The first Botafoc dock’s dolphin becomes operational
Eivissa, 14 de junio de 2016
14/06/2016
The first of the three dolphins that are being built in the southern pier of Botafoc docks, where the first berthing line for large ships is being lengthened, became operational yesterday.
The first cruise ship to use this dolphin yesterday was the Mein Schiff 3, which could make an ordinary and safe mooring and berthing in the commercial dock of Ibiza's Port. This cruise ship happened to meet another vessel at the port, the Costa Favolosa.
The main objective of the works carried out by the Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB) through the awardee Joint Venture Copcisa-Olives is to improve the capacity for cruise ship traffic and the efficiency of the moorings at the commercial docks of Ibiza's Port, sheltered by Botafoc dock.
A total of three dolphins are being built, which will allow for the increase of the mooring length to up to 328 and 375 metres at both sides of the pier. This will allow the simultaneous berthing of two vessels of up to 335 and 290 metres long.
The lengthening of the piers will also improve the operation of the port, as at present large cruise ships happen to meet the oil tankers that unload fuel at Botafoc dock's alignment. Besides, current moorings have a limited capacity for long cruise ships when there are adverse weather conditions.
The structural design used by the building Joint Venture allows for the optimisation of the quantities of concrete and steel to be used, which in turn has allowed for a reduction of the cost of the works and of the execution time. It is also an adequate solution from an environmental point of view, as it allows for the renewal of the port's water.
