June 27th, 2021 - The largest ship in the history of Port Ploče, Leviathan, sailed in on Saturday night. 

Like Metković reports, the opening of the new bulk cargo terminal of the Port of Ploče was marked in February earlier this year with the arrival of the largest ship in the history of the port of Orient Cavalier, which falls into the category of the baby Capesize bulk carriers. Its overall carrying capacity is 110,813 tons, the ship is 255 meters long and 43 meters wide.

This record was broken on Saturday night when a LEVIATHAN sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands sailed into the port of Ploče. The ship has a carrying capacity of 182,511 tons,  it is 292 meters long, 45 meters wide, and belongs to the "Capesize" ships for bulk cargo.

This is the largest bulk carrier that has ever sailed into the Port of Ploče. The ship sailed in from Australia, more precisely the Port of Hay Point, by rotating from Hay Point to Singapore through the Suez and finally reaching Ploče. The LEVIATHAN began its journey from Australia on May 17, 2021, and reached Ploče on June 26th, 2021, just over a month-long journey. 

The ship delivered 165,006 tons of coal and its draft is about 17.3 meters. During the mooring, the recommendations of the Port Authority of Ploče were followed and the ship used 4 tugs for assistance, the services of 2 pilots, and the entry was made during medium-high water within the Port. 

This year will go down in the history of Ploč Port as a very important and successful 2021. Previously to breaking the record for the largest ship to sail into the Ploče port, after a busy year of drug busts, the Port finally received an X-ray device called ‘Rapiscan’ - for the inspection of container cargo and new vessels to implement surveillance at sea.  

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May 29th, 2021 - After a busy year of drug busts, Ploče Port finally received an X-ray device called ‘Rapiscan’ - for the inspection of container cargo and new vessels to implement surveillance at sea. 

Metković News reports, the Customs Administration, using funds from the EU in order to strengthen the operational capacity of the control of goods and traffic in seaports, has deployed an X-ray device model for use - Rapiscan Eagle M 4507 - which was procured within the EU Fund "IPA 2007 - equipment for mobile teams of the Customs Administration for the Suppression of Smuggling", whose purchase value was HRK 9.3 million, of which the EU financed 74%, and the share of national funding was 26%.

The Ploče Port is an international port, open for the traffic of goods in maritime and railway traffic 24 hours a day, with the status of an international inspection border crossing where besides customs other inspection services are regulated (Border Veterinary, Sanitary, Phytosanitary Inspection) and on which the import, and export of all kinds of goods is permitted.

At the annual level in the Ploče Port, there are about 26,000 container units (TEU, 40 ′, and 20 ′ containers), or about 2.6 million tons of cargo (bulk and liquid) and about 60 thousand imported documents are processed in customs procedures, export, and transit.

Director of the Customs Administration, Mr. Mario Demirović stated:

“The X-ray device specializes in the inspection of a wide range of means of transport (containers, tanks) as well as all types of cargo since X-rays penetrate liquids, wood, and steel, which will greatly facilitate cargo inspection in the Ploče Port. 

This X-ray device model can inspect loads up to 2.8 meters wide and up to 4.6 meters high, and at high speeds outline the structure and components of scanned objects, whether it is the structure of the vehicle or vehicle, cavities, processed spaces, hidden goods and the like.

Under optimal conditions, up to 30 containers or tanks can be inspected on average and scanned in one hour.

The X-ray device is mobile, which means that it can be used in all locations where there is a need, so from mid-May 2021, it is deployed for use in the Ploče Customs Office for the purpose of inspecting container traffic in the Port of Ploče and the need to strengthen cargo traffic control capacity. to recent large quantities of seized goods (especially narcotics). "

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November 8, 2020 - An interesting historical document was recently published by the mayor of Ploče, Mišo Krstičević, giving insight into the youngest Croatian town. 

Morski.hr reports that although Ploče is the youngest town in Croatia, it matured primarily for its port and then military significance, and its oldest mention dates back to the 14th century.

Ploče was first mentioned in 1387 in a document kept in the Historical Archives in Dubrovnik. The document states that on November 6, 1387, Matej, son of Maroja Pripičeva from the island of Koločep concluded a contract with Milča from Novi Brdo according to which Matej should arrive with his ship from Dubrovnik to the port of Ploče, at the mouth of the Neretva (ad quedum locum dictum la Ploca que est in fluminis Narenti) to load about 600 small cattle and shackles and a small amount of wood. The historical archive also preserves a document from 1426 in which Ploče is mentioned by the Council of Intercessors of the Republic of Dubrovnik.

Ploče has a history of changing its name. First, during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the name was changed to Aleksandrovo, after King Aleksandar I. Karađorđević, which lasted until the Second World War, and the Italian occupation, when Aleksandrovo became Porto Tolero (Italian port for transshipment, to load raw materials from Bosnia to Italy).

At the end of the war in 1945, the original name, Ploča, was restored. From 1950 to 1954, and from 1980 to 1990, the town was named Kardeljevo after a Yugoslav politician, Slovene Edvard Kardelj. In the meantime, from 1954 to 1980, the name Ploče was introduced for the first time, i.e., the plural of the original name, which dates back to the beginnings of the independence of the Republic of Croatia, on November 22, 1990.

Today, Ploče is a small modern port town at the mouth of the Neretva in Dalmatia in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. A little more than 6500 people live in Ploče, and the wider area, about 11000 inhabitants. The area of the city also includes the settlements Baćina, Banja, Komin, Ploče (Stablina, Birina and the inner city area), Peračko Blato, Plina Jezero, Rogotin, Staševica, and Šarić Struga.

The backbone of Ploče's economy is the cargo seaport, which, after Rijeka, is the second-largest transshipment in the Republic of Croatia.

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Ploče port suffered an unexpected blow (quite literally) thanks to a large tanker this past summer, and now a full reconstruction is due to take place.

As Morski writes on the 25th of November, 2018, over the coming few days, the second phase of the reconstruction of the tanker connection should begin after the damage that took place back in August this year, following the incident in which the "STI POPLAR" tanker accidentally struck the concrete, which resulted in the complete discontinuance of oil derivatives and other products via the otherwise significant port of Ploče.

Following some temporary repairs, the first tanker, named "SEPEN" carrying 3,500 m3 of oil derivates sailed into the port of Ploče three weeks ago.

The Ploče Port Authority, which deals with and takes care of the port's infrastructure as a whole, immediately took all of the many necessary steps to repair the damage as soon as possible and re-establish the traffic of the current cargo load through the Port of Ploče following the unwelcome incident.

In regard to the required works, the Port Authority, along with the "POMGRAD INŽENJERING" d.o.o. construction company from Split, the total reconstruction of the platform, as well as the removal of the collapsed concrete has now been agreed, in a move which encompasses the first phase of reconstruction of the damaged areas. The first phase has been successfully completed within the desired deadline, and the value of the completed works stands at about 4.6 million kuna, according to a statement on the matter from the Ploče Port Authority.

After the public procurement procedure is signed and the construction contract is signed, the Ploče Port Authority should begin with yet another phase of reconstruction of the damaged tanker connection, which implies the construction of completely new mooring area.

Estimates suggest that the works on the construction of the new area will last approximately 100 days and the value of the works will be estimated at approximately six million kuna.

For the period lasting until the complete reconstruction of the tanker connection, a temporary regime of sailing with the "Vlaška" channel was established, which implied certain unwanted limitations in terms of vessel size, as well as additional safety measures.

Make sure to stay up to date with our news page for more information on the latest important construction projects in Croatia.

Dubrovnik-Neretva County will be collecting project bids until April the 11th, 2018.

Welcome news for the Port of Ploče.

Zoning plans of the Ploče Port to be devised as the port receives major investments.