Port Overview

 

The Port of Beirut is Lebanon's main sea port, and it is one of the busiest ports in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Port of Beirut and the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport are Lebanon's main points of entry.

 

The Port of Beirut consists of a General Cargo Terminal, a Container Terminal, a Passenger Terminal, a Free Zone and a Silo area. The Free zone and Silo were hugely affected by the explosion that occurred in Beirut port during Aug 2020.

 

The total area of Beirut Port is of 1,200,000 m², with a water basin total area of 1,202,000 m² (including the Container Terminal), a main breakwater of 3,190 m and a detached breakwater of 550 m

 

Port website: http://www.portdebeyrouth.com/index.php/en/

Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com

 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Lebanon
Province or District	Beirut
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	Beirut (Capital of Lebanon)
Port's Complete Name	Port de Beyrouth
Latitude	33.905000 N
Longitude	35.521111 E
Managing Company or Port Authority	Gestion et exploitation du port de Beyrouth (GEPB)
Management Contact Person	Mr Omar Itani info@portdebeyrouth.com +961 1 58 02 11 till 16
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

• Mediterranean Shipping Company - MSC
• Metz Shipping Agency ltd
• National Shipping Co.
• Sea Line
• Seamen International
• Geazairi Transport
• Company Maritime d'Affretement Agency - CMA
• Merit Shipping
• Maersk Lebanon
• Edouard Cordahi
• Costa Bitar Transport Company
• Akak Marine Cie
• J.B. Shipping Services
• Fast Agency
• Eurabia Intercontinental
• Kawar & Khayat Shipping Agency
• Sea Freight
• Continental Shipping Agency
• Georges Abou Hamad
• H.Heald and Cie
• Gevo Maritime & Transport
• Tourisme & Shipping services
• Carapiperis
• Med Conro Shipping services
• Lebanese Shipping Union
• Hanna Najib Tabet
• Ademar Shipping Lines
• Gulf Agency
• Nicolas Abou Rjeily
• Halim-Roukoz Shipping Agency
• United Navigation Cie
• Abdul Hamid EL Fil & Co.
• Lotus Shipping Agencies SAL
• Pelican International Services
• Barwil Agencies Lebanon SAL
• ETS.PAUL ADEM
• The Levant Shipping Agency
• Gharib Shipping Agency
• Seachart Marine S.A.R.L.
• SALEH SHIPPING
• T. Gargour & Fils SAL
• Ghassan Soubra
• Ultra Maritime Services SARL
• Middle East Transport Company Metco sal
• Blue Wave Shipping sarl

Port Performance

 

Beirut Port received nearly 2,132 vessels in 2019. In addition, via its container terminal, the port handled 1,229,081 TUEs/year. The port has a channel draft of 16.5 m. A bottleneck in beirut port is the congestion of trucks at entrance and exit gates. WFP has a special agreement, for extending of grace period of all food assistance shipments, from 9 days to 30 days.

Seasonal Constraints
	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	YES	October to March/April
Major Import Campaigns	NO

 

 

Handling Figures for 2019
Vessel Calls	2,132
Container Traffic (TEUs)	1,229,081

 

 

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2018
Bulkand Break Bulk (MT)	8,660,600

 

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

For information on port rates and charges, please see the following link: 

https://www.portdebeyrouth.com/index.php/en/tariffs/port-tariffs

Berthing Specifications

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length (m)	Maximum Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional Berth	7	1,654	8 to 10.5
Container Berth	4	1,100	15.5 to 16.5
	2	1,334	10.5 to 13
	1	500	16.5
Silo Berth	1	220	13
Berthing Tugs	2
Water Barges	n/a	n/a	n/a

Most container traffic is handled by berth 16 as it can take the biggest container ships. It spans over 36.5 hectares and handles 750,000 TEUs annually. Small ships are handled at berths 12, 13 and 14. Before Beirut Explosion in Aug 2020 the Silo the Silo Terminal, managed by the Ministry of Economy, can store 120,000 mt of grains, especially wheat. There are 48 cells each with 2,500 mt capacity. There are also 500 cells with 500 mt capacity. The Silos were destroyed by the Explosion.

General Cargo Handling Berths

Cargo Type	Berth Identification
Imports - Bagged Cargo	General (no dedicated import quay)
Exports - Bagged Cargo	General (no dedicated export quay)
Imports and Exports - RoRo	No dedicated RoRo quay. however, the Port handles RoRo vessels with quarter ramps
Other Imports	n/a

Port Handling Equipment

All port equipment is managed privately by the Beirut Port Company (Compagnie de Gestion et d’Exploitation du Port de Beyrouth). The port has ample equipment to handle large volumes and a wide variety of cargo.

 

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	Yes
Container Gantries	Yes	Container Terminal: - 6 ship-to-shore gantry cranes  (60 tons, height under spreader 60 m) - 6 ship-to-shore gantry cranes (65 tons, height under spreader 60 m) - 39 rubber-tiered gantry cranes (RTG, 40 MT) - 6 empty containers handlers (EHC, 12.5 MT)
Mobile Cranes	Yes	General Cargo Terminal: - 35 mobile cranes for steel (50-90 MT) - 12 mobile cranes for general cargo (25 MT)   Containers: - 6 mobile cranes for containers (255-300 MT) - 13 mobile cranes for containers (125-165 MT)
Reachstacker	Yes	33 top loaders for containers (full) - 12 reach stackers (41 MT capacity each)
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	Yes	- 4 Ro-Ro tractors: 4x4 drive. - 4 Ro-Ro trailers: 40'-60 tons
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	No
Forklifts	Yes	General Cargo Terminal: - 34 forklifts 1.5 to 10 tons - 16 forklifts for empty containers

Container Facilities

Facilities	20 ft	40 ft
Container Facilities Available	Yes	Yes
Container Freight Station (CFS)	The CFS is under the management of CMA CGM; however, management and tariffs are controlled by the Beirut Port Company.
Refrigerated Container Stations	No	No
Number of Reefer Stations (Connection Points)	904 (for either 20’’ or 40’’)
Emergency Take-off Capacity
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift (Containers per Shift)	Yes

Link to container yard website CMA beirut terminal:

https://cma-beirut.com/

Customs Guidance

• The receiving organization sends the Notification of Arrival to the C&F Agent
• The C&F Agent initiates the process by informing customs authorities of the expected date of arrival of the cargo, and all cargo details.
• The receiving organization sends all original documents to the C&F Agent
• The C&F Agent provides original documents to customs authorities.
• Generally, the cargo is cleared within 5-7 days (if all documents are in order).
• Once the cargo is cleared, the customs authorities provide a Release Note to the C&F Agent.
• The transport company can then bring trucks inside the port for onward dispatch of cargo.
• (Clearing & Forwarding Agent Contacts are available in the Port Contact List

 

 

Terminal Information

GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING

The Silo was destroyed due to Aug 2020 Explosion, and it still in the same condition since that date. The Port is being used a transit point for Wheat shipments. The Wheat is moved directly form the vessel and loaded into the trucks that move the wheat to the cargo owners. Vessels are unloaded by mobile cranes with clamshell “grabs” to fill bulk trucks driving under hoppers at quayside. The daily discharge rate is 5,000 mt.  

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL

Pre-blast:

The general cargo area in the Port of Beirut contains 12 warehouses and a grain silo. The Port of Beirut does not have temperature-controlled storage facilities but has a total of 800 reefer points for refrigerated containers. Transit storage facilities are also available at the Port Authorities’ warehouses.

Stevedoring

Stevedoring service providers are private companies which have a permit to operate by the Ministry of Transport. They are contracted directly by the customs agents/ transporters.

Hinterland Information

Cargo is commonly moved out of the port by truck (generally 40 mt capacity)

Port Security

Security at the Port of Beirut is provided by the “Surete Generale” together with the Port Police and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

Security
ISPS Compliant	Yes
Current ISPS Level (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	2
Police Boats	Yes
Fire Engines	Yes

 

 

Key port information can also be found at:

Website of the Maritime Database on the Port of Tyre

Port Overview

The Port of Tyre is a small harbor that lies at longitude of E 035° 11' 51"and latitude N 33° 16' 27", in south Lebanon.

The port control operates during the daytime, on Marine VHF Ch.16.

Vessels bound for Tyre must report to Beirut prior to arrival for acceptance for berthing.

Customs is available upon request.
No nigh time berthing / sailing.

Infrastructure
A breakwater stretches eastwards protects the Marina harboring fishing boats (up to 30-35' long) and some private pleasure crafts / sailing boats, but does not extend sufficiently to give much shelter for vessels berthing at the main harbor. During the winter season with predominantly northerly winds, swell and waves may result in the port being inoperable for up to 10 days per month and sometimes vessels must sail or shift to anchorage. Average tide is around 0.6m.

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

4.4 Lebanon Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Port Performance

With max drafts alongside varying between 2.0m up to 5.5m, and only ONE - 1 - berth that can accommodate ocean going vessels, the port is of little use for large cargo operations. For the 2006 Lebanon operation ICRC chartered a 500MT vessel shuttling between Larnaca and Lebanon that also made a few calls to Tyre, however most operators preferred to truck goods in from Beirut.

During the recent years only 2-3 vessels call at Tyre per month, mainly smaller RORO's discharging passenger cars from Europe. Due to draft restrictions RORO's berth with stern- or bow-ramp onto the end of the pier, mooring across to the breakwater and two dollies further ahead, along and with shore lines across to berth no.1

Berthing Specifications

Berthing dimensions and capacity
Inner berth (no.1):
Length: 150m
Draft:1.0 - 2.0m
Effectively unusable by ocean-going vessels.

Pier:
Inner berth (no.2):
Length: 80m
Draft: 3.5m

Outer berth (no.3):
Length: 90m (useable)
Draft: 4.5 - 5.5m

End of Pier:
Width: 12m
Draft: 6.0m

Port Handling Equipment

There is no cargo handling equipment at the port and Warehousing facilities apart from the open area storage which is limited to vehicles.

Customs Guidance

1.3 Lebanon Customs Information

Key port information can also be found at:  Website of the Maritime Database on the Port of Sidon

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

4.4 Lebanon Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Customs Guidance

1.3 Lebanon Customs Information