Port of Beirut
Encyclopedia
The Port of Beirut is the main port in Lebanon
located on the eastern part of the Saint George Bay
on Beirut's northern Mediterranean coast, west of the Beirut River
. It is one of the largest and busiest ports on the Eastern Mediterranean. The Port of Beirut and Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport
are the main ports of entry into the country.
The port is operated and managed by the Gestion et exploitation du port de Beyrouth (GEPB), which is French
for Port Authority of Beirut. Container terminal operations are subcontracted to a private consortium called the Beirut Container Terminal Consortium (BCTC).
Since the end of the Lebanese Civil War
in 1990, the port has gone through a major updating and expansion program with the rehabilitation of existing port facilities, the construction of new administration buildings, and the construction of a new container terminal.
It's an important gateway for transporting freight to Syria
, Jordan
, Iraq
, and the Gulf States
.
The Port of Beirut has a total area of 1,200,000m2 and has 4 basins
, 16 quays, and a new container terminal
at quay 16 capable of handling per year.
The Free Zone
includes three industrial buildings with warehouses covering a total area of 32,400m2 and a commercial building with 46 duty free shops covering an area of 11,200m2. In 2007, the Logistic Free Zone (LFZ) was established containing several logistics warehouses where goods can undergo transformations before being exported via land, sea, and air or imported into Lebanon.
The general cargo area consists of 12 warehouses and a grain silo
with a capacity of 120,000 tons of grain.
The Port of Beirut has been selected as a transshipment hub
for the 2nd and 3rd largest container shipping companies in the world, Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and French-based Compagnie Maritime d’Affrètement - Compagnie Générale Maritime
(CMA-CGM). The latter is currently in the process of building a $12 million regional headquarters building near the port.
The passenger terminal is located along quay 5 facing the second basin of the port. The facility was deemed outdated and inadequate, so it is presently being reconstructed into a modern 600m2 facility that will have a decorative front sail structure. It is scheduled for completion early this year.
The historic first basin of the port, which presently hosts the Beirut Naval Base
, will be completely redeveloped by Solidere
, the $2 billion Lebanese real estate company that is rebuilding the Beirut Central District
(BCD). The redevelopment will involve transforming quays 1 and 2 into a public promenade along with the construction of leisure commercial properties.
The port lacks a railway connection, however, as part of long term plans to reinstate the railway system in Lebanon
, plans are to have a railway link to the port.
The majority of container traffic is handled by the new quay 16, the longest and deepest of all the quays at a length of 600m and a draft
of 15.5m allowing it to accommodate the largest container ships in the world. It has a stacking area of 365,000m2 allowing it to process up to 745,000 TEU
per year.
Quay 16 is equipped with 6 Super-post-Panamax container cranes and 18 rubber tyred gantry cranes manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Company (ZPMC).
Due to the very high traffic the container terminal is experiencing, the BCTC reached an agreement with the port authority to utilize the older quays 12, 13, and 14 for handling smaller container ships when quay 16 is occupied. This allows the container terminal to process up to 1,200,000 TEU per year and reduce vessel wait times. Container ships that are processed at these older quays as well as quay 15 have their containers loaded and unloaded by 2 mobile harbour cranes
manufactured by Gottwald Port Technology.
by reclaiming 140,000m2 of land creating a new 180,000m2 stacking area for containers. This will extend the quay from its present 600m to 1,100m. The draft
along the expanded quay will be 17.5m. The existing detached breakwater
for quay 16 will also be extended. The expansion will increase the container terminal capacity by 450,000 TEU allowing the terminal to process 1,500,000 TEU per year. The Danish-Lebanese joint venture, Pihl-Hourie, won the contract for the expansion project which will cost $128 million and be completed in 2012.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
located on the eastern part of the Saint George Bay
Saint George Bay
The Saint George Bay is located on the northern coast of the city of Beirut in Lebanon. The Saint George Bay is believed to be the place where Saint George slew the dragon. Today the bay houses Beirut's western marina and extends to the north until the marina of Dbayeh...
on Beirut's northern Mediterranean coast, west of the Beirut River
Beirut River
Beirut River is a river in Lebanon. The river runs east to west, then curves north, separating the city of Beirut from its eastern suburbs, primarily Bourj Hammoud and Sin el Fil. According to popular legend, St...
. It is one of the largest and busiest ports on the Eastern Mediterranean. The Port of Beirut and Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport
Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport
Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport is located 9 km from the city centre in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon and is the only operational commercial airport in the country. It is the hub for Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines...
are the main ports of entry into the country.
The port is operated and managed by the Gestion et exploitation du port de Beyrouth (GEPB), which is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for Port Authority of Beirut. Container terminal operations are subcontracted to a private consortium called the Beirut Container Terminal Consortium (BCTC).
Since the end of the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
in 1990, the port has gone through a major updating and expansion program with the rehabilitation of existing port facilities, the construction of new administration buildings, and the construction of a new container terminal.
It's an important gateway for transporting freight to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and the Gulf States
Persian Gulf States
Persian Gulf States can refer to:* Countries in the Middle East bordering the Persian Gulf and sometimes known as the Gulf States: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates....
.
The Port of Beirut has a total area of 1,200,000m2 and has 4 basins
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
, 16 quays, and a new container terminal
Container terminal
A container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example trains or trucks, in which case the terminal is described as a maritime...
at quay 16 capable of handling per year.
The Free Zone
Free port
A free port or free zone , sometimes also called a bonded area is a port, port area or other area with relaxed jurisdiction with respect to the country of location...
includes three industrial buildings with warehouses covering a total area of 32,400m2 and a commercial building with 46 duty free shops covering an area of 11,200m2. In 2007, the Logistic Free Zone (LFZ) was established containing several logistics warehouses where goods can undergo transformations before being exported via land, sea, and air or imported into Lebanon.
The general cargo area consists of 12 warehouses and a grain silo
Storage silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store grain or fermented feed known as silage. Silos are more commonly used for bulk storage of grain, coal, cement, carbon black, woodchips, food products and sawdust. Three types of silos are in widespread use...
with a capacity of 120,000 tons of grain.
The Port of Beirut has been selected as a transshipment hub
Transshipment
Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....
for the 2nd and 3rd largest container shipping companies in the world, Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and French-based Compagnie Maritime d’Affrètement - Compagnie Générale Maritime
CMA CGM
CMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company, headed by Jacques Saadé. It is the third largest container company in the world, using 200 shipping routes between 400 ports in 150 different countries...
(CMA-CGM). The latter is currently in the process of building a $12 million regional headquarters building near the port.
The passenger terminal is located along quay 5 facing the second basin of the port. The facility was deemed outdated and inadequate, so it is presently being reconstructed into a modern 600m2 facility that will have a decorative front sail structure. It is scheduled for completion early this year.
The historic first basin of the port, which presently hosts the Beirut Naval Base
Beirut Naval Base
Beirut Naval Base is the first naval base and the headquarters of the Lebanese Navy, established in 1950. The base comprises a part of Port of Beirut....
, will be completely redeveloped by Solidere
Solidere
Solidere s.a.l. is a Lebanese joint-stock company in charge of planning and redeveloping Beirut Central District following the conclusion, in 1990, of the country’s devastating civil war...
, the $2 billion Lebanese real estate company that is rebuilding the Beirut Central District
Beirut Central District
The Beirut Central District or Centre Ville is the name given to Beirut’s historical and geographical core, the “vibrant financial, commercial, and administrative hub of the country.” At the heart of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut Central District is an area thousands of years old, traditionally a...
(BCD). The redevelopment will involve transforming quays 1 and 2 into a public promenade along with the construction of leisure commercial properties.
The port lacks a railway connection, however, as part of long term plans to reinstate the railway system in Lebanon
OCFTC
rightO.C.F.T.C is the Lebanese government authority which operates public transportation in Lebanon....
, plans are to have a railway link to the port.
Beirut Container Terminal Consortium
Management and operation of the container terminal is subcontracted to the Beirut Container Terminal Consortium (BCTC) which is made up of the Lebanese-based International Port Management Beirut (IPMB), British-based Portia Management Services (PMS), and American-based Logistics and Port Management, Americas (LPMA). It was established in December 2004 and began operations in 2005, although the container terminal facilities were completed in 2000.The majority of container traffic is handled by the new quay 16, the longest and deepest of all the quays at a length of 600m and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 15.5m allowing it to accommodate the largest container ships in the world. It has a stacking area of 365,000m2 allowing it to process up to 745,000 TEU
Twenty-foot equivalent unit
The twenty-foot equivalent unit is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals...
per year.
Quay 16 is equipped with 6 Super-post-Panamax container cranes and 18 rubber tyred gantry cranes manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Company (ZPMC).
Due to the very high traffic the container terminal is experiencing, the BCTC reached an agreement with the port authority to utilize the older quays 12, 13, and 14 for handling smaller container ships when quay 16 is occupied. This allows the container terminal to process up to 1,200,000 TEU per year and reduce vessel wait times. Container ships that are processed at these older quays as well as quay 15 have their containers loaded and unloaded by 2 mobile harbour cranes
Mobile crane
-Defination:Mobile Crane A cable-controlled crane mounted on crawlers or rubber-tired carriers. A hydraulic-powered crane with a telescoping boom mounted on truck-type carriers or as self-propelled models..-History:...
manufactured by Gottwald Port Technology.
Phase I
The first phase of the container terminal expansion was launched last year and involves expanding quay 16 by 500m to the east reaching the mouth of the Beirut RiverBeirut River
Beirut River is a river in Lebanon. The river runs east to west, then curves north, separating the city of Beirut from its eastern suburbs, primarily Bourj Hammoud and Sin el Fil. According to popular legend, St...
by reclaiming 140,000m2 of land creating a new 180,000m2 stacking area for containers. This will extend the quay from its present 600m to 1,100m. The draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
along the expanded quay will be 17.5m. The existing detached breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
for quay 16 will also be extended. The expansion will increase the container terminal capacity by 450,000 TEU allowing the terminal to process 1,500,000 TEU per year. The Danish-Lebanese joint venture, Pihl-Hourie, won the contract for the expansion project which will cost $128 million and be completed in 2012.