Tangiers-Med port (Morocco)

Overview of the project

Contents INTRODUCTION 2 Tangiers-Med port 3 Technical innovation 4 The world's largest ships 5 Harbour engineering 6 Caissons breakwater 6 Birth of a caisson 7 Durable structure 7 Special quarry 8 Facts and figures 8 Illustrations 9 General view of port 9 Construction of a four-cell caisson 10 CONCLUSION 11

INTRODUCTION
The Tangier-Med Project will contain the biggest port in Africa. The project is a strategic priority of the Moroccan government for the economic and social development of the North Morocco region. It is part of the economic policy orienting Morocco towards exports, based on eight clearly identified export sectors, with particular emphasis on the free trade agreement with the European Union to be implemented by 2012.
Completion of the «Tangier-Mediterranean» project will have important economic effects in terms of jobs, creation of added value and foreign investment. Its particular position on the Straits of Gibraltar, at the crossing of two major maritime routes, and 15km from the European Union will enable it to serve a market of hundreds of millions of consumers through the industrial and commercial free zones which will be run by well-known private operators. It will also win part of the strong growth market of container transshipment and become the leading hub for cereal transshipment, a facility which is non-existent in the north-west African region at present.
The project will be implemented, coordinated and managed by TMSA, a private company with public prerogatives, operating under an agreement with the State and interacting with the different ministries involved.
The port complex will have important economic effects in terms of jobs, creation of added value and foreign investment. In addition to the economic effects of the operation of the port, there will be important effects resulting from its construction, particularly through foreign