Engineers Help Develop Port Capacity
Yet another “good news” story out of Iraq that you won’t read in your local paper.
By A. Al Bahrani, Gulf Region South
BASRAH, Iraq, Jan. 24, 2007 — The Port of Umm Qasr directly influences the economy of Iraq and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers works to help improve the services of the Iraqi berths to handle the cargo flowing in or out of the country.
Natalie J. Sudman, a project engineer with the Gulf Region South District, oversees the $13.8 million project helping to expand the capacity of the port located south of the city of Basrah near the Kuwait border. It is Iraq’s only port, which helps to export and import commercial goods and services for the people, and its security and safety is a priority, Sudman said.
“To provide port security and harbor defense at the port of Umm Qasr, we installed a 9.7 kilometer chain link security fence around the perimeter of Umm Qasr North Port and South Port, built 19 observation posts, two points of entry, an interior and exterior truck staging areas,†she said.
A key benefit of providing port security and harbor defense is to give the Iraqi armed forces the facilities they need to protect their economy and promote growth.
“This is a major step toward attaining the international ship and port facility security code certification. This certification will lower insurance rates and make the Umm Qasr Port a more attractive port of call for foreign shippers,†Sudman said. “The certification will effectively increase the foreign trade with Iraq and increase employment rate in the local area jobs.â€
The project is important to Iraq’s security and supports the major task of rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure by bringing in materials, Sudman said. Another task that engineers worked this past year was a project to provide reliable power for two cranes and the lighting at the port.
“With the addition of the two cranes, this project will increase imports and exports, and reduce the time of loading and unloading,†said Tom Eidson, a Gulf Region South project engineer. Eidson described how USACE supervised the connection of each crane to a 1.9 million volt generator and two kiosk-type transformers.
To increase the commercial trade through the port and improve capacity, Army engineers are constructing a new second roll-on and roll-off berth facility.
“The new roll-on, roll-off berth will be about twice the size of the existing one,†said Eidson, whose experience with the Corps exceeds 25 years, “and it will increase the commercial trade capability at the port. Currently, a large percentage of vessels using the port wait in line for the opportunity to berth. The new facility will significantly improve the amount of passengers and cargo flowing through the port.â€
Eidson said that the new berth is strategically located in the center of the existing port and provides ships more room to maneuver and transfer cargo.
“The project will expand cargo and passenger use of the port, which is critical to the Iraqi economy as the nation rejoins the global markets,†said Talib Abd-Beneen, a Gulf Region South quality assurance engineer. “These safe, modern and reliable facilities will serve to boost trade, and ensure the efficient flow of goods in and out Iraq.â€
