First of nine caissons positioned at Bulgaria’s deepest shipping berth

On March 27, a significant milestone was achieved in the construction of the REBIRTH28 project at the Burgas-Zapad port terminal, marking the creation of Bulgaria's deepest shipping berth. This development is designed to accommodate the latest generation of container ships, with a maximum draft of up to 15.5 meters. The first of a total of nine caissons, each measuring 30 by 13 meters and standing 16.68 meters tall, was successfully installed. These caissons are segmented into 18 sectors, intended to be sequentially filled with water to aid their placement.

The installation of these massive structures demands exceptional precision. A 900-ton barge supports the 9,500-ton caisson until it is accurately positioned underwater within a tolerance of just 10 cm. This intricate process involves towing a specialized floating platform, which remains 11 meters submerged and 5.68 meters above the waterline. The caisson is then carefully lowered into place by systematically filling the ballast compartments with water.

The new berth will boast a functional quay length of 270 meters and a depth of 15.5 meters. It includes adjacent rear platforms, which have been under development since the project's inception in the spring of 2023. The objective of this ambitious project is to establish a modern container handling and storage area at the port, integrating low-emission multimodal transport solutions to facilitate the efficient transfer of cargo between ships and trains.