The Valencia Port expansion faced little resistance from red tape as plans moved forward. A year after the Port Authority of Valencia issued the new container terminal project, along with related environmental upgrades and improvements to the State Ports, the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, stood in Valencia and confirmed that the central Government would keep the Grao site sustainable and committed to emission-free development.
Consequently, the head of this department, which oversees ports of general interest in Spain, informed a broad audience of business and political leaders that the forthcoming Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday, December 19, would enable tenders for additional ship activity. The state budget for the project exceeds €656 million for the construction of a new container terminal described as innovative, flexible, and sustainable.
Under the watchful eye of regional leader Carlos Mazón, Valencia’s president; Mayor María José Catalá; Government delegate Pilar Bernabé; APV president Mar Chao; and the central government’s transport and mobility policy chief, among other officials, the expansion of the maritime facility was announced as a project of general interest. Despite opposition from Podemos and partners in Sumar-Compromís, Puente asserted that the new terminal would also promote rail connections to boost rail freight transport, with the aim of taking heavy vehicles off roads and out of the metropolitan area.
“An ecological project”
Puente described the initiative as an ecological project from the outset, noting that the energy plan envisions a 100% sustainable and self-sufficient terminal powered by clean energy. The project also includes a strategy to divert container traffic from roads to trains, with the northern terminal featuring what would be the largest railway complex of its kind on the Iberian Peninsula. In this view, the operation is not limited to port duties but encompasses a major rail operation as well.
The minister emphasized the importance of encouraging a shift toward rail, highlighting that 92% of land traffic at the Port of Valencia is currently handled by road and that this proportion is targeted for change.
Public-private collaboration
Even as administrative steps and tender deadlines await clarification, the terminal’s development is planned through a public-private collaboration and is expected to surpass €1.6 billion in total investment. This would mark the largest private investment in Spain’s port sector history. The port is known for handling substantial traffic and has briefly faced congestion; forward-looking management is tasked with anticipating such conditions to ensure the infrastructure serves its purpose when the time comes. Work continues on the northern terminal project in Valencia. The Port of Valencia stands as Spain’s leading port and ranks among the top four in the European Union for container traffic.
Government Partners
During a press briefing, Puente addressed warnings from Compromís that ministers aligned with Sumar would oppose the project. He stated that the Socialist Party maintains full consistency, aligning with years of support for the initiative at both national and regional levels. A message was sent to Valencians urging calm and asserting that environmental objections to the project were unfounded and should be assessed in a global context. Puente noted that the Saler beaches are protected by remedial work funded with about €30 million and urged opponents to broaden their focus so events could move in another direction.