Noticias APB | Ports de Balears

Publication of Port of Ibiza DEUP proposal

30/11/2016

Spain's Official State Gazette (BOE) today published the notice from the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) with regards to the Delimitation of Port Spaces and Uses (DEUP) proposal by the port of Ibiza. On 26 October, the APB Board of Directors passed the motion to give its acceptance after processing the port of Ibiza's new DEUP proposal. DEUP proposals are instruments included in Article 69 of the Consolidated Text of the Law on State Ports and the Merchant Navy with the aim of arranging port space according to its needs. This proposal replaces the one that was initially accepted by the same Board of Directors on 26 February 2015. The document had to be re-adapted with the new uses proposed for the fisherman's wharf and the commercial quays in the agreement reached last August by the Government of the Balearic Islands, Formentera Island Council, Ibiza Council, the City Council of Ibiza and the APB to relocate the future marine traffic terminal between the ports of Ibiza and La Savina. This document is available to the public at the APB offices in Palma (Muelle Viejo, 3-5) and at the port of Ibiza (Acceso Muelle Norte, s/n.) from Monday to Friday 9am to 2pm, as well as online at www.portsdebalears.com, and as many statements and observations as deemed necessary may be submitted within forty-five working days from the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE).

FIRST APB ORDINANCE REGARDING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY APPROVED

29/11/2016

The APB has approved the port ordinance which sets out the coordination plan concerning business activities in the areas of restricted access in port service areas. It is the first ordinance to be approved by the APB and is also the pioneering ordinance on this subject published by one of the 28 port authorities that exist in Spain. A fact that reflects the importance the public body places on prevention and the occupational health and safety of employees. This ordinance affects all business activities carried out in the port areas with restricted access in the ports managed by the APB (Palma, Alcudia, Mahon, Ibiza and La Savina) and the employees who perform the work. This coordination task has been carried out since 2009 and is now officially regulated. The main coordination tasks include approval of the companies involved, authorisation of the activities they are to carry out, information and dissemination of the risks in port areas where work is to be undertaken, the risks that this work will entail for the adjacent areas and information management, among others. In this way, the safety of port activities is ensured by fulfilling the legally established precepts set out in Royal Decree 171/04, of 30 January, which implements Article 24 of Law 31/1995, of 8 November, on the Prevention of Occupational Hazards, regarding the coordination of business activities ("BOE" [Official State Gazette] ]no. 27, 31-01-2004).

Port of Maó to have yacht charter marina

28/11/2016

The APB will put out a tender for the management of mooring slots for rented boats at the Levante docks of the south side of the Port of Maó. The Board of Directors has approved the terms that will govern the public tender for this concession which, in addition, will guarantee water and electricity supply to the boats, as well as those proposed by the successful bidder. Having analysed the appropriateness of this project, the APB has decided to go ahead with this marina, which is in keeping with its bid to strengthen this sector in all the ports of general interest it manages and, in particular, that of Maó. Additionally, it will lead to an operational surface area of 6,901 square metres which, in its entirety, corresponds to the water surface used for mooring. 462 square metres of area of influence on land will also be used for walkways, street furniture, signalling and other necessary works and installations in order to use the mooring areas. Service will only be provided for boats of the sixth schedule, that is to say, rentals or yacht charters, in the facilities relating to this tender. The bidder will make a proposal for the number and dimensions of the boats and their arrangement in the allocated space. The annual occupancy fee to outbid is 47,030.66 euros and the maximum term for the concession is twelve years.

The APB and the Council of Mallorca share knowledge on the functioning of the APB's Electronic Administration

24/11/2016

The Council of Mallorca recently visited the APB headquarters in order to find out more about the implementation of the new entry and exit log tool, REGWEB3. This log complies with the SICRES3 regulation and enables electronic log entries to be shared among the Public Administrations through the SIR (Integrated Record System). In addition, the members of the Council of Mallorca took the opportunity to find out more about the Electronic Administration initiatives the APB is implementing in order to comply with Laws 39/2015 and 40/2015: electronic notifications, the implementation of the Electronic Filing and Document Management System, the ENS (National Security Framework) Adjustment Plan and Electronic Procurement, among others. These tools also help to enhance the digitisation of public administration, reduce the use of paper and achieve more fluid communication with other administrations.

The APB and Formentera Island Council sign agreement for the transfer of La Mola lighthouse for cultural and museum activities

23/11/2016

The President of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, Joan Gual de Torrella, and the President of Formentera Island Council, Jaume Ferrer, today signed the agreement to transfer the auxiliary facilities and outdoor areas of the La Mola lighthouse in order to foster the creation and development of a program of cultural and museum-related activities. La Mola lighthouse is a public domain affiliated to the APB. With this signature, Formentera Island Council agrees that this new use will not have an impact on its day or night maritime signalling activity, and also guarantees that the lighthouse will be properly maintained. Cultural activities that will be available in the La Mola lighthouse include a visitors' centre on the lighthouses in Formentera, a museum collection and small-scale models that could be placed in the lighthouse's courtyard.

The APB approves its Environmental Management Policy

17/11/2016

The APB Board of Directors has approved the Environmental Policy of the public body. As the management body of the five ports of general interest in the Balearic Islands (Alcudia, Palma, Mahon, Ibiza and La Savina), the APB aims to focus its course of action on the concept of "Green Port", in other words, promoting the sustainability and protection of the public domain of the port, its surroundings and heritage, biodiversity and ecosystems, within the scope of its activities and its capacity for control in accordance with its responsibilities and competencies. Aware of this reality and responsive to it, the APB has approved its Environmental Policy in which all agents of the Port Community pertaining to the ports it manages are included in these sustainable management responsibilities, so as to properly preserve and protect natural resources and the environment. In all of its action, this policy aims to reduce the impact on the environment and reach a harmonious balance between progress and respect for nature. By following this protocol of action, workers agree to, amongst other things, protect the heritage and resources available, the marine environment and the environment of the port surroundings, and also establish communication channels and dialogue among all stakeholders and contribute to promoting environmental training and education among the staff of the institution, among other aspects. The approval of this regulation is a step closer to the ISO 14001 certification which the APB aims to achieve in the coming months.

Good forecast for cruise ship tourism in the last quarter of 2016

16/11/2016

The cruise ship tourism season is extending and end-of-year business is expected to be better than the previous year, contributing to a deseasonalisation of tourism in the Balearic Islands. As such, if we analyse all of the ports managed by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) between the period of 1 October and 31 December 2016, the Port of Alcúdia is the port that has grown the most, with a total of 3 stopovers compared with none in the same period last year. The Port of Eivissa follows closely behind with a total of 21 stopovers compared with 19 last year. The Port of Mahon envisages 22 stopovers, the same as in 2015. The Port of Palma is the only port that sees a reduction in stopovers with regard to 2015, with 126 in this last quarter compared with 138 in the same period last year. Further statistical information.

The APB awards the OHL-VOPSA Joint Venture a contract to extend and restructure marine terminal no.6 of the Port of Palma

15/11/2016

The extension and restructuring works of marine terminal no.6 of the Port of Palma have been awarded to UTE Terminal Marítima Nº 6, a joint venture comprising Obrascón Huarte Laín S.A., and Vías y Obras Públicas S.A., for 12 million euros. The project includes extending the marine terminal from the current 2,500 m2 to a surface area of around 10,000 m2. It will be located on the esplanade, annexed to the docks in a similar way to the current one. The increase in cruise ship traffic has highlighted the fact that the mooring line of the Western docks is insufficient to provide a quality service to cruise ships starting or finishing their journey at the Port of Palma. This increase and the volume of passengers that use the infrastructure have led the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) to launch this project. The extension will allow the port to welcome and provide port-based services to tourist cruise ships of over 300 m in length, guaranteeing the Port of Palma's quality service. Furthermore, to maximise the safety conditions of loading and unloading, the APB is considering reorganising the uses of the esplanade annexed to this particular dock. The works are expected to be completed in a period of 18 months.

The APB has awarded IDP the contract to draft the new marine terminal project for traffic between Ibiza and Formentera

08/11/2016

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands has awarded the company IDP, Ingeniería y Arquitectura Iberia, S.L.U. the contract to draft the basic plan and construction project of the marine terminal for traffic between Ibiza and Formentera, located at the port of Ibiza and worth €103,585.16. The project for the new terminal includes the construction of the harbour station itself as well as its adjoining areas designed for both port and port-city uses. IDP will be responsible for offering technical support to the design of a public space where services for the connection between the ports of Ibiza and La Savina will be generated. The services include access controls for the boarding and disembarkation of passengers, ticket desks and offices, waiting rooms and green spaces with children's play areas.

The APB anticipates a 34% increase in cruise ship stopovers at the port of Ibiza in 2017

08/11/2016

The port of Ibiza will witness the biggest growth of cruise ship stopovers in 2017 out of all ports on the Balearic Islands, with 34.5% more than in 2016. This is confirmed by cruise ship traffic forecasts for the coming season, estimating an influx of more than 32,000 passengers. The 120 stopovers registered at the port of the largest Pityusic Island will rise to 139 in 2016. A figure that will shoot up to 187 in 2017. This equates to 48 stopovers and close to 74,000 passengers more than those registered in the current financial year. The commissioning of the new piled dolphins at the Botafoc docks, as well as the confidence shown by the main cruise ship companies, boost Ibiza's appeal as a top destination in the western Mediterranean.

APB workers carry out maintenance on navigational guidance system between Ibiza and Formentera

07/11/2016

Navigational Guidance System technicians from the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) have taken advantage of the spell of good weather over the last couple of days to conduct maintenance of the maritime signals located between Ibiza and Formentera. The works, located at the Bajo d'en Pou marker, consisted of repairing the anchorage system of the metal column attached to the concrete foundation and the refinishing of the lower part of the column. Thanks to this maintenance activity, the maritime signalling is now prepared for seafarers over the cold months. Photo: @jmperpinya1

The APB invites tenders for the structural improvement works on “the Wall” of the Port of Ibiza

03/11/2016

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has invited tenders for the structural improvement works on the 'muelle adosado', dock joined to the counterdike of the Port of Ibiza. The project entails repairing the heel and the metal structure of this dock joined to the counterdike known as “el Muro" [the Wall]. Due to intensive use and in particular the aggressive environment they withstand due to the effect of the sea, concrete docks often show corrosion, leading to erosion, breakage and even in some cases loss of the section with the reinforcement in view. This is what has happened at the joined dock, with the edges of both the dock and the heel corroding over the years it has been in operation. With the aim of maintaining the quality of the facilities at the Port of Ibiza, the APB will improve the state of the joined dock by rectifying these flaws. In this way, it will be possible to maintain the level of safety present in the facilities of the whole port area while also improving the image of the port as a whole and, therefore, the quality of the services provided. The works are to be carried out within two months with an investment of €115,585.