Khalifa Port, the offishore-port being developed by the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) at Taweela, has become more than an industrial project as its masterplan emphasises on preserving the natural environment while promoting economic growth.
It will be one of the first megaprojects launched since Plan 2030, a master framework for upgrading Abu Dhabi into a sustainable and thriving 21st-century community, was announced.
Under the plan the coast will receive new protection against the effects of industry and real estate development. Islands, sand dunes, sea, coastlines and native wildlife will be protected while "preserving the connection between humans and the surrounding environment," the plan states, even as the city triples in population, a report published by The National daily said.
In order to preserve the fragile marine ecosystems in the area the designers have located the port 4.6km offshore in the Gulf, and connected it to land by a bridge supported by concrete pillars.
"We didn't want to build something very near the shore because it would have impacted the corals," said Majid Yavary, the deputy director of capital projects at ADPC.
The decision to build offshore was taken following a two-year environmental study conducted by ADPC.
Describing the project as "the most extensive numerical modelling study ever done in this region", he said that the design ensures that coral communities will be unmolested by the shipping traffic further offshore.
A Wetlands National Park is planned just south of the Khalifa Port. Another protected area will be created among the mangroves and tidal flatlands just north of the new port, along the Dubai border.
"One thing that was made absolutely clear, crystal clear from the get-go, was that you shall not impact the environment," said Mr Yavary.
Such a directive may have seemed an daunting, given the project's scale by 2028, the port will handle 37 million tonnes of cargo and five million containers each year.
"For this project we have developed some of the best predictive tools in the region, in terms of the prediction of flows, water temperatures and tides" he said.
The Abu Dhabi Government has begun building the port at a cost of more than Dh37 billion (US$10.1bn) in 2005 and the project will also include a 140-square kilometre manufacturing zone and the world's largest aluminium smelter. WAM
It will be one of the first megaprojects launched since Plan 2030, a master framework for upgrading Abu Dhabi into a sustainable and thriving 21st-century community, was announced.
Under the plan the coast will receive new protection against the effects of industry and real estate development. Islands, sand dunes, sea, coastlines and native wildlife will be protected while "preserving the connection between humans and the surrounding environment," the plan states, even as the city triples in population, a report published by The National daily said.
In order to preserve the fragile marine ecosystems in the area the designers have located the port 4.6km offshore in the Gulf, and connected it to land by a bridge supported by concrete pillars.
"We didn't want to build something very near the shore because it would have impacted the corals," said Majid Yavary, the deputy director of capital projects at ADPC.
The decision to build offshore was taken following a two-year environmental study conducted by ADPC.
Describing the project as "the most extensive numerical modelling study ever done in this region", he said that the design ensures that coral communities will be unmolested by the shipping traffic further offshore.
A Wetlands National Park is planned just south of the Khalifa Port. Another protected area will be created among the mangroves and tidal flatlands just north of the new port, along the Dubai border.
"One thing that was made absolutely clear, crystal clear from the get-go, was that you shall not impact the environment," said Mr Yavary.
Such a directive may have seemed an daunting, given the project's scale by 2028, the port will handle 37 million tonnes of cargo and five million containers each year.
"For this project we have developed some of the best predictive tools in the region, in terms of the prediction of flows, water temperatures and tides" he said.
The Abu Dhabi Government has begun building the port at a cost of more than Dh37 billion (US$10.1bn) in 2005 and the project will also include a 140-square kilometre manufacturing zone and the world's largest aluminium smelter. WAM
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