Ashdod wants new terminal
צילום: מאיר פרטוש
Israel may get third Mediterranean port
Master plan for improving Israeli shipping and port systems calls for USD 6 billion investment over 50 years in seaport development, spurring contest between Haifa, Ashdod port cities
The Israel Ports Company and the State will invest USD 6 billion over the next 50 years in developing Israel’s seaports, according to a new master plan presented to Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz Monday.
The first phase of the strategic plan drafted by the Israel Ports Company calls for the investment of USD 700 million in the construction of a new Mediterranean Sea terminal by 2015.
However, the company did not decide upon a site for the new terminal, leaving that decision up to the transportation minister himself. Mofaz is scheduled to review the plan and present it to the cabinet for approval in February.
Officials said that a battle was being conducted behind the scenes between the port cities of Haifa and Ashdod, each hoping that the terminal be built in their zone.
The Israel Ports Company said the site would be selected after an examination the assets of each of the ports, which will include environmental considerations, public beach space, security zones, and the proximity of power stations and fuel facilities.
If the Transportation Ministry failed to find a solution to the conflict between the two port cities, the ministry would consider the construction of a third port, sources revealed.
“Israel’s economy is an island economy based on import and export by sea, and therefore we must invest in developing our ports,” Mofaz said. “The port master plan suits the demands of the economy and the international transport of goods. In the future, Israel will be a gateway to the Middle East: Ships will unload their cargo at the Haifa and Ashdod ports, and from there they will be transported by a train network to Jordan and the entire Arab world.”
The Dutch Royal Haskoning Company, the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research institute, consulting companies TASC and YTD and others participated in drafting the master plan.
