the western quay, having a hoisting power of 35 tonnes.

     During the next phase of its expansion (1980–1982) the eastern quay of 480m length and having a depth of 11, was constructed. In 1984 two gantry cranes Panamax ‘’Reggiane’’ were installed on the eastern quay for providing service to ships with containers.

     Soon after, the western quay was extended to the south so as to meet the transshipment trade’s needs and a ramp having a width of 50m was constructed for providing service to the Ro-Ro ships. A new southern quay of 300m was also constructed and all the above were dredged to a maximum depth of 14m. This was the first of three phases of the new master plan.

     Five sea mooring posts, dolphins, were constructed for ships with 10.5 maximum draught which need to be moored due to repairs, decommissioning or impounding.

     During the construction of the western basin an embankment was constructed on the outside of the southern quay where lately there is intention of creating a fisherman’s wharf.

     At Limassol Port the quays have a total length of 1980m:

     Northern 430m with maximum depth of water 11m
     Western 450+320m with maximum depth of water 11m-13m-14m
     Eastern 480m with maximum depth of water 11m
     Southern 300m with maximum depth of water 14m
     Ramp 50m with maximum depth of water 14m

     In the land area of the Port, the Authority has covered and open spaces for the storage of cargo.

1. Covered spaces comprising 5 warehouses of total area 39760sq. m.

          Warehouse No.1 7200m²
          Warehouse No.2 6080m²
          Warehouse No.3 10000m²
          Warehouse No.4 10080m²
          Warehouse No.5 6400m²

     Part of the warehouse No.2 was assigned to the British Bases for their own cargo traffic while the remainder was assigned to the Customs and Excise Department for the auctioning of cargo which remains in the port area in excess of prescribed time (Republic Bonded Warehouse).

2. Open storage spaces, for conventional cargo of 157000m²

3. Stacking areas for containers 344400m²

4. There are also 299 electricity supply points for containers-refrigerators.

     As regards Building Installations, within the fenced port area, these include:

• Customs Office
• Workshop for the repair of the Authority’s equipment and Warehouse for Accessories
• Offices for the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
• Workshop/Garage for the mechanical equipment for the Association of Licensed Porters of Limassol
• Passenger’s terminal which is undergoing several upgradings in line with EU Directives (Schengen). A new passenger terminal is currently under construction at the eastern quay area according to the new master plan which is envisaged to be ready in 2010.

     The Authority’s Administration Building and the Offices of the Customs Department lie outside the fenced area of the port where the Grain Silos, which have a storage capacity of 75000 tons of grain, are also situated.

     Equipment of the Authority

     For the purchase of affording service to ships/cargoes and port users, the Authority provides its own modern equipment manned by its own personnel.

     The floating equipment provided by the Authority for facilitating the mooring of ships is:

• Tug Boats:

          ‘’OTHELLO’’ 1300BHP- Boll pull 16TNS
          ‘’PRINIAS’’    3500BHP- Boll pull 35TNS
          ‘’ASPELIA’’   3500BHP- Boll pull 35TNS

• Pilot Ships:

          ‘’ALASIA’’
          ‘’AKAMANTIS’’

• For auxiliary purposes the Authority provides also the ‘’ACHEON AKTI’’ and the multipurpose boat ‘’NEREUS’’.

     The land based equipment for the loading/unloading of cargo includes:

• Two gantry cranes ‘’Reggianne’’ of 40 tons hoisting power installed on the eastern quay in 1984.
• Two gantry cranes ‘’Panamax’’ by ‘’Ceretti Tanfani’’ of 40 tons hoisting installed at first on the eastern quay and transferred to the western quay in 1996.
• Two gantry cranes ‘’Panamax’’ by ‘’Ceretti Tanfani’’ of 45 tons hoisting installed on the souhtern quay in 1996.
• Two mobile cranes DEMAG 27 and DEMAG 28 of 21 tons and 40 tons hoisting power respectively. They are used mainly for loading/unloading of conventional cargo.
• One mobile crane GOTTWALD of 35 tons hoisting power.
• One mobile crane on rails STOTHERT & PIT (Luffing Crane) of 35 tons hoisting power which was installed on the western quay in 1974.

     If the needs of the port are not satisfied by the Authority’s equipment then private licensed cranes are mobilized, for which the Authority levies royalties.

     Electrical Equipment  

     For emergency purposes or in the event of interruption of the electricity supply, the Authority equipped itself with a mobile generator of 750KVA capacity and thereafter with yet another three generators of 8KVA, 40KVA and 60KVA capacity, respectively.

     At Limassol port there is a medium voltage (11KV) network installed which supplies nine substations through underground cables.

     Most of the substations of the Authority are on a ring circuit for unimpeded electricity supply.

     Work Force

     The Cyprus Ports Authority employs at Limassol Port 242 people who on a basis of their qualifications and specializations are divided into the following services:

• Pilot Service (Pilots, barge drivers, tug captains, tug engineers)
• Store Section (Port officials)
• Technical Services (People specialized in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering/Architecture)
• Information Technology Section
• Health and Safety Service
• Crane Drivers
• Clerical Service
• Accounting
• Security Guards
• Cleaners and Drivers

     Since October 2002, part of the personnel works on a shift basis for providing better service to port operations. If requested, the port works on a 24-hour basis.

     The port is closed on Christmas Day, the 1st of January and on Easter Day. Commercial ports also observe 1st of May as holiday.

     Port Users

     Apart from Cyprus Ports Authority, some other Government Services operate in the port area:

• Customs and Excise Department
• Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
• Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (Fisheries Dept/Dept of Agriculture/Veterinary Service)

     In addition the following work at the port:

• Licensed Porters
• Cyprus Shipping Agents Association
• Transporters Association
• Customs Cleaner’s Association
• Luggage Carriers
• Tourist Agents (Travel Agents)
• Ship Suppliers
• Refuelling of Ships
• Water Supply
• Repair Workshops, maintenance and docking of ships
• Pisciculture
• Container Repair Workshops
• Licensed boats for crew transfer and or for mooring of oil tankers
• Licensed privately owned cranes
• Collection of oil remnants from ships
• Collection of refuse

     Security at Limassol Port

     In accordance with EU directives as well as with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), the Authority has proceeded to the following measures at Limassol Port:

• Checking and control of entry/exit to the Port by Security Guards on a 24 hour basis, 7 days a week
• The control of people entering the port area is done via entry cards issued by the Authority
• At the main entrance to the port there is a closed circuit surveillance and recording on video tape. The installation of a closed circuit surveillance of the whole of the port area and of the fence area are at the development process. (second phase)
•  Installation of a ‘’hot’’ telephone line at the port entrance.
• Reinforcement of the fence of the port area
• Increase of security personnel.
• Modification of the Passenger’s Terminal in line with the provision of the Schengen Treaty.
• For port security purposes there are frequent patrols by security guards and by members of Port and Nautical Police Force.
• The Authority has installed a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Radar system for the continuous monitoring and recording of ship and boat traffic at the port  and at the roadstead. The monitoring Station is manned by Authority officials on a 24 hour basis.
• To cover the eventuality of nuclear cargo traffic the Customs Department has installed special tracking pylons at the port area.
• For port security, the Authority has a responsible official who is in charge of the Security Guards.

     Scheduled Projects

     Having set high targets for Limassol Port the Authority has scheduled or proceeds with the materialization of the following projects:

• New Passenger’s Terminal:
  With the completion of a Pancyprian Architectural Competition, the design was awarded to the Office which won 1st prize. The solution put forward comprises an original modern building of 8500 sq m of covered spaces, parking area and areas for the movement of pedestrians and vehicles. The project is envisaged to be completed in 2010. In conjunction with the passenger terminal the building of the Port & Nautical Police Force, which Force now is housed at the Old Port, will be constructed.
  
   
• Dredging of the port to the 16m
  In the context of upgrading of the port for the purpose of attracting larger container ships, the Authority has decided to proceed with the deepening of the western basin of the turning circle and of the port entry access by two meters. At the same time work will be carried out for the support of existing structures. The project is expected to be completed around the end of 2007.
  
   
• Purchase of a new tug boat
  The deepening of the port for attracting larger ships means ships having a bigger draught (15m), bigger displacement (150000 tons) and larger exposed area. This necessitates the purchase of a new tug boat of larger horse power in order to help with the handling of larger ships. The 2007 budget contains a provision for the down payment required for the purchase of a new tug boat of 6000 BHP.
  
   
• Extension of the southern quay by 500m
  A viability study is being carried out. One of the scenarios studied will be the extension of the southern quay for the purpose of providing service to larger container ships whose length is in excess of 325m and whose displacement is in excess of 8000 TEU’s. The results of the study are expected to be given to the Authority in the last quarter of 2007. Depending on the findings of the study it will be decided whether the extension by 500m of the western quay will serve its purpose. Also, depending on the findings of the study suitable gantry cranes will be purchased and installed which will provide service to the ships expected to be moored. Completion of the project according to estimates will take 3,5 years from the date of decision to go ahead.
  
  The extension of the quay will help in the gradual geographical segregation of the port by transferring all cargo traffic activities to the western part of the port.
  
   
• New stacking area for containers
  Heavy duty paving for an area of 30000m² was completed and thus the paving of all the land area to the north of the western basin has been completed. In total, during the last five years an area of 125000m² had been paved for the stacking of containers which has significantly increased the capacity of the container station. The area includes 140 electricity supply points for container refrigerators. Apart from the above, 10000 m² of heavy duty road paving had been reconstructed for the storage of general cargo and vehicles.
  
   
• Resiting of Warehouses No. 3 and 4
  The plans of the Authority include the resiting of Warehouses 3 and 4 and a heavy duty road paving so that a unified space for stacking be created, thus enabling machinery for the transfer and stacking of containers to operate unimpededly. This is provided by the 1992 Master Plan of the Authority.
  
   
• Land Equipment for horizontal transport, stacking and delivery of containers belonging to the Licensed Porters Association
  The increased number of containers requires continuously larger spaces. Spaces must be better utilized by increasing stacking height and reducing the areas for the movement of machinery. This requires specialized equipment (RTG’s) with which through the Licensed Porters avoid to be equipped. This results in abandoning large storage spaces (gravel beds) due to the lack of equipment and leaving them to be used for vehicle storage which is not the best use. The construction of stacking spaces with heavy duty paving is very expensive and presumes utilization/exploitation of space to the maximum possible degree. The increase in the number of gantry cranes presumes an increase in the support equipment for the transport and stacking of containers. The eventuality of a take over of the Porters Association by the Cyprus Shipping Agents Association delays the decision making for new equipment despite the manifested intention of the Porters Association to purchase a number of equipment for horizontal transportation and stacking.
  
  
   
• New western Entrance/Exit:
  
       It is expected that within 2007 a Town Planning Project will commence for the construction of a junction 4 lane road from the western part of the port which will connect the port with Paphos/Lefkosia highway. An entrance/exit is also planned for containers to a roundabout west of the port and construction work will start in 2007. This will assist in relieving the main roads of the town from the traffic of heavy type vehicles, especially Omonia Avenue.
  
   
• Coastal Road:
  
       This is a Town Planning project which will connect the New Port with the Marina and the Old Port. The area of the port next to the roundabout will be utilized and the operation of the Passenger Terminal will be facilitated. Along this road there will be other projects such as a dock, cafeterias and public conveniences which will probably be on reclaimed land in the port area and the permission of the Authority will be required for utilizing this area. The design of the project has already commenced and works proposed by Limassol Municipality are being debated.
  
   
• Mooring of boats of the Port and Nautical Police:
  
       The budget for the construction of mooring facilities at the new far end of the eastern quay of the port for use by the port and nautical police force has been approved and the Technical Services of the Authority have already begun their design. The cost will be covered by the Ministry of Finance.

Source: CPA