Nador Port

The port of Nador is a commercial port on the Mediterranean servicing the Rif area of Northern Morocco. The port is officially in Beni Ensar / Aït Nsar and shares its piers and entrance with the port of the Spanish enclave Melilla. It is a semi-artificial port using the Bou Areg Lagoon.[4]

Port Nador
Ferry in Nador with the border pier in the background
and the port of Melilla in the background
Location
CountryMorocco
LocationBeni Ensar / Aït Nsar
Nador (10 km.), Melilla
Coordinates35.17°N 2.57°W / 35.17; -2.57
UN/LOCODEMANDR[1]
Details
Operated bySociete d'Exploitation des Ports (SODEP)[2]
Type of harborgoods, fish, ferry and hydrocarbons[3]
Piers1000 m goods-pier, 600 m ferry, 100 m hydro-carbons
Employees192
Statistics
Annual cargo tonnage2.3 million tonnes [3]
Passenger traffic598.710[3]
Staff192
Map of Melilla showing Nador port

Usage

The port is directly connected to the Spanish enclave Melilla: the Port of Melilla uses approximately 70% of the wet area, while Nador port uses the remaining 30% of the south-east area. The port is used as ferry/ro-ro port, dry-bulk and has facilities for hydro-carbons. The ro-ro facilities are used by ferry operators on the route to/from Spain.

In 1994 the operator FerriMaroc opened the line to the Port of Almeria. Before that date one could only sail to the area via Melilla or via the ferry-terminal in Al Hoceima.

Facilities

The operator MarsaMaroc, who operate the main ports in Morocco, offer the following facilities in Nador Port[2] The port can be divided in three main parts:

Terminal 2

The main good terminal has 700 metres of deep-water keys (13 metre deep) and another 300 metre keys with a water-depth of 10 metres. This Terminal 2 is a bulk goods terminal receiving bulk-goods such as ore and billets for the nearby steel-mill SONASID and is also used as (small) fishing port. A total of 14,7 hectare land-area is available for storing or moving goods.[3]

Passengers and vehicle piers

Nador Port is now an important ferry terminal for North-Eastern Morocco with direct daily links to Spain (Almeria and Motril) and weekly connection to France (Sete)
For ferries operating to Europe the port offers 600 meter keys for Roll-on/roll-off ferries with elevated foot-bridges for foot-passengers to cross the car-traffic on different levels and thus not hindering each other at (dis)embarkation with also 13 meter depth.[3]

Hydrocarbon port

Finally there is a 100 metre long pier for reception of hydrocarbons with a waterdepth of 13 metres.[3]

Since the Moroccan train operator ONCF opened the branch-line Taourirt - Nador in 2009 the port also offers daily train connections to the rest of the country. The train-stop Beni Ensar / Aït Nsar Port is the terminus for trains to Tanger and Casablanca via Fez.[5] (see also: Nador railway stations)

Connections
MS Mistral leaving Nador

There are several ferry-companies operating daily sailings to and from the Port of Almeria in Spain. The main operators are:[6][7]

  • Trasmediterránea
  • Grandi Navi Veloci (Nador to Sète in France)
  • Africa Morocco Link
  • Balearia (only in summer season)

Rail and road connections in Morocco

The branch-line from Taourirt to Nador doesn't terminate in Nador itself but runs to Beni Ensar / Aït Nsar. Beni Ensar / Aït Nsar Port is the terminus station for the branch-line to Taourirt, where it connects to the East-West mainline towards Oujda in the east (no direct connection: change in Taorirt) or via Fez to Tanger or towards Rabat and Casablanca with further connections to Marrakech in the west.[8]

By road the National road N19 gives a direct connection to the city of Nador itself (8 miles) and beyond.

Nearby airports are Melilla Airport and Nador International Airport

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References
  1. "UNLOCODE (MA) - MOROCCO". service.unece.org. UNECE. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  2. Information page of SODEP on Port of Nador, visited 10 June 2012
  3. Marsa Maroc website on Port of Nador, retrieved 30 October 2013
  4. World Port Source about Port Nador, retrieved 10 June 2012
  5. ONCF Website Ligne Nador-Casablanca Archived 2010-12-01 at the Wayback Machine, French, visited 28 October 2013
  6. Ferry Maroc 2010
  7. AFerry booking site for Ferries to Morocco
  8. ONCF website with info on Nador-Casablanca Archived 2010-12-01 at the Wayback Machine main line. Visited 10 June 2012
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