Alleged Removing the obstacle to the construction of the new container terminal in the Port of Valencia -Announced by Transport Minister Óscar Puente last Thursday and will be approved by the Council of Ministers next Tuesday- it will be opened. Many horizons of progress for the Valencian economy. One of the most striking of these will be the acceleration that this new facility, the largest in the Mediterranean, will provide – thanks to the expansion that will increase its capacity – to the development of foreign trade and therefore will be a key part. passing Algeciras The historic struggle between the two to become Spain’s main port in terms of container shipping.
Not in vain, the latest data on how loading and unloading of goods behaves at different maritime facilities of the country, presented by Puertos del Estado. Cadiz region has accumulated 3.96 million TEUS so far this year (containers equivalent to 20 feet or six meters in length), almost identical to the data collected so far Valencia with 3.99 million TEUS. However, the point reached in these records was quite different. While the port of Valencia suffered a significant blow this year both in container shipping (from -6.2% to 1.94 million TEUS) and in the volume of export and import operations (down 8.5%) compared to 2022, Algeciras has resisted the challenge better.
geographical differences
The privileged geostrategic location of the Andalusian port for the passage of transoceanic routes This line, which connects Southeast Asia to the Atlantic coast of the Americas, allowed the volume of transit containers passing through Algeciras, a dominant element in its figures, to decrease by only 0.7% to 3.30 million TEUS. With this small decrease The threat is that it will end the year with better records than before. ValenciaThis broke a trend between the two that was mostly in favor of Grao facilities.
In this tight ‘war’ context, expected new terminal Be ready by 2029 It will be an important infrastructure that can change the balance. Not for nothing, it will have the capacity to accommodate 5 million containers per year on a surface area of 136 hectares, which will bring the total volume that the facility is capable of handling up to 12 million TEUS per year. In addition, this increase in capacity will be accompanied by another advantage such as the use of state-of-the-art ships. Known as ‘Megamax’, they can operate in the Port of Valencia and thus attract more merchandise traffic..
climate uncertainty
All this, yes, always with a clear focus of uncertainty. Because In less than a month, on 1 January 2024, the ‘European Trading System’, a new system of environmental fees at ports supported by the European Union (EU), will come into force. Companies in the maritime sector will be charged a certain emission right based on the distance traveled by their ships.
In addition, there is a cost This could mean an extra economic impact of between 300,000 and 400,000 euros for each stop a ship makes at facilities in the Old Continent.the industry fears traffic will be diverted to other ports exempt from this regulation like in TangierAn option that, if approved, would undoubtedly hinder the expected success of the new terminal.
Mazón wants to process expansion “urgently”
The government’s ‘yes’ response to the new terminal at the Port of Valencia continued to create reactions at political and commercial levels this Friday. One of the first to do so was Generalitat president Carlos Mazón, who demanded that expansion work be carried out “urgently”. “The mechanism of contract law allows us to resort to emergency action when there is a public interest or urgent need. “I believe that the urgent need and public interest are being met in the Port of Valencia,” argued Consell’s president, calling for “deadlines to be shortened as much as possible”.
Government delegate Pilar Bernabé, on the other hand, pointed out that Pedro Sánchez’s administration was committed to the “inalienable development” of the port; but did not want to consider Compromís’ rejection of the decision or whether there were differences between PSOE and PSOE. and Sumar noted in this context – and that this expansion “contributes to the work done by the Port Authority of Valencia to eliminate the carbon footprint of the facility.” Similarly, PSPV general secretary Ximo Puig defended the “special sensitivity” the central government has towards the Valencian Community, calling Mazón’s remarks “absolutely wrong and ridiculous” and stating that Sánchez’s administration “did not do this”. Autonomy has entered the equation of the future.
“Benefit” for Spain and Europe
Beyond the politicians, this Friday Salvador Navarro, president of the Valencian Business Confederation (CEV), emphasized once again that the new terminal will be an investment for the Valencian Community and a “benefit” for both Spain and Europe. He recalled that the port represents “3 percent of GDP” and creates approximately 50,000 jobs in the “surrounding neighborhoods” of Turia’s capital, such as Malvarrosa, Cabanyal and Nazaret.