|
|
|
|
Expanding the largest port |
|
|
|
Archives -
2006 Archive
|
|
Written by B. Tyril
|
|
Monday, 08 May 2006 |
As a base for North Atlantic fishing fleets, a hub for passenger and cargo traffic and an up and coming call for cruise liners, the Port of Tórshavn—the largest and busiest in the Faroes—offers a high concentration of maritime services at the harbors of Tórshavn, Sund and the expanding Kollafjörður.
The Port of Tórshavn is extending the deep-water quayside at Kollafjörður by 160 meters in a development set to improve berthing conditions for the increasing number of ships calling at the port. According to harbormaster Jónsvein Lamhauge, the investment is designed to give Kollafjörður 360 meters of continuous 12-meter deep quayside in addition to another 200 meters of pier to accommodate smaller sea vessels.
“The extension of the main quayside will make it easier on the busiest days at Kollafjörður,” Mr Lamhauge said. “During such days when you typically have one or two pelagic vessels coming simultaneously with a container ship and a large Russian trawler, they need some extra space to maneuver.”
Meanwhile, the Kollafjörður cold storage facility with a storing capacity of some 7,000 tons of frozen goods is being extended to offer a total capacity of 10,000 tons.
As the largest and busiest seaport in the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn offers a high concentration of maritime services and expertise. A successful base for North Atlantic fishing fleets, and a hub for passenger and cargo traffic, Tórshavn has frequent roll-on/roll-off ferry services as well as container shipments, and is becoming an increasingly popular summer call for international cruise liners—with 42 such ships booked for 2006.
“These ships tend to become bigger and bigger at the same time as they grow in quantity,” Mr Lamhauge said. “In 2005 we had 20,700 passengers coming by sea; this season we expect around 24,000. With our fast-improving national road network, it is possible to see many of the unique natural wonders of the islands in the course of one short call at Tórshavn. And we have a good choice of specially tailored bus tours to ensure that visitors get the most out of their stay.”
Following a process of consolidation in which a number of neighboring municipalities have been absorbed into the municipality of Tórshavn, about 40 percent of the total population of the Faroes now lives within the capital’s extended boundaries. Accordingly, between 60 and 70 percent of all imports into the Faroes are destined for consignees in the area. The municipal enlargement has broadened the operating area of the Tórshavn port authority to include the harbor facilities at Sund and Kollafjörður.
The Sund harbor, about 10 kilometers from Tórshavn, alongside the main road between Tórshavn and Vágar Airport, is also the location for the Faroe Islands’ biggest power plant. With 215 meters of quay, comprising one berth of 150 meters and another of 65 meters, and 25,000 square meters of adjacent land available and ready for development, the Sund terminal’s central location and proximity to the highway have made it a popular service base for fishing vessels from eastern Europe. Located slightly further north, 23 kilometers from Tórshavn, the Kollafjörður harbor is home to the world’s largest fish refrigeration plant, and is becoming a growing center for transport and logistics services as well as salmon and pelagic fish processing.
“With the combination of the three harbors we have, the Port of Tórshavn can handle a very large throughput,” Mr Lamhauge said. “In Tórshavn itself, we have almost 1,600 meters of quayside and a 45,000-square meter container area plus warehouses, and a shipyard, and we can practically offer everything a ship of normal size will need; but Kollafjörður and Sund have become essential parts of it.”
To improve access for larger vessels in the Tórshavn harbor, the port authority recently invested heavily into widening and extending the entrance channel to 160 meters as well as increasing water depth from 9 to 10 meters.
While the main carriers serving Tórshavn handle containers and break-bulk cargo within the main port area, there is also an integrated year-round ferry service for cars, trucks and passengers operating between Tórshavn and ports in Norway, Iceland, Shetland and Denmark.
In addition, Tórshavn has a domestic ferry terminal with daily services to the outlying island communities of Nólsoy and Suðuroy. Using the modern road links between the capital and the rest of the country, exporters throughout the Faroes take advantage of shipping services to get their goods to market by trucking seafood into Tórshavn.
“The frequency of sailings is ideal for those merchants selling high-value fish to overseas buyers,” Mr Lamhauge noted.
Link to pdf presentation...
|
|
|
Archives