Cyprus Ports Authority

Maritime Services

Pilotage, towage, mooring and rescue are performed directly by CPA who is also the national lighthouse Authority, responsible for the provision of aids to safe navigation within Cyprus territorial waters. They are provided by experienced, full qualified and well trained personnel.

The CPA’s marine fleet which was last renewed over the period 1993-1995 consists of high speed pilot launches and tug boats with a towing capacity of up to 35 bollard pull. All are FM and AM radio controlled and equipped with fire fighting equipment, with most of them possessing also anti pollution devices.

The CPA teams up with the Department of Fisheries in preventing marine pollution and for providing specialised equipment for the clean-up of oil spillages while garbage collection is included in general port dues, with the latter service being contracted out to the private sector and provided by barge at roadstread.

For salvage operations the CPA joins forces with the Marine Police and other official bodies, drawing on their resources for helicopters and additional heavy duty marine craft. Information about ships in danger is received from the newly established GMDSS Centre, the COSPAS-SARSAT system and from surveillance of the international distress frequencies through the National Centre for Co-ordination, Research and Safety operating on the island.

Fully meetting the telecommunications requirements of ships calling in Cyprus, the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority offers a range of maritime services, enabling communication between land-based establishments and ships at sea, via the Cyprus Coast Station, through coast stations of transit countries or via the INMARSAT. These include radiotelephone and radiotelegraph services, as well as automatic telephone, telefax, data transmission and telex services to suitably equipped vessels.

Full bunkers are provided at both berths and roadstread and there is a growing number of ships calling at Cyprus just for fuel. This commercial function is licensed out to private companies who run and operate bunkering vessels, lorry tankers and other specialised equipment.

Ship chandling is another fully developed port service industry in Cyprus, with major local firms supplying provisions and duty free items and servicing ships in other regional ports. There are also a large number of duty free shops inside or in the vicinity of the ports carrying a rich variety of major international brand items.

Cyprus is an established center for the repair and refubishment of containers with major operators maintaining service units at Limassol and Larnaca ports. There are also a large number of local engineering firms specializing in the maintenance and repair of ship operational and navigational equipment of all types, and facilities for hull and engine repairs.

A dry dock with a lifting capacity of 1360 tons and capable of accomodating vessels with LOA up to 74 m. is situated within Limassol port area. Services provided range from sand or water blasting and painting to mechanical works and repairs in and outboard including clad welding of the shafts.

For crew changes Immigration procedures are fast and simple and there are daily flight connections from and to all major destinations. The country’s main International Airport at Larnaca is situated within a distance of only 50 km from Limassol port while Larnaca port is just 5 km away from the airport.