Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement for Ships in Spain

Where ships are gauged in Spain

On the Strait of Gibraltar, Algeciras is Spain's largest port and a hub for container transhipment, bunkering and tanker traffic, and Cádiz Bay has a long ship repair tradition with Navantia's yard alongside commercial repair work. Ceuta, the Spanish port on the African shore of the Strait, handles ferries, bunkering and cargo ships that need to stop at the western end of the Mediterranean.

Along the Mediterranean, Barcelona, Tarragona and Valencia form the main commercial chain, with Castellón, Alicante, Almería, Málaga and Cartagena adding smaller cargo, cruise and refinery berths. Tarragona and Cartagena carry the refinery and chemical traffic that produces the most tank gauging work, while Barcelona and Palma, in the Balearic Islands, see heavy cruise and ferry turnover.

Facing the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay, Bilbao and Pasaia serve the Basque coast, Santander, Gijón and Avilés take bulk and steel cargo along the Cantabrian shore, and Ferrol, A Coruña, Vigo and Marín cover Galicia, where repair yards and the fishing and offshore industries keep ships on the move. Huelva and Seville serve the Gulf of Cádiz, with Seville reached up the Guadalquivir. Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands handle Atlantic crossings, bunkering and offshore support.

Port state control and the rules that apply

Spain is a Paris MoU state, and port state control is administered by the Dirección General de la Marina Mercante through the Capitanías Marítimas at each port. Inspectors look hard at ships with visible hull wastage, so current thickness readings and a documented renewal plan are the best answer to questions at the gangway.

Emission control status depends on the coast. The Mediterranean emission control area, including Spain's Mediterranean and Balearic waters, tightens the sulphur limit under MARPOL Annex VI, regulation 14, and drives scrubber use on ships trading there. The Atlantic and Cantabrian coasts, and the Canary Islands, are outside it. As an EU state, Spain also applies the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, which matters to owners deciding whether a ship has another docking in it.

Planning a Spanish gauging job from India

The team travels from India for each job. Spain is a Schengen state, so Schengen visas are needed, and their timing depends on the consulate. Work at Spanish ports goes through the ship's agent, who arranges the gangway, port security passes and, for tank entry, permits. We ask early for the thickness measurement plan, the last survey report and the ship's confirmed berth or anchorage, then plan the mobilisation around the firm schedule.

Where a ship has several Spanish stops on its itinerary, we can plan the job at the call that gives the longest safe window, and not necessarily the first. Readings, photographs and a steel renewal estimate are reported after the job, with preliminary readings shared during it on request.

Port pages in Spain

There are 26 Spain port pages: Algeciras, Valencia, Barcelona, Bilbao, Las Palmas, Cádiz, Tarragona, Castellón, Cartagena, Huelva, Seville, Málaga, Almería, Alicante, Santander, Gijón, Avilés, Ferrol, A Coruña, Vigo, Marín, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Palma, Ceuta, Pasaia, Sagunto. Each covers the ships that call, the yards and berths where gauging happens, the port state control picture and the jobs we see there; the links are under "In this section" below.

Frequently asked questions

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