Port Of A Coruna, Spain

The Port of A Coruna is an autonomous community of Galicia and the capital of the A Coruna Province in northwestern Spain. It lies at the mouth of the Mero River as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Its position near a traditional sea route from Europe to Latin America makes it one of Spain’s most important ports. It is also the second biggest fishing center in Spain. Exports of agricultural produce and imports of coal, manufactured goods, and salt flow through the port on a daily basis.

Complementing its fishing industry, the Port of A Coruna contains canning and salting factories. It is also home to a busy petroleum refining industry and manufacture of textiles, chemicals, aluminum, and machinery. A tobacco factory and shipyards are located in its suburb of Santa Lucia to the south. The Port of A Coruna also has busy beach resorts and a thriving real estate market for second homes. In 2006, over 224 thousand people lived in the Port of A Coruna.

 

The Port of A Coruna was a base for anti-monarchist sentiments during the 19th Century, and the city supported the liberals throughout the century. In the early 19th Century, the National Factory of Cigarettes was established, which eventually spawned the country’s worker movement. Other industries arrived over the century including manufacturers of textiles, glass, matches, and gas. Still, its position as a seaport and trade center remained strong.

As the 20th Century began, the Port of A Coruna was home to about 45 thousand people. After the Spanish Civil War, former supporters of the Republic were forced to leave the Port of A Coruna, and those who remained suffered at the hands of the Franco government. The Nazis killed 13 citizens of the Port of A Coruna in the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp.

After Spain was restored to democracy in 1975, the Port of A Coruna enjoyed new urban renewal projects and a new focus on the tourism and service sectors to expand and diversify its economy.

The Port of A Coruna was born at the dawn of the modern era with the construction of the Hercules Tower, a Roman lighthouse that is still in use today. During the 2nd Century, a village grew up around the tower. By the 13th to 15th Centuries, the Port of A Coruna began to grow outside the old city walls, and the fishing port called la Pescaderia appeared. The San Anton Castle was built in 1528 to protect the port’s entrance.

By 1759, the Port of A Coruna had become the second most important port in the province, with 20 boats operating from the port.

In 1764, Carlos III established a maritime connection between the Port of A Coruna and Havana, Cuba, setting the stage for the Port of A Coruna’s golden age. By 1778, the Port of A Coruna was handling record levels of trade and cargo. In 1867, construction of the first modern dock was approved, and the Muelle de Hierro (Iron Dock) was opened in 1870.

The Junta de Obras del Puerto (Port Works Assembly) was established in 1877 to plan, construct, and improve the Port of A Coruna’s facilities. Five new interior docks were approved in 1892 and completed in 1907. In 1923, the Infanta Isabel, an 8.2 tons vessel of 140 meters, arrived at the Port of A Coruna.

In 1952, the port approved a product to create a 13 thousand meter sheltering dock to protect the port. In 1964, the Refinery Port Terminal was opened, and a third jetty was added to the oil dock in 1973.

In 1977, the Muelle del Centenario (Centenary Dock) was approved to allow the port to accommodate larger modern vessels. Opened in 1982, the Centenary Dock can accommodate vessels up to 120 thousand DWT with draught of 16 meters. To promote fishing activities, several new buildings were added to the Port of A Coruna in 1982-83, including a 1200 square meter fish market. A remodeling project for the fishing port was also approved.


In 1986, the Port of A Coruna handled a record 10 million tons of cargo. In 1991, the new Oza Dock was begun to further the port’s enhance fishing industry. In 1991, a new Liner Dock was opened to handle larger vessels. In 1992, a new refrigerator complex was opened at the San Diego Dock. In 1993, the Junta de Obras del Puerto changed its name to Autoridad Portuaria del A Coruna, in keeping with the names of other Spanish and European ports. In 1997, the port approved the construction of a new Outer Port in Punta Langosteira to be completed in 2013.

 

The Autoridad Portuaria A Coruna (A Coruna Port Authority) is responsible for managing and operating the Port of A Coruna. It coordinates port and transport operations and manages and controls port services. The port authority plans developments, oversees construction, and assures that regulations are met.

The Sheltering Dock at the Port of A Coruna is 1.3 thousand meters long with alongside depth of 19 meters. It is used primarily by small and leisure crafts and contains the Harbor Master’s office and Sea Traffic Control Tower as well as the Nautical School Club Hall, the Red Cross Base, and the Laboratory and Aquarium of the Oceanographic Institute.

The Port of A Coruna’s Marina Tidal Basin’s dock is 420 meters long with alongside depth of 3 meters. It is used by leisure boats and coastal fishing vessels, and it contains 10 quays and 353 spaces for vessels. The Marina Tidal Basin houses the port authority and tourism offices.

The Liners Dock is 484 meters long with alongside depth of 11 meters. It is the passenger vessel dock and houses the passenger terminal and leisure center, El Puerto, and the Congress Center, Palexco.

The Port of A Coruna’s Battery Dock is 277 meters long with alongside depth of from 5.5 to 7 meters. The Battery Dock serves handling of general goods, specialized bulk cargoes, and roll-on/roll-off traffic. It houses many buildings serving the industries that ship these goods.

The North Calvo Sotelo Dock is 220 meters long with alongside depth of from 7 to 10 meters. Used to transport general goods, it contains a cold-storage fruit terminal and water and electric connections.

The South Calvo Sotelo Dock is 420 meters long with alongside depth of from 7 to 10 meters. The dock serves general goods and specialized bulk cargoes. It also contains cold storage installations for fruit with water and electrical connections and facilities for pumping oils, fats, and vegetable oils.

The North Centenary Dock is 639 meters long with alongside depth of 16.5 meters. The dock handles solid bulk and general goods. The South Centenary Dock is 450 meters long with alongside depth of 11 meters, and it handles solid bulk and general cargoes. The West Centenary Dock, at 150 meters long with alongside depth of 10 meters, handles general goods and containers. It contains a container terminal.

The San Diego Dock is 665 meters long with alongside depth of 10 meters. It handles bulk cargoes and offers cold storage facilities. It also contains a coke-loading bay.

The Oil Terminal Docks are 1080 meters long with alongside depth of from 11 to 16 meters. They can accommodate vessels from 45 thousand to 60 thousand tons carrying naphtha, propylene, gasoline, gas and fuel oils, crude oil, and kerosene.

The Linares Rivas Dock, at 470 meters long with alongside depth of 8 meters, serves the fishing fleet. The dock houses fish markets and facilities for preparing and canning fish. The A Palloza Dock is 375 meters long with alongside depth of from 6 to 8 meters, and it also serves the fishing fleet. The East Dock, at 365 meters long with alongside depth of 6 meters, serves general goods and fishing activities. The dock contains cold storage facilities.

In 2005, the Port of A Coruna handled almost 1.4 thousand merchant ships, 762 fishing boats, and almost 34 thousand passengers. Total cargo reached almost 14 million tons in that year, and fish hauls were almost 29 million kilograms.