Oil, Gas &

Chemical
Handling

“While dedicated oil tanker berths are typically dolphin berth

structures with loading platforms on piles, the Port of Fujairah has
decided to build continuous quay walls in OT1 and OT2. This
allows flexible usage of the berths.”
‘Port of Fujairah putting itself on the map’, page 60.
Oil, Gas and ChemiCal handlinG

Port of Fujairah
putting itself on
the map
Gert-Jan Roelevink, maritime project manager,
MUC Engineering, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates

The Port of Fujairah was built in the tank terminal (currently Vopak Horizon
early 1980s as part of the economic Fujairah Ltd., VHFL) became operational
d e ve l o p m e n t o f t h e U n i t e d A r a b with an onshore oil storage facility and
Emirates. Fujairah is situated on the East offshore jetty operating independently.
Coast, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, In 2004 a dedicated oil terminal (OT1)
and with its port being a secure portal to inside the Port of Fujairah was completed
the Gulf; it has seen steady growth over with three berths for handy size tankers
the years. Due to its convenient location and bunker barges. This facility mainly
along one of the world’s major shipping serves the Fujairah refinery just north of
routes, the port has emerged into a major the port.
oil and logistic hub. Forward projections of the increasing
A mild wave climate, easy access due to importance of Fujairah as a strategic
its deep water relatively close to the shore, oil hub, have resulted in the conception
and the fact that Fujairah is piracy-free, and planning of a second oil terminal
have all contributed to the port’s success. (OT2), developed jointly with MUC
The mild wave climate allows open sea Engineering. OT2 is being created
terminal operations and bunker trade around a new harbour basin, north of
in particular has played a key role in its the existing port which is dredged to -18
growth; the port is now ranked alongside metres. The new terminal is completely
Singapore and Rotterdam in size. dedicated to handling oil tankers.
Moreover, the importance of the The first four berths of OT2 were
port is increasingly recognised, with commissioned in 2010 and currently
several national strategic projects being accommodate tankers up to 200,000
developed. One of these is the 1.5 million deadweight tonnes (DWT). These berths
barrels per day (bpd) ‘Fujairah Habshan have been realised as a 1,500 metre long
Oil Pipeline’, with its main oil terminal quay wall. As a response to the increasing
in Fujairah and the 250,000 bpd refinery demand for more berths, the port has
which is planned for completion in 2016. decided to continue the construction and
Additionally, an LNG terminal is being is currently developing two further berths,
constructed north of the Port of Fujairah. which will be able to handle partly-loaded
To strengthen the private sector and very large crude carriers (VLCC). These
support companies in the oil industry, a berths are planned to be finalised in early scheduled to be operational in mid-2016.
special zone for oil companies has been 2014. With these two new berths, the Furthermore, a number of dedicated
established in the area north of the port. number of oil tanker berths in the Port of berths for bunker barges and chemical
This Fujairah oil industry zone (FOIZ) Fujairah totals nine, with six berths being tankers are at the drawing board.
aims at developing the strateg y for able to handle tankers up to 180,000
investment in the region and regulating DWT. Independent oil storage
the petroleum and hydrocarbon industries. Ad d i t i on a l l y, i n M ay 2 0 1 3 , t h e terminals
construction of the three-kilometre Only VHFL runs a self-owned jetty
Fujairah oil tanker terminal nor ther n breakwater star ted. This a n d a l l o t h e r c om m e rc i a l s t o r a ge
W hile the Port of Fujairah, being a breakwater shall enclose the northern terminals in the FOIZ use the Port of
multi-purpose port, offers a wide variety harbour basin to protect OT2 against Fujairah facilities for marine loading and
of services such as container handling, swells, and will serve as a causeway to unloading operations. Fujairah continues
general cargo, break bulk, project and a new VLCC berthing facility. This to attract new companies that commit
maritime logistical supply especially its oil VLCC berth is planned to be built on the to building storage tanks in Fujairah. In
tanker terminals have expanded rapidly in seaward end of the northern breakwater addition, existing tank farms all undertake
recent years. In 1996, the Van Ommeren at a water depth of -26 metres and is new expansion projects to upgrade their

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 Oil, Gas and ChemiCal handlinG

main image: Fujairah's second oil terminal (OT2); Bottom right: maiden call at OT2 in may 2010.

terminals. As a result, the total capacity Fujairah, in order to use the berths in the
of all commercial storage terminals is Fujairah oil tanker terminal.
increasing and is expected to reach 8
million cubic metres by the end of 2014. The flexible oil terminal
Consequently, the anticipated throughput During the planning of the Fujairah
through the Fujairah oil tanker terminal oil tanker terminal, there has been an
could reach an annual 70 million tonnes emphasis on flexible usage of berthing
at the end of 2014. This is exclusive of the facilities in general and flexible
crude which is being exported through connectivity in particular. Flexibility
the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline was considered to be an essential pre-
(ADCOP). With the six berths on its condition for the success of the system
jetty being fully occupied, VHFL has as a whole. The port understood that
also started the construction of pipelines dedicated berths for each terminal
connecting its terminal to the Port of would result in a large number of jetties

E dit ion 60: No vembe r 2013 61

Oil, Gas and ChemiCal handlinG

The Fujairah oil industry zone.

that would quickly congest the available Future projections that has the potential to be expanded
waterfront space. Hence a system was Fujairah seems to be commonly recognised beyond 24 berths for large tankers up
adopted where all tank terminals are as an important strategic oil logistics hub to VLCC class. The Port of Fujairah
connected to all berths through two large and the number of companies that have has shown dedication in providing the
matrix manifolds. The berths and the an interest in establishing their business required marine loading and unloading
matrix manifold are being operated by the in Fujairah is increasing. With OT2, the capacity of terminals in Fujairah and has
Port of Fujairah. Port of Fujairah has created the basic the capacity to accommodate more growth
infrastructure for a marine oil terminal in the future.
Matrix manifold
The first matrix manifold (MM1) is
fully integrated and connected to oil About the author
tanker berths two to nine. MM1 is able
to receive 62 pipelines serving 10 to 11 Gert-Jan Roelevink is maritime project manager at MUC Engineering.
oil storage terminals. A second matrix He has a background in hydraulic engineering, where he specialises in
manifold (MM2) has been planned the design of coastal protection and port infrastructure and port master
at the north side of OT2 and is able to planning. As maritime project manager his responsibilities are the
receive an additional 60 pipelines from management of port infrastructure design projects. He is also a key part
the storage terminals north of the port. of the design and engineering division at MUC, which consists of around 30 structural,
MM1 and MM2 will be fully connected geotechnical and hydraulic engineers, master planners and project managers.
and integrated to enable connectivity
between all tank terminals and all present About the organisation
and future oil tanker berths.
MUC Engineering is an independent advisory engineering and consultancy company
Flexible berth system based in the Middle East. MUC Engineering has supported the Port of Fujairah
While dedicated oil tanker berths are with the development of the Fujairah OT2 master plan and has carried out the
typically dolphin berth structures with design and project supervision for the OT2 infrastructure. Furthermore, MUC acts as
loading platforms on piles, the Port of project management consultant for a number of the commercial oil storage terminals
Fujairah has decided to build continuous in the FOIZ.
quay walls in OT1 and OT2. This allows
flexible usage of the berths. Practically, it Enquiries
means that each berth can either be used
for handling one big tanker with two Capt. Mousa Building, Ground Floor
central loading arms, or it can be used for Hamad Bin Abdulla Rd ± F ujairah
handling two small tankers at the same P.O. Box 7718 ± F ujairah, UAE
time with two smaller loading arms. This
system has proven to be convenient given Phone: +971 92239954
the large number of small tankers which Fax: +971 92232006
are used in the bunker trade. These small Email : [email protected]
tankers can now be served two at a time if Website: www.muc.ae
the berth is not occupied.

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