In the opaque language of maritime bureaucracy, few terms hold as much real weight on shipping companies’ finances as Prescription 23. Far from being a mere technicality forgotten in the pages of the Conditions Document, this clause acts as the true shadow regulator of prices, allowing the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife to adjust maximum towing rates through ‘non-predetermined’ revisions. With the recent 5.23% increase for 2026, this clause has come back into focus, revealing itself as the strategic tool that overnight redefines the costs of dockage in the city of Tenerife, Granadilla, and the other ports of the province under criteria that often escape the understanding of the average citizen. But what is behind this figure? The key is not the percentage, but the legal mechanism that allows it: Prescription 23. The shield of Prescription 23: Why do prices go up? Port management is not static. Inflation, the cost of marine fuels, and the need to maintain towboats with a bollard pull capable of moving giants of over 100,000 tons necessitate periodic reviews. The Prescription 23 of the Particular Specifications Document is the legal framework that guarantees balance. In its section d), it allows for a ‘non-predetermined periodic review’. It is, in essence, the safety valve that ensures towing companies remain viable without prices spiking arbitrarily. The adjustment of 5.23% is the result of a rigorous technical analysis of operational costs for the 2026 fiscal year. A price map: From Santa Cruz to the Granadilla Docks The resolution does not apply a ‘one size fits all’ approach. The Board of Directors has maintained a strategic geographical differentiation that penalizes risk and rewards commercial efficiency. At the hydrocarbon product terminals in La Hondura, the operational risk is greater. Therefore, fees are significantly higher. A small vessel (up to 1,000 GT) pays a base fee of 603.28 euros, while in the commercial zone, that same vessel pays 461.54 euros. For large cruise ships and container ships exceeding 100,000 GT, the T+2 fee schedule is applied. Here, the variable part of the fee becomes critical to compensate for the deployment of several tugboats working in unison. One of the most discussed points of this economic chronicle is the cost of insularity within the province itself. Given that the fleet has its main base in the metropolitan area of Tenerife, deploying a tugboat to the ‘green islands’ poses a logistical challenge reflected in the new surcharges. In El Hierro (Port of La Estaca), there is a surcharge of 10,613.10 euros from Santa Cruz. In La Palma, the charge is set at 10,588.51 euros. And in the case of La Gomera (Los Cristianos), costs are moderated to 5,995.35 euros. The strategic exception is set by the Granadilla Docks. Movements between the capital and the south incur no surcharge, solidifying Granadilla as the natural and necessary extension of the Tenerife port. Safety and Emergencies: The price of peace of mind Beyond commercial maneuvers, the new regulations secure emergency fees. The cost for fire extinguishing is now set at 4,131.61 euros per hour, a price that includes the availability of cutting-edge technology and personnel on permanent alert. This update is not just an administrative formality; it is the assurance that, in the event of a spill or fire in Canary waters, the towing service, a natural monopoly regulated by the state, will have the necessary resources to intervene. With the implementation of these fees following their official publication, the Ports of Tenerife are uniting around their financial stability, paving the way for a 2026 where logistical efficiency will be the main engine of growth for the Archipelago.
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