Handling in the former GDR port has risen from 870,000 tons in 2000 to 1.43m tons in 2006 and facilities needed expansion to cope with bigger ships now able to call after the deepening of the port’s eastern approaches in 2000 and the opening of the new 4.1 km long Ruegen Bridge last year.

Support from the federal German coastal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV), in which Stralsund is located, along with a grant from the European Regional Development Fund and cash from Germany’s seaport investment budget all helped finance the Suedhafen project.

The first pile was driven in November 2005 and a total area of some 23,000 m2 reclaimed using sand obtained from the earlier approach channel dredging. A handling area of 12,000 m2 was created with an additional 400m of quay wall on a water depth of 7.5m.

MV Transport Ministry spokesman Ulrich Vetter reported that 190,000 m2 of materials had been dredged, 6,000 m of cables and other service links relocated, a further 3,700m laid and a total of 2,000 tons of steel deployed. Sheet piling up to 21m long was used to create the new quay wall.

Special attention was paid to rail connection because of the rising importance of the port as an import/export rail hub. About a kilometer of new track was laid and two stretches of that run right to Berth 18 to permit direct water/rail cargo transfer.

Further expansion is due in Stralsund over the coming years with more basin deepening and a further berth planned.

By Tom Todd