Balears Wharf
The construction of the new Balears Wharf will transform the face of the Port of Tarragona
The first phase of this new infrastructure will adjoin the Llevant breakwater and will be 460 metres long with a 4-hectare esplanade
Work on the new Balears Wharf is entering a decisive phase and over the next fourteen months it will transform the face of the Port of Tarragona. This new infrastructure will substantially change the area on the Llevant breakwater used for docking cruise ships, as it will be 460 metres long and have an area of 4 hectares.
The total length of the mooring line will be 700 metres as it will be possible to dock on both sides of 240 of those 460 metres. This means that twice the number of vessels will be able to tie up at the same time and also that the world’s largest cruise ships will now be able to call at Tarragona.
The construction of the wharf –at a cost of more than 27 million euros (+ IVA)– began officially last 17 April with the signing of the restatement ceremony. It will take 14 months and has a completion date of mid-2021.
In the future, the new infrastructure could also be opened up to solid bulk and multipurpose terminal services.
A new wharf in 10 phases and 14 months
Construction of the Balears Wharf began last April and take 14 months, after which the new installation will come into operation.
First Phase. Reception of the “Mar del Aneto” floating dock, also known as the frame, installed on the Andalusia Wharf. Its function is the construction of the caissons or concrete foundations to be used to build the new Balears Wharf.
This type of platform is used in ports to build wharfs, breakwaters and other port infrastructures. The caisson technology notably reduces the environmental impact compared to other more traditional methods; it also considerably shortens the execution time and is well-suited to the characteristics of the Port of Tarragona.
This first phase begins by setting up the anti-turbidity barrier on the water and removing the part of the breakwater where the new section will be built. The “Mar del Aneto” floating dock will be moved to the Catalunya Wharf and finally the sea bed will be dredged and levelled out.
PHASE 1 - PHOTOS
Second Phase. The dredging is completed and work begins on laying the material for the breakwater from the barge.
BREAKWATERS
1,232,000 tons of material are expected to be laid for the breakwaters
Third Phase. Completion of the laying of the breakwater material by sea, followed immediately by levelling for the caisson placement. Caisson manufacture begins on the Catalunya Wharf and work begins on building the first section of the southern breakwater using sea and land resources.
DIMENSIONS OF THE 11 CAISSONS
Length: 41.05 m; width: 16.75; height 21.30 m
Weight of an empty caisson: 7,288.80 tons | Weight of a full caisson: 33,440.65 tons
Fourth Phase. Anchoring and placement of the first caissons and completion of the work using land resources on the northern breakwater.
Fifth Phase. Completion of the placement of the caissons.
REINFORCEMENT STEEL
3.2 million kg of steel will be used for a cantilever beam and for caissons
Caissons 3,042,131.51 kg | Cantilever beam 131,766.54 kg
Sixth Phase. Completion of the southern breakwater. The interior cells of the caissons are filled with stone from the land and the breakwater caissons are joined using terrestrial resources.
Seventh Phase. Completion of the northern breakwater. In parallel, the construction of the cantilever beam begins and the wharf is filled with rubble using a suction dredger with a cutter.
DREDGING
The project calls for the extraction of more than 729,000 m3 of material from the sea bed of which almost 500,000 m3 will be used as fill for the wharf
Eighth Phase. The wharf begins to take on an identifiable and visible shape. Placement of the bollards and defences begins at the same time as work starts on surfacing the wharf and the esplanade.
Ninth Phase. At this point the wharf is practically completed. The cantilever beam is completed with defences and bollards. The wharf is fully surfaced and the esplanade is partially surfaced.
BOLLARDS
Thirty-three 200-ton nominal TIR bollards are placed
Sufficient for mooring the largest cruise ships in the world
Tenth Phase. After 14 months the wharf is operative.

Environmental Protection Plan
The Port of Tarragona has incorporated voluntary environmental measures into the Balears Wharf project to reduce and guarantee minimal impact of the building work on the environment. It has designed an Environmental Protection Plan to control the actions during the execution of the construction work. It also has an environmental monitoring procedure that it applies systematically to all the building projects carried out by the Port of Tarragona.
The Prats Outer Harbour Wall
The Prats Outer Harbour Wall
As provided for in the 2016-2035 Master Plan (currently undergoing environmental scrutiny) and as already provided for in the 2000-2014 Master Plan, the Port will grow in the mid-term towards the southwest, in the area known as the Ribera (shoreside) Esplanades.
In a first phase, the new Els Prats strengthening breakwater will be built by augmenting and lengthening the existing breakwater. The new breakwater will have an approximate total length of 1,600 m. It will crown the +7.2 m level and will not be passable.
In addition, a 400-m-long mooring line will be built, together with 40,000-m2 of esplanade. Under the Port’s plans, this area will be used for tying up cruise ships, as well as being provided with the capacity and polyvalence to be able to handle general cargo.
The breakwater design also provides for a type of rockfill section that varies in size as it gains depth. The plan also includes a wider road on the coastal stretch as far as the wharf to allow two coaches to pass each other and a narrower final section in order to save on the cost.
The wharf will be built of reinforced concrete caissons set on rockfill foundations reinforced with quarry material.
It will be connected to the breakwater with two duly protected earth mounds at the ends of the wharf.
The wharf fill will consist of material dredged from between the wharf and the Repsol jetty
The objective of this project is to allow the development of the port to the south, protecting it from rough seas from the south, at the same time as providing environmental protection for La Pineda beach against possible episodes of marine pollution.
Under the Investment Plan, the project is due to begin in 2022 and be completed in 2025
Estimated cost: 65,000,000 € + VAT
Work plan for the coming years:
2020 Expedition of the Master Plan (necessary for the authorisation of the project) and drawing up of the preliminary plan
2021 Drawing up of the construction plan + environmental procedures for the project
2022 Contract tendering and beginning of the work