Porto do Funchal invests 5 million to receive larger ships

A Administration of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM) today indicated that it will invest about 5 million euros in strengthening the capacity of the Port of Funchal to receive larger ships.

“ The largest share of the investment, about EUR 3.5 million, is directed to strengthen the system of mooring of piers 2 and 3 of Porto do Funchal and it is expected to start in the second half of next year”, says APRAM in a statement.

The intervention provides for the installation of 29 new mooring heads with capacity for 200 tons each, keeping in service the current 36 mooring heads with capacity for 150 tons, but some will be relocated.

APRAM, a company under the responsibility of the Regional Secretariat of the Economy, underlines that this intervention will significantly increase the capacity and flexibility of the tethering system, improving the safety and operational conditions of the piers, to respond to the evolution of the characteristics of cruise ships and to the operation with larger ships.

“ We are preparing Funchal Port for the future of cruises. Investing today in security, capacity and efficiency is to ensure that Madeira remains a reference destination for the companies and thousands of passengers who visit us,” said the Regional Secretary of Economics, José Manuel Rodrigues, quoted in the statement.

The president of APRAM, Paulo Cabaço, points out that about a third of the cruise ships arriving in Madeira exceed 320 meters long.

“The industry is changing and we need to be prepared to respond to this change, ensuring the safety and quality of the port operation,” he said.

Another investment, already under way, is the restoration of the water and sewage network of the Pontinha jetty, worth 800,000 euros, which should be completed in June 2027.

ADRAM will also move forward with an investment of €350,000 in the border control area in Madeira's Maritime Gare, to double the response capacity, from four control boxes to eight.

This investment stems from the implementation of the new European Union digital system for the control of the entry and exit of third-country nationals into the Schengen area, called Entry/Exit System (EES), which replaces the traditional manual stamping system in passports with the electronic recording of biometric data and information.