Port of Haifa

The Port of Haifa

The Port of Haifa is the largest of Israel's three major international seaports, which include the Port of Ashdod, and the Port of Eilat. It has a natural deep water harbor which operates all year long, and serves both passenger and merchant ships. It is one of the largest ports in the eastern Mediterranean in terms of freight volume and handles over 22 million tons of cargo each year. The port employs over 1,000 people, with the number rising to 5,000 when cruise ships dock in Haifa. The Port of Haifa lies to the north of Haifa's downtown quarter on the Mediterranean, and streches to some 3 kilometers along the city's central shore with activities ranging from military, industrial and commercial next to a nowadays-smaller passenger cruising facility.

History

Containers in The Port of Haifa

Haifa Bay has been a refuge for mariners since prehistoric times. When the Crusaders conquered Haifa in the year 1100, it became an important town and the main port for Tiberias, the capital of the Galilee. The port fell into disrepair during the Mamluk reign, and acquired the reputation of a pirate lair in the 18th century.^{[citation needed]}

Until the beginning of the 20th century, Acre served as the main port for the region. However, the port eventually became clogged with silt, and was unable to accommodate large ships. The first person to comprehend the tremendous possibilities of a port in Haifa was Theodor Herzl, the father of Political Zionism, who in 1898 wrote a prophetic description of the town in his book AltNeuland. Construction of the port began in 1922, and it was officially opened on October 31, 1933. The port allowed Haifa to blossom, and in 1936, the city had over 100,000 inhabitants. The port served as a gateway for thousands of immigrants to Israel after the Second World War. With Israel’s western borders the Mediterranean and the eastern borders sealed by its Arab neighbors, Haifa served as a crucial gateway to the rest of the world, and helped Israel develop into an economic power. Today the port brings both passenger and cargo traffic to a bustling metropolis, much as Theodor Herzl predicted over a century ago.

The port has been the scene of two maritime incidents; one, the Patria disaster, killing 267, while the other, the loss of the Shelly, killing two people.

Facilities

Port of Haifa, viewed from the harbor

The Port of Haifa contains many cargo terminals, and is capable of servicing many ships at once. A railroad freight terminal is located inside the port and is used for transporting goods across the country, while a passenger rail station (Haifa Center HaShmona) is located nearby the passenger terminal. The port also features a fishing wharf, a yacht club, a sports marina, and a chemical terminal. In 2010, the port processed 22 million tons of cargo including 1.27 million TEUs, as well as 281,492 passengers. The port opened the first phase in the "Carmel Port" expansion program in 2010 that involved the construction of a new cargo terminal which includes a 700m long wharf capable of handling two giant 8,000 TEUs container ships (of max 15.5m draft) simultaneously as well as the opening of a secondary 250m wharf plus adjacent support and storage areas. The new facilities will expand the port's annual container handling capacity by 500,000 TEU. Construction of this new terminal cost NIS1.8 billion (appx. US$500 million) and took five years to complete.

The Port maintains facilities for the United States Sixth Fleet.

External links

• Official site
• Construction of the port- photographs