Dunkerque Ouest port (port code: FRDKK), also known as Dunkirk port, is a major commercial port in France. It is situated on the north coast of France, near the Belgian border.
The port occupies 2 sites, namely the East Port and the West Port. The East Port is entered through a series of 3 locks giving access to 6 wet docks, which provide over 16 kilometers of quays and cover an area of 385 hectares. There are individual sugar, timber, steel and agricultural products berths plus 6 oil berths and 4 berths for large ore and coal carriers, as well as general cargo berths. The West Port is a tidal port and has access to 2 kilometers of deep-water berths. The harbour area covers 560 hectares.
The port handles approximately 45 million tons of cargo and 212,000TEU annually. The main imports include sands and gravel, alumina, petroleum coke, soda, fertilisers, granite aggregates, crude oil, ores and coal. The principal exports are slag, lime, grain, bulk sugar, clinker, cast iron, scrap metal and cattle feed.
Each year about 6,540 vessels and 2.2 million passengers are handled. The types of vessels regularly calling at this port are cargo vessels, accounting for around 59%, and tankers, taking up approximately 18%. The maximum length of the vessels recorded to having entered this port is 400 meters. The maximum draught is 16 meters. The maximum deadweight is 221,251t.
