Tangier (Morocco, Tanger-Ville)

Tangier (Tanger) is a major port city in northwestern Morocco (North Africa) located at the entrance to Gibraltar Strait where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Tangier is the capital of Morocco's region Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima and also of the prefecture Tangier-Assilah. The city's population is around 950,000, ranking it country's 3rd largest - after Casablanca (Casablanca-Settat's capital) and Fez (Fes-Meknes' capital).

The current-day city is famous for its numerous large tourism and business development projects. The largest of these projects are Tangier City Center (new district), Tangier Ibn Battuta Airport (new terminal), new football stadium (capacity 45,000 seats), Tanger-Med (new seaport), as well as extensively renovated tourist infrastructure. As an economy impact, Tangier is Morocco's second-largest (after Casablanca). The city's largest industries are textiles, chemicals, mechanics, metallurgy, maritime (including naval), agriculture (mainly cereal), tourism (seaside resorts). The city has four industrial parks, two of which are free economic zones and part of Tangier Exportation Free Zone (total area 3,45 km2).

Town's history started as early as 5th century BC as a Berber settlement (North African indigenous people). It was later developed as a Phoenician trade port, Soon after WW1 (1914-1918), in 1923 the city received international status and became a popular tourism destination for wealthy Europeans and North Americans.

Tangier is a well-known international city, as well as one of the oldest in the Mediterranean. It still keeps the traces of ancient civilizations and cultures, including Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginian, Byzantine, Vandals, Arabs. The city is a popular tourist travel destination attracting numerous artists, singers, writers. In its not-so-distant past, it was also popular among European and US diplomats and spies. The best way to discover Tangier is by visiting the old town (medina) and Casbah (15th century enclosed ramparts). Other downtown attractions include Grand Socco, St Andrew’s Church (Anglican), Sidi Bouabid Mosque, Mendoubia, Petit Socco cafes, Dar Baroud, the Jewish cemetery, Casbah Museum, American Legation Museum, Ibn Battouta's tomb, Hercules' caves.

The entire coastal region itself is a tourist destination, featuring amazing beaches and authentic villages and the vestiges of the ancient Phoenician and Roman cities Chefchaouen, Tetouan, Assilah, Larache. Port Tangier's strategic location boosted an intensive maritime trade between Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean. There are also excellent road and rail connections with other cities in Morocco. In 2018 was inaugurated Africa's first high-speed train, that connects Tangier with Casablanca (about 2 hours travel time).

Port Tanger-Med

Tanger-Med Port (locode MATNG) is Africa's largest seaport and logistics hub. It is located on Gibraltar Strait (just 15 km / 10 mi from Europe) and interlinked with over 180 international seaports. Port's annual shipping volumes include 9 million TEUs (containers carried on large boxships), ~2 million vehicles (export), ferries with handled 7+ million passengers and ~700,000 trucks (semi-trailers), ~10 million metric tons of oil products.

Tanger Med Port was developed to serve Morocco's exports. The project resulted in creating new local jobs and significant foreign investments in industrial and commercial-free zones managed by renowned port operators. Port's largest businesses (as annual tonnage) are transshipments of TEU-containers and cereals.

The seaport is managed by the private company TMSA (Tangier Mediterranean Special Agency) under an agreement with Morocco's Government. Port Tanger expansion project (budgeted USD 180 million) was signed in October 2008. It included as Phase 1 building a second port (Tangier Med 2) to serve the increased container shipping. "Tangier Med 2" was officially approved in January 2009, and construction works started on June 17. In November 2010, EIB (European Investment Bank) loaned EUR 200 million for the Tangier Med 2 project.

In 2012 were inaugurated new port facilities, including two container terminals with total quay length 2,8 km (1,7 mi) adding 5 million TEU capacity (to a total of 8 million TEUs). The project was completed in 2018, making Tanger Med Port the largest cargo port in the Mediterranean.

The seaport serves 750+ companies specializing in industries like automotive, logistics, trade. container shipping. Among the largest companies are Bosch, Siemens, Daher, Huawei, 3M, Decathlon, Adidas, Furukawa Electric, Renault Nissan, Fiat, Delphi Auto, Sogefi, Magnetti, Denso, Yazaki, Valeo.

In early-November 2018, Kalmar (subsidiary of the Finland-based Cargotec) signed a deal to deliver 2x rubber-tyred gantry cranes to EUROGATE (Europe's largest independent container terminal operator) for EUROGATE Tanger container terminal.

• EUROGATE terminal has quay length 812 m (2664 ft), land area 400,000 m2, water depth/max-draft 18 m (59 ft).
• The new Kalmar cranes were scheduled for delivery in 2019-Q3. These cranes are 7+1 rows wide and 1-over-5 high, with lifting capacity 50 tons.
• The equipment features two innovative Kalmar solutions. SmartRail is an automated steering system with position indication, that controls the crane's steering and exchanges TEU coordinates with the terminal. SmartFleet is a process automation technology that reduces downtime via remote monitoring and reporting.

Tangier Port Conversion project also included building cultural centers, hotels, residences, offices, shopping areas, restaurants and nightclubs. The project's main purpose was to position the city and Tanger-Med Port (located in the heart of the city) as a leading Mediterranean cruise and yachting destination, as well as a place perfect for living, working and leisure.

In June 2019 was inaugurated "APM Terminals MedPort Tangier"- the second joint venture between TangerMed Port and Maersk (currently ranked the world's second-largest container shipping company). Tanger Alliance terminal (container terminal 3) has quay length 800 m, land area 360,000 m2, max-draft 18 m, annual capacity 1,5 million TEUs. CT3's is a joint venture between Marsa Maroc (Morocco's main port operator), Eurogate Logistics Ltd (UK), Contship Italia Group (container terminal logistics) and Hapag-Lloyd (world's 5th largest container line).

• Terminal's construction started in 2017 and included an investment of ~USD 800 million. The new transshipment TEU terminal was designed/constructed and is operated under concession by APM Terminals (global container terminal operator).
• In November 2019, Hapag-Lloyd purchased 10% stake in Tangier Med 2 port's TC3 (Container Terminal 3, with annual capacity ~1,5 million TEUs). TC3 Terminal's other shareholders are Marsa Maroc (port operator, 50%), Contship Italia Group and Eurogate Terminals (together 39%).
• In April 2021, all the 8x new Liebherr ship-to-shore (STS) cranes at TC3 were fully operational. The first 4x STSs were commissioned in October 2020. The huge Liebherr cranes were manufactured in Ireland, preassembled near Cadiz Spain and shipped to Morocco (in pairs) via heavy lift vessels (by Mammoet). The rail-mounted Liebherr STSs have outreach 72 m (236 ft), backreach 22 m (72 ft), over-rail lift height 54 m (177 ft), span 30,5 m (99 ft), safe load lifting capacity 65 tons, capacity to handle boxships with up to 26 TEU rows.
• In July 2022, APM Terminals MedPort Tangier announced further investments for purchasing new terminal equipment (23x semi-automated hybrid Kalmar shuttle carriers/to a total of 42x units), Cavotec automated mooring (to reduce tugboat assistance and in-port times) and shore-power connectivity. The Terminal's expansion Phase 2 was scheduled for completion in 2024-Q1, while Phase 3 is to be completed in 2025-Q1.

TangerMed is currently Africa's largest container port (annual capacity ~9 million TEUs, quay length 1,2 km, max draft/water depth 18 m) and amongst the world’s top 50. Approx 200 cargo ships pass daily through Gibraltar Strait on routes linking Europe with Africa, Asia, and North-South America. When fully completed and operational. the TangerMed Terminal's annual capacity will be ~11,1+ million TEUs, having total land area ~0,36 km2 (35,5 hectares/87,7 acres) and total quay length 2 km / 1,2 mi.

In 2023 the Port received 8x new STS (ship-to-shore) gantry/container cranes representing a EUR 117 million investment part of Phase 3. Each of the dual STS cranes has outreach 82 m/269 ft and capacity to handle world's biggest boxships (24K TEU) with width 26 containers.

Tangier cruise terminal