Spain has established itself as the EU’s second shipbuilding power after the Netherlands, by the number of ships under contract and in the order book, and ranks ninth globally in terms of contraction. Its strong position is driven by the efforts of Asturian shipyards Armón and Gondán, which accounted for a large share of activity last year. Of the 36 ships signed in Spain, these groups played a pivotal role.
Pymar, the association that unites Spain’s leading private shipyards including Armón and Gondán, released its 2022 Maritime Sector Activity Report. The findings show the Spanish maritime sector boosted hiring by 45% and surpassed pre-pandemic levels. In 2020 the sector reported a 57% rise in contracted tonnage compared with the previous year, reaching 36 ships, and a 24% increase in CGT, the compensated gross tonnage used to measure both size and complexity. This growth allowed the number of ships under construction to climb by 24% year over year, totaling 56 ships and 305,513 CGT.
These figures propelled Spain into second place in 2022 for contracting power in Europe. On a global scale, the country sits ninth in shipbuilding and is highlighted in the Pymar report for the capacity of private Spanish shipyards to build, convert, and repair vessels with high added value, advanced technology, and innovative components.
The world market remains dominated by Asia, led by China and North Korea. The region accounted for 96% of total CGT and 1,624 ships contracted, totaling about 40.6 million CGT worldwide. Generally, these are cargo ships with lower added value and construction complexity than those produced in Europe. The European sector is seeing a modest recovery in large cruise ship construction in 2022, with 359 new contracts. Germany and France are not at their best in this period.
Spain’s position stands out in ship types with higher construction complexity and added value, such as large fishing vessels, where it is the world leader in contract volume, and oceanographic vessels, where it ranks second globally. The 2022 report notes that the private Spanish shipyards have the capacity to excel in both building and converting ships that demand sophisticated engineering and high-value components. Asturian Armón, which expanded its capacity in the past year through upgrades and the addition of Spain’s largest private shipyard Hijos de J. Barreras in Vigo, along with operations in Navia, Gijón, Puerto de Vega, and Burela, helped cement leadership in large fishing and oceanographic segments in Spain.
Renewable energy
The Pymar report also underlines that the Spanish maritime industry is diversifying into offshore renewable energy to exploit opportunities from floating wind energy development. In 2022, ships supporting offshore wind fields represented 21% of the national order book, placing Spain second globally behind China. In this sector, Gondán, with a shipyard in Castropol, stands out as a key reference point.
To secure future growth and sustain these impressive results, the maritime sector must continue its transformation toward greater competitiveness and sustainability. The report emphasizes that 34% of units in the national portfolio have the potential to utilize alternative fuels and low-emission technologies in the near term, ten percentage points above the global average.