Coaling

Military intervention isn’t new: British warships have patrolled the 30km-wide Bab el-Mandeb strait for centuries, with the port of Aden forcibly seized in 1839 to establish an important coaling station on the passage to India.

The rock itself is being transferred to the area of Coaling Island where it is being “stockpiled” for later use.

Before long, to meet the demands of an increasingly steam-powered navy, coaling facilities were built, and in 1862 a 'steam factory' housing metalworkers, a machine shop and smelting works, was established.

By the end of the century it had become a major coaling station, because it was the only port in the Caribbean capable of accommodating the Royal Navy.

Gibraltar economy, mainly based on commercial shipping and import-export trade, takes a new income source with the opening of a coaling station for the new steam ships.

The growing commerce between America and China, the presence of American whalers in waters offshore Japan, and the increasing monopolization of potential coaling stations by the British and French in Asia were all contributing factors.

The island was made a coaling and submarine cable station, and there was plenty of work for local labourers.

The purpose was to establish a mid-ocean coaling station to avoid the high taxes imposed at ports controlled by the Hawaiians.

Thus Aden acquired a coaling station at Steamer Point and Aden was to remain under British control until 1967.