The new northern breakwater at the Port of Tarragona is enclosed and port officials announced they are ready to dredge as they build the new Balears Wharf.

“The second connection made between the Llevant breakwater and the caissons of the Port Tarragona’s Balears Wharf gives a highly identifiable appearance to the new Balears Wharf,” the port said, in a statement. “This advance, to prepare for the dredging, allows the overland connection between both sides of the future wharf.”

The new wharf will increase the port’s capacity to receive more visitors in improved conditions. It will have a total berthing line of 700 metres, as vessels will be able to dock on both sides along 240 metres of the 460-metre length, as well as on the Llevant breakwater.

This second overland access to the caissons allows the eleven concrete foundations to be filled with material transported by truck from either side, making the task even easier, the port said.

For the following phase, the interior of the future wharf will be filled with material dredged from the zone between the Cantàbria and Andalusia wharfs.

This will allow the dockside depths to be maintained on each of the infrastructures.

Also in parallel, pipes have been installed to allow the release of the water and fauna inside. This will prevent fish from becoming trapped in the enclosure formed by the caissons, the two rockfills and the Llevant breakwater. As the interior of the wharf is filled with the dredged material the water level will rise and the pipes will be completely covered and become a natural channel.

The Port of Tarragona also said it is studying shorepower for vessels moored on the Balears Wharf.