Suez Canal

Prepared by:
Abd El-Razek Ali

Supervisor:
Dr. Iman M. W. Ramadan
PhD Supply Chain Management, Nottingham Trent University, UK
Content:

- Brief History
- Stages of Developing the Canal
- Suez Canal Bifurcations
- Saving in Distance
- Major Market Share
- Evolution of Container Vessels & Canal Capacity
- Suez Canal Traffic Statistics
- Suez Canal Revenues Statistics
- Services: Floating Units
- The Competitors
- The Future: SCZone
- Personal Vision
- References

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About Suez Canal

The Suez Canal (In Arabic: Qanat as-Suways), is an artificial sea-level waterway running north to south
across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt to connect the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The canal separates
the African continent from Asia, and it provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the lands
lying around the Indian and western Pacific oceans. It is one of the world's most heavily used shipping lanes.
The Suez Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world.
The canal is extensively used by modern ships, as it is the fastest crossing from the Atlantic Ocean to the
Indian Ocean. Tolls paid by the vessels represent an important source of income for the Egyptian
government.
Railway and a sweet water canal are run on the west bank parallel to the Suez Canal.
The Canal runs between Port Said harbor and the Gulf of Suez, through soils that vary according to the
region. At Port Said and the surrounding area, the soil is composed over thousands of years of silt and clay
sedimentations deposited by the Nile waters drifted by Damietta branch. This formation extends to Kantara,
40 km to the south of Port Said , where silt mixes with sand. The central region of the Canal between Kantara
and Kabret consists of fine and coarse sands, while the southern region contains dispersed layers of rocks,
varying in texture from soft sand to some calcium rocks, The side gradient of the water cross section differs
according to the nature of the soil, which is 4:1 in the north and 3:1 in the south.
The Suez Canal is a sea level Canal and the height of water level differs slightly and the extrime tidal range
is 65 cm in the north and 1.9 m in the south. The banks of the Canal are protected against the wash and waves,
generated by the transit of ships, by revetments of hard stones and steel sheet piles corresponding to the nature
of soil in every area. On both sides of the Canal, there are mooring bollards every 125 m for the mooring of
vessel in case of emergency, and kilometric sign posts helping locate the position of ships in the waterway.
The navigable channel is bordered by light and reflecting buoys as navigational aids to night traffic.

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Historical Outline:
 Egypt was the first country to dig a man-made canal across its lands to connect the Mediterranean Sea
to the Red Sea via the branches of the River Nile. The first who dug it was Senausert III, Pharaoh of
Egypt (1874 B.C.). This canal was abandoned to silting and reopened several times as follows:

- Canal of Sity I 1310 B.C.

- Canal of Nkhaw 610 B.C.
- Canal of Darius I 510 B.C.
- Canal of Ptolemy II 285 B.C.
- Canal of The Romans 117 A.C.
- Canal of Amir El-Moemeneen 640 A.D.

 The Suez Canal is actually the first canal that directly links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
 It was opened for navigation on the 17 th of November 1869.
 Egypt nationalized the canal on the 26 th of July 1956.
 The Canal was closed five times; the last time was the most serious one since it lasted for 8 years. The
Canal was then reopened for navigation on the 5th of June 1975.

Suez Canal History:

It is recorded that Egypt was the first country to dig a canal across its land with a view to activate world trade.
The Suez Canal is considered to be the shortest link between the east and the west due to its unique geographic
location; it is an important international navigation canal linking between the Mediterranean sea at Port said
and the red sea at Suez. The idea of linking the Mediterranean sea with the red sea by a canal dates back to 40
centuries as it was pointed out through history starting by the pharaohs era passing by the Islamic era until it
was dredged reaching its current condition today.
It is considered to be the first artificial canal to be used in Travel and Trade. The Whole Idea of establishing a
canal linking between the red sea and the Mediterranean dates back to the oldest times, as Egypt dredged the
first artificial canal on the planet’s surface. The pharaohs dredged a canal link in between river Nile and the
red sea.

The inscriptions in the tomb of Weni the Elder, who lived during the 6th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (c.
2407-2260 BC) tell us a lot about Egyptian canal building and the reasons for building them - (for war ships
and for transporting monument stone). Scholars are still debating, however, whether his waterways ran all the
way from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

The first canal was dug under the reign of Senausret III, Pharao of Egypt (1887-1849 BC) linking the
Mediterranean Sea in the north with the Red sea in the south via the river Nile and its branches.

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 The Canal often abandoned to silting and was successfully reopened to navigation by Sity I (1310 BC), Necho
II (610 BC), Persian King Darius (522 BC), Polemy II (285 BC), Emperor Trajan (117 AD) and Amro Ibn
Elass (640 AD), following the Islamic conquest.
Under Necho II , a canal was built between the Pelusian branch of the Nile and the northern end of the Bitter
Lakes (which lies between the two seas) at a cost of, reportedly, 100,000 lives. However, over many years, the
canal fell into disrepair, only to be extended, abandoned, and rebuilt again.

Necho was the first who attempted the channel leading to the Erythraian Sea (Red sea and Gulf of Suez which
was extended to near by Ismailia city), which Dareios the Persian afterwards completed: the length of this is a
voyage of four days, and in breadth it was so dug that two triremes could go side by side driven by oars; and
the water is brought into it from the Nile. The channel is conducted a little above the city of Bubastis (near by
Zagazig city) by Patumos the Arabian city (Near by Ismailia city), and runs into the Erythraian Sea: and it is
dug first along those parts of the plain of Egypt which lie towards Arabia (Eastern desert), just above which
run the mountains which extend opposite Memphis (south of Cairo), where are the stone-quarries,--along the
base of these mountains the channel is conducted from West to East for a great way; and after that it is directed
towards a break in the hills and tends from these mountains towards the noon-day and the South Wind to the
Arabian gulf (Gulf of Suez). Now in the place where the journey is least and shortest from the Northern to the
Southern Sea (which is also called Erythraian), that is from Mount Casion (east of Port Said), which is the
boundary between Egypt and Syria, the distance is exactly a thousand furlongs (1 furlongs equals about 200
meter) to the Arabian gulf; but the channel is much longer, since it is more winding; and in the reign of Necos
there perished while digging it twelve myriads of the Egyptians. Now Necos ceased in the midst of his digging,
because the utterance of an Oracle impeded him, which was to the effect that he was working for the Barbarian:
and the Egyptians call all men Barbarians who do not agree with them in speech.

After having been neglected, it was rebuilt by the Persian ruler, Darius I (522-486 BC), whose canal can still
be seen along the Wadi Tumilat. According to Herodotus, his canal was wide enough that two triremes could
pass each other with oars extended, and that it took four days to navigate. He commemorated the completion
of his canal with a series of granite stelae set up along the Nile bank.

This canal is said to have been extended to the Red Sea by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BC), abandoned
during the early Roman rule, but rebuilt again by Trajan (98-117 AD). Over the next several centuries, it once
again was abandoned and sometimes dredged by various rulers for various but limited purposes.

Amro Ibn Elass rebuilt the canal after the Islamic takeover of Egypt linking the Nile to the Red Sea creating a
new supply line from Cairo . It was used for shipping grain to Arabia and to transport the pilgrimages to the
Holy Land. The canal was stopped up in 767 AD by the Abbasid caliph El-Mansur to cut off supplies to
insurgents located in the Delta and to starve out rebels in Medina.

In modern times the Suez Canal is actually the first canal directly linking the Mediterranean to the Red sea.
The first efforts to build a modern canal came from the Egypt expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte, who hoped
the project would create a devastating trade problem for the English. Though this project was begun in 1799
by Charles Le Pere, a miscalculation estimated that the levels between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea

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 were too great (estimating that the Red Sea was some ten meters higher than that of the Mediterranean Sea)
and work was quickly suspended.
Napoleon was told that the Red Sea was 30 feet higher than the Mediterranean. Dig a canal, his surveyors said,
and the Red Sea will hemorrhage into the Mediterranean.

Napoleon's engineers also considered the idea of a canal running directly between the Red Sea and the
Mediterranean, but they miscalculated a difference of ten meters between the two sea levels and gave up the
idea, and it would sweep away the Nile Delta.

Then, in 1833, a group of French intellectuals known as the Saint-Simoniens arrived in Cairo and they became
very interested in the Suez project despite such problems as the difference in sea levels. Unfortunately, at that
time Mohammed Ali had little interest in the project, and in 1835, the Saint-Simoniens were devastated by a
plague epidemic. Most of the twenty or so engineers returned to France. They did leave behind several
enthusiasts for the canal, including Ferdinand de Lesseps (who was then the French vice-consul in Alexandria)
and Linant de Bellefonds

In Paris, the Saint-Simoniens created an association in 1846 to study the possibility of the Suez Canal once
again. In 1847, Bourdaloue confirmed that there was no real difference in the levels between the
Mediterranean and Red Seas, and it was Linant de Bellefonds that drew up the technical report.
Unfortunately, there was considerable British opposition to the project, and Mohammed Ali, who was ill by
this time, was less than enthusiastic.

In 1854 the French diplomat and engineer Vicomte Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps succeeded in enlisting the
interest of the Egyptian viceroy Said Pasha in the project.
In 1858 La Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez (Universal Company of the Maritime Suez
Canal) was formed with authority to cut a canal and to operate it for 99 years, after which ownership would
return to the Egyptian government. The company was originally a private Egyptian concern, its stock owned
chiefly by French and Egyptian interests. In 1875 the British government purchased Egypt's shares.
The pilot study estimated that a total of 2,613 million cubic feet of earth would have to be moved, including
600 million on land, and another 2,013 million dredged from water. The total original cost estimate was 200
million francs.
When at first the company ran into financial problems, it was Pasha Said who purchased 44 percent of the
company to keep it in operation. However, the British and Turks were concerned with the venture and managed
to have work suspended for a short time, until the intervention of Napoleon III. Excavation of the canal actually
began on April 25th, 1859, and between then and 1862, the first part of the canal was completed. However,
after Ismail succeeded Pasha Said in 1863, the work was again suspended. After Ferdinand De Lesseps again
appealed to Napoleon III, an international commission was formed in March of 1864. The commission
resolved the problems and within three years, the canal was completed. On November 17, 1869 the barrage of
the Suez plains reservoir was breached and waters of the Mediterranean flowed into the Red Sea and the canal
was opened for international navigation.
Completion of the 160- kilometer long waterway, however, took ten years of excruciating and poorly
compensated labor by Egyptian workers, who were drafted at the rate of 20,000 every ten months from the
ranks of the peasantry.

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 The completion of the Suez Canal was a cause for considerable celebration. In Port Said , the extravaganza
began with fireworks and a ball attended by six thousand people. They included many heads of state, including
the Empress Eugenie, the Emperor of Austria, the Prince of Wales, the Prince of Prussia and the Prince of the
Netherlands. Two convoys of ships entered the canal from its southern and northern points and met at Ismailia.
Parties continued for weeks, and the celebration also marked the opening of Ismail's old Opera House in Cairo ,
which is now gone.

Because of external debts, the British government purchased the shares owned by Egyptian interests, namely
those of Said Pasha, in 1875, for some 400,000 pounds sterling. Yet France continued to have a majority
interest. Under the terms of an international convention signed in 1888 (The Convention of Constantinople),
the canal was opened to vessels of all nations without discrimination, in peace and war. Nevertheless, Britain
considered the canal vital to the maintenance of its maritime power and colonial interests. Therefore, the
provisions of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 allowed Britain to maintain a defensive force along the Suez
Canal Zone. However, Egyptian nationalists demanded repeatedly that Britain evacuate the Suez Canal Zone,
and in 1954 the two countries signed a seven-year agreement that superseded the 1936 treaty and provided for
the gradual withdrawal of all British troops from the zone.

The canal remained under the control of two powers until Nasser nationalized it in 1956; it has since been
operated by the Suez Canal Authority .

The canal was closed to navigation twice in the contemporary period. The first closure was brief, coming after
the tripartite British-French-Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956, an invasion primarily motivated by the
nationalization of the waterway. The canal was reopened in 1957. The second closure occurred after the June
1967 War with Israel and lasted until 1975, when Egypt and Israel signed the second disengagement accord.
After July 1952 Revolution, president Gamal Abd El Naser publicized the canal in announcement in (26 July,
1956) making the management of the canal a 100% Egyptian, which enraged the major countries leading to
the Triad assault on Egypt in (29 October, 1956) which caused to the closing of the canal and it was reopened
in (march 1957).

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Importance & Advantages of The Canal
Importance of the Canal
 The Suez Canal is considered to be the shortest link between the east and the west due to its unique
geographic location; it is an important international navigation canal linking between the Mediterranean
Sea at Port said and the red sea at Suez. The unique geographical position of the Suez Canal makes it
of special importance to the world and to Egypt as well.
 This importance is getting augmented with the evolution of maritime transport and world trade. The
maritime transport is the cheapest means of transport, whereas more than 80 % of the world trade
volume is transported via waterways (seaborne trade).
 Saving in distance, time and in operating costs for vessels that transit the Canal, also firm up this
importance.

Advantages of the Suez Canal

 It is the longest canal in the world without locks.
 The accidents are almost nil compared with other waterways.
 Navigation goes day and night.
 The Canal is liable to be widened and deepened when required, to cope with the development in ship
sizes and tonnages.
 With the adoption of the Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) (a system depending upon the
most up-to-date radar network), vessels can be monitored and followed on every spot of the Canal and
intervention in emergency cases can be taken.
 The Suez Canal accommodates the partially loaded VLCCs and ULCCs.

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Canal Characteristics
Stages of developing the Suez Canal:

The dredging of the canal took almost 10 years using Egyptian labor, and it was opened for navigation for the
first time in 17 November 1869. Its depth was about 8 meters, its water are was 304 m 2 and the largest ship
load that can pass through was 5000 tons, which was typical for ships sizes in these days. As the ships
developed and increased its sizes, the canal needed to be developed, which happened when it was still a foreign
joint venture before being publicized to take ships with depth of 35 feet and its water area to be 1200 m 2 by
the end of 1956 and when the canal was publicized by the Egyptian government on the 26th of July 1956. The
Egyptian administration was keen to develop the Navigation canal even more on different stages.
In May 1962, the water area of the canal was to reach 1800 m 2 and the allowed depth to 38 feet. In June 1966,
a development was to be executed on 2 stages as it was announced the depth would reach 48 and 58 feet
consecutively. This program was started, but was soon halted due to the war that erupted on the 5th of June,
1967. It was reopened for international; navigation in June 1975 after purifying it from the ships that sank in
its bottom during in the 1967 and 1973 wars,The canal still with the same water area and depth as before it
was closed.

The development projects then started by the Egyptian administration and received to ships of a 210,000 tons
load, specially after increasing the water area to 4800 m 2 and a ship draft of 62 feet , with a length of 191.80
km, in addition to the redesign of the canal's turns so that each one has a radius of at least 5000 m and also
dredging a new bypass starting from the 17th km south of port said heading directly to the Mediterranean east
of port Fouad to allow the loaded ships going north to go to the sea without passing through port said port.

The ship draft reached 66 feet by 2010,this stage taking all container vessels; about 17,000 container vessels;
as well as taking all bulk vessels worldwide. The Canal will be able to take in about 99 % of all methods used
in world maritime transport after reaching a depth of 72 feet (Target stage,Under Study), as well as taking
about 96.2% of the dead weight tons for the bulk vessels 80.3% of the petroleum tanks and a 100% of all the
remaining types of ships used in maritime transport; specially container vessels with all its future generations;
in addition to empty vessels reaching up to 440 thousand tons.

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 1- Navigational Channel:

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 2- Cross Sectional Area:

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Suez Canal Bifurcations
 New Suez Canal – 72 Km – 2015
 East Port Said – 40.1 Km – 1980
 Lake Timsah – 4.3 Km – 1980
 Deversoir – 8.4 Km – 1980
 Ballah – 8.9 Km – 1955
 Great Bitter Lake – 11.8 Km – 1955
 Kabrit – 7 Km - 1955

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New Suez Canal

The Project:
Construction of a new Canal from km 60 to km 95, in addition to deepening and widening of the Great
Bitter Lakes by-passes and Ballah by-pass, with a total length of 37 km, (Total length of the project is 72
km)

Idea of the Project:

Creating a new canal, parallel to the existing one, to maximize benefit from the present Canal and its by-passes,
and double the longest possible parts of the waterway to facilitate traffic in the two directions and minimize the
waiting time for transiting ships. This will certainly reduce the time needed for the trip from one end of the
Canal to the other, and will increase the numerical capacity of the waterway, in anticipation of the expected
growth in world trade. The project goes side by side with the Suez Canal Area Development Project. The two
projects will add to the importance of the Suez Canal, and will make it the route of choice for ship owners the
world over, putting any alternative routes out of competition. The project will also have quite a positive impact
on the Egyptian national income as it will boost the hard currency earnings, provide much needed job
opportunities and create new urban communities.

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Project Objectives:
 Boosting the hard currency earnings for the Egyptian national income
 Increasing the doubled parts of the Suez Canal to 50%
 Shortening the transit time from 18 hours to 11 hours for the southbound convoy
 Minimize the waiting time for vessels to become three hours at most instead of 8-11 hours, the matter
that will cut down on trip cost and make the Suez Canal more attractive for ship owners
 Attract more ships to use the Suez Canal, and add to the Canal classification as an important
international maritime route
 Increase the number of ships that the Canal can handle on a daily basis in order to cope with the
expected growth of world trade
 Support the Suez Canal Area Development Project and enhance the Egyptian national economy and turn
Egypt into an international logistics center

Project Returns and Outcome:

 Increase the daily average of transiting vessels to 97 ships by the year 2023, up from 49 ships at present;
 Achieve direct unstopped transit for 45 ships in the two directions, and stepping up the permissible draft
to 66ft all through the Suez Canal;
 Increase the Suez Canal revenues from $ 5.3 billion at present to $ 13.226 billion in 2023; an increase
equal to 259% that shall positively contribute to Egypt’s national income of hard currencies;
 Create job opportunities for young people living at the Canal Zone, Sinai, and neighboring governorates;
and creating new urban societies as well; and
 Maximize competitiveness of the Suez Canal, excel its ranking among other alternative canals, and
world classification societies due to the high rate of safety accomplished during transits.

Duration of the project:

The project is due to be completed in 12 months (one year).

Dry Excavation works:

Volume of dry excavation works amounts to 258 million cubic meters, at an estimate cost of EGP 4billion.

Revetment works:
Revetments shall extend along the Canal with a length of 100km; at an estimate cost of EGP 500 million.

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Dredging works:
Dredging works amount to about 250 million cubic meters of soil, at an estimate cost of EGP billion 15.

Other related works:

- Deepening the existing western by-passes of 37 km total length to a depth of 24m (66ft draught):
 The western by-passes comprise those by-passes at the Great Bitter Lakes of 27km long, and those at Ballah of
10km long

- Digging of 35km of a new parallel waterway, to a depth of 24m, and a width of 317m at water level, so that the new
channel can accommodate vessels with up to 66 ft. draught;

This shall bring the overall length of the project to 72km.

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Saving in distance via SC
The geographical position of the Suez Canal makes it the shortest route between East and West as compared
with the Cape of Good Hope. The Canal route achieves saving in distance between the ports north and south
of the Canal, the matter that is translated into other saving in time, fuel consumption and ship operating costs
as shown in the table below:
About 8 % of the world seaborne trade passed through the Suez Canal in 2009.

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Canal can accommodate the following fully loaded vessels

61.2 % Of the Tanker Fleet

92.7 % Of the Bulk Carrier Fleet
100 % Of the Container Ships & Other Ships

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Evolution of Container vessels

 A) Early containerships. The first generation of containerships was composed of modified bulk
vessels or tankers that could transport up 1,000 TEUs. The first containership, the "Ideal-X" was a
converted World War II T2 tanker. The container was at the beginning of the 1960s an untested transport
technology and reconverting existing ships proved out to be of lower costs and less risky. These ships
were carrying onboard cranes since most port terminals were not equipped to handle containers. They
were also relatively slow, with speeds of about 18 to 20 knots and could only carry containers on the
converted decks and not in their bellyhold. Once the container began to be massively adopted at the
beginning of the 1970s, the construction of the first fully cellular containerships (FCC; second
generation) entirely dedicated for handling containers started. All containerships are composed of cells
lodging containers in stacks of different height depending on the ship capacity. Cellular containership also
offer the advantage of using the whole ship to stack containers, including below deck. Usually an extra of
two containers in width can be carried above deck than below deck. Cranes were removed from the ship
design so that more containers could be carried (cranes remain today on some specialized containerships).
The ability of ports to handle cellular containerships ceased to be a major concern with the setting of

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 specialized container terminals around the world. Cellular containerships were also much faster with
speeds of 20-24 knots, which would become the speed of reference in containerized shipping.
 B) Panamax. During the 1980s economies of scale rapidly pushed for the construction of larger
containerships; the larger the number of containers being carried the lower the costs per TEU. The process
became a virtuous circle compounding larger volumes and lower costs, which significantly helped the
diffusion of the container. The size limit of the Panama Canal, which came to be known as the panamax
standard, was achieved in 1985 with a capacity of about 4,000 TEUs. Once this limit was achieved, a
decade passed before a new generation of larger containerships was designed. At the same time panamax
container ship designs were evolving to take maximum advantage of the canal's limitation in beam
(Panamax Max). The original dimensions of the Panama Canal, built by the US Army Corps of Engineers,
are similar to the dimensions of the US Inland Waterways locks, resulting in a narrow and long ship
design.
 C) Post Panamax I and II. Going beyond panamax was perceived as a risk in terms of the configuration
of shipping networks, additional handling infrastructure as well as draft limitations at ports. The APL C10
containership class, with a capacity of 4,500 TEUs, was introduced in 1988 and was the first containership
class to exceeded the 32.2 m width limit of the Panama Canal. By 1996, full fledged Post Panamax
containerships were introduced with capacities reaching 6,600 TEUs. The first Post Panamax ship classes
where not much longer than the Panamax class, but wider. A ship above the panamax size requires a
substantial amount of cargo to be used profitably along a service loop and by the late 1990s the rapid
growth of global trade made such a ship class a marketable proposition. Once the panamax threshold was
breached, ship size quickly increased with capacities reaching 8,000 TEUs (Post Panamax II; "Sovereign
Class"). Post Panamax containerships triggered an infrastructure challenge for many ports since they
require deeper drafts (at least 43 feet of draft) and highly efficient, but costly, portainers. Draft
constraints became a factor placing pressures on ports to dredge to accommodate post panamax
containerships.
 D) New-Panamax, or Neo-Panamax (NPX). Refers to ships designed to fit exactly in the locks of the
expanded Panama Canal, which opened in June 2016. These ships have a capacity of about 12,500 TEU.
Like its Panamax counterparts, New Panamax ships are likely to define a specific ship class able to service
the Americas and the Caribbean, either from Europe or from Asia.
 E) Post Panamax III and Triple E. By 2006, a third generation of post panamax containerships came
online when Maersk shipping line introduced a ship class having a capacity in the range of 11,000 to
14,500 TEUs; the Emma Maersk, (E Class). They were dubbed "Post New Panamax" since they are bigger
than the specifications of the expanded Panama Canal. A further extension of the post panamax design
led to the introduction of "Triple E" class ships of about 18,000 TEUs in 2013. It remains to be seen which
routes and ports these ships would service, but they are limited mostly to routes between Asia and Europe.
There are larger ship designs on the drawing boards, such as the "Malacca Max" class that could carry
about 27,000-30,000 TEU, but they are not expected to be constructed within a decade.

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Suez Canal Traffic Statistic

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Suez Canal Revenues Statistics

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Services Floating Units
Dredgers
The dredging Debartment owns a fleet of 12 multitype dredgers. The fleet has carried out the regular
dredging works along the SC and its approaches and the waiting areas in the lakes ,together with the
development projects to increas the maximum permissible draught for the transiting vessels.
The SC dredger's fleet had carried out many projects inside and outside Egypt such as dredging works in the
Egyptian ports (Damietta & Dekhella) and in the dredging works in Libya and Syria.
1. Cutter Suction Dredgers:

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2. Self Propelled Hopper Suction Dredgers:

3. Bucket Wheel Excavator Cutter Suction Dredgers:

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4. Barge Unloading Dredgers:

5. Booster Station:

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 Tugs
SCA owns a fleet of 31 multi type tugs ranging from 3200 HP to 16000 HP used for towing, salvage,
firefighting and berthing of ships such as:

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 Cranes

1. Port Said Shipyard Cranes:

2. Port Tawfik Shipyard Cranes:

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3. Dredging Department Cranes:

4. Transit Department Cranes:

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Vessel Traffic Management System(VTMS)

Suez Canal Authority always aims to achieve the safety of transiting ships through the Suez Canal.
With a view to securing the highest standards of safety to vessels passing through the Canal, SCA stepped
forward to execute a giant project to upgrade VTMS in order to keep up with the latest technological
developments. The project conforms to the international regulations stipulated by the International Maritime
organization (IMO) concerning the system of traffic in navigational channels.

Targets:
 Increasing the standards of safety of vessels transiting the Canal through various networks
covering and monitoring all vessels while arriving at the approaches or ports and while
transiting the Canal.
 Monitoring vessels before arriving the ports "Port-Said and Port Tewfik" by a predefined
distance, and gives an automatic announcement of arrival time of all vessels getting into the
waiting area.
 Monitoring all the vessels transiting the Canal to calculate average speed, separation distance,
passage time at signal stations.
 Consolidating the trust of our clients, the International Chamber of Shipping and the world
maritime organizations in the safety of transit and the outstanding performance of the Suez
Canal Authority.
 Participating in environment protection by decreasing the number of accidents in the Canal
and dealing with them in the proper way in case they occur.

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 How To Achieve Targets:

 SCA has three centers to control the marine traffic all over the canal: in Port-said, Port-Tewfik
and the main control center in Ismailia, also relying on various sensors networks, as well as
navigational aids, which have been distributed along the waterway, which is used in the
follow-up of ships and display the timing of vessels across the stations.
 Communications between control centers and all sensors along the canal are achieved by a
huge fiber network.

VTMS Sensors:
Radar Net:

 The network offers complete and accurate radar coverage along the Canal and 40 km away
from the harbors of Port Said and Suez.
 Each radar has main and standby equipment and power sources.
 Each radar is equipped with a remote control via the network to convey command and status
signals plus alarms between the remote site and the operation center.

AIS Network:
Suez Canal has a network of receivers for automatic identification signals, AIS receivers has been
located carefully to achieve the desired coverage of the channel as well as the approaching vessels
zones for a distance of 30 km from the ports of Port Said and Suez.

CCTV:
 Suez Canal has a network of 19 CCTV cameras along the canal, Our Laser cameras are night
vision cameras work in complete darkness, with a range-gated intensified camera for night
surveillance and two color sensors for day operation.
 The CCTV system is integrated with the radar system in our VTMS, as the camera can be
directed to the target from the radar screen directly to enable a complete vision by radar video
and real camera video.
 The video stream is recorded for further evidence or analysis.

Meteorological & Signal stations:

Suez Canal has 16 stations along the canal, in each station there is an integrated system to display
the lists of passing ships and the timing of their arrival and passing in front of Guidance stations, as
well as meteorology and navigational data on the state board to be displayed for all vessels across
the station. as well as sensors for measuring meteorological status "Wind (speed and direction) -
visibility - tides and current direction" and this data is sent to the main server of Meteorology and
operating control center in Ismailia, in addition to display data on a digital devices inside the station.

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 Control Centers (in Port-Said, Ismailia, Port-Tewfik)
It is considered the backbone of the VTMS where all external sites outputs can be poured through it
in addition to control the traffic along the canal:

 Control the radars net via fiber optic cables which transfer operating data and alarms from
different sites to be stored and analyzed to create the decision.
 The radar video is displayed inside the control centers on Suez Canal electronic chart in S57
format, in addition to mobile data as marine units which appear in digitized raw video with a
vector resembling speed and direction.
 Radar system is integrated with CCTV system, so we can follow a target by radar as long as
by camera from the radar video display.
 Radar video display has different functions; zoom, off-centering, range scale, position in
latitude and longitude or Canal kilometric signs. It can also calculate expected time of arrival
and time-position of intersection. It displays all alarms with audio and video alert, in case of
over or under speed, out of anchorage area.
 Panoramic Displays are located in Ismailia Center and consist of 10 adjacent displays showing
overall view of the SC electronic map and the main marine features. They show all the
automatically tracked marine units in the Canal approaches and waiting areas
 Radar video, tracks and camera video are recorded and can be played back on the radar video
displays.
 In control center the camera video can be displayed on separate monitors or on the radar
display monitors, Radar and camera videos are already integrated to follow a specific target
on the same time.
 AIS network also has its recordings and can be played back for a specific period.

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The competitors

Panama Canal
This is the Canal
The Panama Canal is approximately 80 kilometers long between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This
waterway was cut through one of narrowest saddles of the isthmus that joins North and South America.

The Canal uses a system of locks -compartments with entrance and exit gates. The locks function as water lifts:
they raise ships from sea level (the Pacific or the Atlantic) to the level of Gatun Lake (26 meters above sea level);
ships then sail the channel through the Continental Divide.

Each set of locks bears the name of the townsite where it was built: Gatun (on the Atlantic side), and Pedro Miguel
and Miraflores (on the Pacific side).

The lock chambers -steps-- are 33.53 meters wide by 304.8 meters long. The maximum dimensions of ships that
can transit the Canal are: 32.3 meters in beam; draft -their depth reach- 12 meters in Tropical Fresh Water; and
294.1 meters long (depending on the type of ship).

The water used to raise and lower vessels in each set of locks comes from Gatun Lake by gravity; it comes into
the locks through a system of main culverts that extend under the lock chambers from the sidewalls and the center
wall.

The narrowest portion of the Canal is Culebra Cut, which extends from the north end of Pedro Miguel Locks to
the south edge of Gatun Lake at Gamboa. This segment, approximately 13.7 kilometers long, is carved through
the rock and shale of the Continental Divide.

Ships from all parts of the world transit daily through the Panama Canal. Some 13 to 14 thousand vessels use the
Canal every year. The Panama Canal serves more than 144 maritime routes connecting 160 countries and reaching
some 1,700 ports in the world.

The Canal has a work force of approximately 10 thousand employees and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year, providing transit service to vessels of all nations without discrimination.

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Suez Canal 39
Suez Canal 40
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Suez Canal 44
 SCZone
Overview

The Suez Canal Special Economic Zone (SCZone) is a world-class free zone and trade hub along the banks of
the newly-expanded Suez Canal. Strategically located on the main trade route between Europe and South Asia,
more than eight percent of global trade passes through every year.
Spanning 461 km2, almost two-thirds the size of Singapore, the SCZone has four unique zones and six
strategically-located ports.

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The four zones are:
 Ain Sokhna
 East Port Said
 Qantara West
 East Ismailia

Each zone provides opportunities in industrial and commercial enterprises, infrastructure and real estate
development, logistics, amenities and state-of-the-art technology.
The six ports are:

 East Port Said Port

 West Port Said Port
 Ain Sokhna Port
 Adabiya Port
 Al Tor Port
 Al Arish Port

Planned expansions will increase the capacity for handling maritime traffic and for offering related services
such as ship building, stevedoring, bunkering, vessel scrapping and recycling.
All SCZone investors are assisted from start to finish through a one-stop shop to streamline registration,
licensing and permits for new businesses.

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Competitive advantages

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LOCATION
At the crossroads of Africa, Europe and Asia, the SCZone occupies 461 km2 along the banks of the newly-
expanded Suez Canal. Strategically located on the main trade route between Europe and Asia, more than eight
percent of global trade passes through every year.

MARKET ACCESS
The SCZone's multiple port facilities ensure rapid delivery of goods to 1.8 billion consumers in Europe, Asia,
the Middle East and Africa. The Egyptian domestic market of 92 million people is also within easy reach.

International trade agreements, which further enhance market access include:

 Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA)

 Egypt-EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) free trade agreement
 Egypt-EU Partnership Agreement
 Agadir Agreement (free trade zone among the Arabic Mediterranean Nations)
 COMESA Agreement (Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa)
 Egypt-Turkey Free Trade Agreement
 Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ)

INCENTIVES

Companies operating within the SCZone are entitled to:

 100% foreign ownership of companies

 100% foreign control of import/export activities

 Imports exempt from customs duties and sales tax

 Customs duties on exports to Egypt imposed on imported components only, not the final product

 Fast-track visa services

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Industrial zones
East Port-Said Region:

Readiness:
During 2018
Description:
The region consists of East Port Said Port and the surrounding area. It is connected to west of Port Said area
through three tunnels for cars and railway.
The region has a huge capacity to expand geographically, as it includes the following:

 Industrial zone

 Logistic Services area

 Two residential areas: Medium and Luxurious

The port is currently being expanded through the construction of two new berths for containers and
pouring. This expansion will enhance the capabilities of the region in establishing a Value Added Services area
to offer high-quality services in the port.
Advantages:
In order to avoid congestion and the lengthy waiting periods for ships to enter the port, an extra entry channel
was drilled to facilitate entrance to the port directly
Infrastructure
Smart infrastructure networks are currently being designed to cope with the Smart Cities standards in service
quality, control, and risks facing.
As the region relies on desalinated sea water as the main source of water, and based on its right to establish
investment companies, the Authority isopen to sign Egyptian and/or foreign partnerships in establishing
desalination and power plants, and to sell the energy/water generated for the company owning the facility.

Master plan of the region:

 There are no plans to include wind farms or solar power generation plants within the master plan for the
region, but it is welcomed to use clean energy sources, as a common component of the combined power
stations.
 Due to the geotechnical nature of the region's lands, only medium and light industries are solicited.

 restrictions imposed in region: None

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Suez Canal 50
West Qantara:

Description:
The region is located 30 Km away from north Ismailia. It is characterized by its strategic location, neighboring
the river Nile Delta, Tenth of Ramadan industrial city, and it is very close to the shore of the waterway of the
Suez Canal
Infrastructure:
The area is partly covered with networks of public utilities such as water, electricity and sewage.

Master plan of the region:

 Due to height limitations in the region as listed below, the region is planned for light industry,
particularly in the area where the height cannot exceed three meters.

 restrictions imposed in region: Due to the relative proximity of the region to the air defense military
bases in the Suez Canal Zone, the maximum height of building is determined in the region to the contour
lines in ascending order from near to far of 3 meters, 6 meters, 9 meters, 12 meters, and 15 meters.

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Ain Sokhna and Adabia area:

Readiness:
The area is operating at full capacity
Description:

 Ain Sokhna is located 45 Km south of Suez City, the administrative center of the region.
 The region is connected to the national and regional transport system.
o Road Grid: The Coast road, Wadi Hagol road, The Old Cairo road, The New Cairo road.
o Railway: An existing railway line between Ain Sokhna and Suez is planned to be upgraded by
adding extra three passenger stations.

Infrastructure:
The area is served and fully connected with electricity and water networks. Also, a new water plant is under
construction, to cover the current water deficit.
Master plan for the region:
 The area is equipped to attract all types of light, medium, and heavy industries, in addition to
commercial and touristic projects.

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Eastern Ismailia Technology Valley

Readiness:
The area is operating at full capacity
Description:
The project occupies a strategic location on the east of the Suez Canal in the center of the scope of Qantara east
with a total of 16,500 feddan, and away from the axis of Suez Canal distance of 10 kilometers.
Infrastructure:
The area is served and fully connected with electricity and water networks, and sewage water treatment plant is
under construction.
Master plan for the region:
The area is equipped to attract light and medium industries, R&D activities, housing activity, in addition to
commercial and service activities.

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Ports & Logistics

EAST PORT SAID PORT

A main international and domestic transshipment hub at the northern entrance of the Suez Canal. East Port Said
Port is known for its sheltered deep-water facilities that allow it to accommodate large vessels, rendering it
among the world's top 40 busiest ports and growing. Proposed expansions, covering 26 km2, will provide a
wide range of port and logistics development opportunities and increase the port's total area to 70 km2.

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AIN SOKHNA PORT

A major international gateway port for Egypt, the Arabian Gulf and Asia, Ain Sokhna Port is located on the
western coast of the Gulf of Suez, 43 km south of the city of Suez. Covering an area of 22.3 km2, it has a depth
of 18m. Due to abundant surrounding land, the port is fast becoming a major industrial hub serving international
and domestic markets. Expansion plans include new container terminals; dry bulks and general cargo terminals;
liquid bulk terminals; logistics, warehousing and distribution centers; and a dry port. Further investment is
geared toward port automation and state-of-the-art container handling equipment.

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ADABIYA PORT

Located on the western shore of the Gulf of Suez, about 10 km south of Suez, this port facility is slated to
process large volumes of dry bulks. Covering an area of 1.8 km2, Adabiya Port's nine berths with a total length
of 1,840m can handle dry and liquid bulk cargo vessels bearing up to 60,000 tons. Further investment in the port
is geared toward the creation of additional terminals to handle dry bulks, liquid bulk, general cargo and
containers.

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WEST PORT SAID PORT
A well-established transshipment port on the key global sea route between Europe and Asia, West Port Said
Port occupies 2 km2 at the northern entrance of the Gulf of Suez from the Mediterranean Sea.

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AL TOR PORT

A strategic port for South Sinai occupying three hectares on the eastern bank of the Gulf of Suez, south of Abu
Zeneima. The majority of exports from Al Tor Port are minerals and dry bulks. This commercial port includes
terminals for dry bulk cargo, general cargo and containers, as well as fishing boats and a marina.

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AL ARISH PORT

Located on the shore of the eastern Mediterranean Sea with docks stretched over 40,000m. Active as a cargo,
fishery and tourist port, Al Arish Port plays a crucial role as an industrial and commercial port for North Sinai
and Gaza.

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Personal Vision
Suez Canal, the surrounding projects and SCZone are considered as a great shift for the Egyptian economy
in the field of industry and logistics.
To achieve this advancement, the governorate should encourage the international capital to incest in the
project by the same way the big companies are investing on the similar projects.
Working on attracting international experts to these projects will guarantee its success.
We have the great location and the required human capital to achieve our goals and making Egypt a better
place.

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References
 http://www.suezcanal.gov.eg/
 http://www.sczone.eg/
 https://people.hofstra.edu
 http://www.marinevesseltraffic.com/
 https://www.pancanal.com/
 https://www.eia.gov/
 TAF consultants
 AAPA Engineering seminars

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