A European delegation visits the ports of Palma and Alcudia to study, in the Balearic Islands, ways of compensating goods and passenger transport
03/06/2019A delegation from the islands of Corsica and Sardinia has been on a two-day technical visit, under the framework of the European Interreg Programme, in the Balearic Islands. This action forms part of the GEECCTT-Îles (GEstion Européenne Conjointe des Connexions/Transports Transfrontaliers pour les Îles) project, led by Italy and France. The regions that benefit from this project are Corsica and Var in France, and Sardinia, Tuscany and Liguria in Italy. The aim of the technical visit to the Balearic Islands is to analyse mobility in terms of island to island and island to continental territories. The systems used by the administrations are to be analysed to compensate goods and passenger transportation, taking into consideration the fact that being isolated entails an additional cost and competitive hinderance for companies in such locations, while also making mobility difficult for citizens. At the technical meeting, representatives of the Balearic government, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), the Government of Spain, the Maritime Authority, the Chamber of Commerce of Mallorca and of shipping companies that operate around the islands were in attendance with the French and Italian delegation. Xavier Ramis, managing director of ports and airports of the Balearic Government, explained that the aim of the encounter was to address the reality of transportation on island territories of the European Union. “We are not just talking about economic problems. We are also taking about those arising from territorial disconnectivity. Europe and state governments are not sensitive enough to that situation. We are looking to analyse the different systems applied in each island territory to compensate for costs and the situation”. Furthermore, Joseph Basu, head of European services at the Corsica Transport Office, said that mutual collaboration between island regions, which share similar problems, may be beneficial for all of them. “We are here to take note of what works well for the Balearic Islands, what works well for Sardinia and what works well for Corsica in order to find a single solution that can adapt to all of them,” said Basu. Ramis gave a reminder that Europe has to approve the regulation that will govern transport grants up to 2024 and, in that respect, “this encounter must serve to set out a joint policy before the European Union so as to adapt the rules and regulations”. Over the two days, the different methods that apply to each region have been analysed, “as we have all given a different answer and none has been sufficient or definitive enough to see that citizens of island regions can access minimum services that other citizens in continental territories can,” said Ramis. The visit of the European delegation started on Monday and will continue until Tuesday. In addition to the technical meetings, the delegation will visit ports in Alcudia and Palma with the collaboration of APB.
THE APB WILL HOST THE MAIN COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS OF THE FIRST EDITION OF WORLD MARINE AIDS TO NAVIGATION DAY
17/05/2019The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) has designated 1 July of each year as World Marine Aids to Navigation Day. This first year, in conjunction with Puertos del Estado (the Spanish State-owned Port System) and the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), IALA has chosen Palma as the venue for the main events on this day. The main events held in relation to this first edition of World Marine Aids to Navigation Day will take place in the capital city of the Balearic Islands, and will be divided into two sessions, one related to technical topics and the other dealing with institutional issues. During the conference, in which Francis Zachariae, secretary general of IALA, has confirmed his participation, debates and discussions will take place under the motto of “Successful Voyages, Sustainable Planet” revolving around the present and future challenges of marine aids to navigation for enhanced safety in navigation and maritime traffic within an increasingly digital setting that is constantly changing, while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the marine environment. Coinciding with World Marine Aids to Navigation Day, large numbers of lighthouses and some sirens will be simultaneously lit up and activated throughout Spain for half an hour, starting at twelve noon. The APB will also take part in this initiative with all 34 of the lighthouses it runs on the Balearic Islands. Open day events In parallel to this, the APB is organising an open day including guided tours of the permanent Maritime Signalling Exhibition at the Porto Pí Lighthouse in the Port of Palma, as well as informative workshops open to the general public. The lighthouse facilities at the Cap Gros and Cap Blanc lighthouses on Mallorca, and the Favàritx lighthouse on Menorca will also be open to the public on this day. In addition, each of the 28 port authorities will carry out activities within the geographic space assigned to them in relation to marine aids to navigation with the aim of raising awareness about this service to society, such as open days at certain lighthouses, conferences, photography competitions and other initiatives. Anyone interested may check the websites of each port authority, as well as other media venues, to learn about how to participate in these activities.
THE APB ORGANISES IN IBIZA THE 8TH INTERNAL LEGAL CONFERENCE ON THE STATE PORTS-OWNED PORT SYSTEM
10/05/2019The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and Puertos del Estado [State Ports] organised the 8th Internal Legal Conference on the State Ports-owned Port System, which took place in Ibiza on 9th and 10thMay. The State Attorney General, Consuelo Castro de Rey, and the president of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, were in charge of presenting and opening the conference. The president of the APB welcomed the attendees, highlighting the opportunity these types of conferences provide for sharing mutual knowledge between ports "with models that are very different to one another". The State Attorney General showed her gratitude for being able to chair the conference, which she pointed out is of great benefit for all professionals working in collaboration between the ports and the State Legal Service. In this sense, she stated that this conference stands out due to the carefully-chosen topics to be dealt with and the quality of the speakers. In this annual conference coordinated by the Deputy Director of State Ports Legal Services, José Antonio Morillo, the following topics were discussed over the two days: the latest developments on law and procurement in the port system, the experience of the APB in the implementation of electronic administration and procurement, and also the rethinking of judicial control over the administration's actions, among others. The extensive programme planned for these two days, which included the participants visiting the ports of Ibiza and La Savina, came to a close with the intervention of prominent speakers and experts in the field of Port Law such as Daniel Sarmiento, lawyer in the firm Uría-Menéndez, Mario Díaz Millán, Technical General Vice-Secretary of the Ministry of Public Works, and Rafael Fernández Valverde, Judge of the Supreme Court and member of the General Council of the Judiciary, among other noteworthy professionals. Participating in this 8th conference were representatives of the State Legal Service, State Ports, the port authorities of Avilés, Bilbao, Motril, Vigo, Castellón, Santander, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Gijón, Bahía de Algeciras, Ceuta, Tarragona, A Coruña, Alicante, Las Palmas, Cartagena, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, as well as independent professionals.
THE APB WILL BEGIN IMPROVEMENT WORKS IN SEPTEMBER ON THE CRUISE SHIP DOCK AT THE PORT OF MAHON
02/05/2019The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) will begin the improvement works on the cruise ship dock at the Port of Mahon in September, to not disrupt the activities of these ships during the tourist season, after awarding the works to Vías y Construcciones, S.A. for 4,490,405.34 euros. This construction company will start work on the refurbishment and structural improvement of the east mooring of the cruise ship dock at the Port of Mahon on 10 September 2019. Specifically, it will rebuild the central 63-metre section of the mooring, which in total is 575 metres long, rebuilding the posts that support the main structure. These posts have seen significant wear over time, as this part of the mooring was built in the 70s. These works will guarantee the useful life of the mooring for the next fifty years, ensuring a quality service for vessels of over 239 metres in length. In 2019, the Port of Mahon will receive seventy stopovers of cruise ships with approximately 51,834 passengers.
THE APB JOINS THE BASURALEZA CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS AT MARINAS
26/04/2019The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) took part today in a presentation of the LIBERA project, launched by the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/Birdlife) in alliance with Ecoembes. The key message of the campaign is to not throw waste into the sea, as our litter will be the only thing that survives (“No tires residuos al mar. En el fondo lo único que sobrevive es tu basura”). This is an awareness-raising campaign that seeks to stop littering at ports and to provide solutions for the community of people who use sports vessels. This presentation, which took place at the 36th Palma International Boat Show, marks the beginning of three days of meetings and round tables. At this event, the LIBERA project, in collaboration with the Reina Sofía Foundation and the APB, will provide information about basuraleza (a term coined to represent the concept of littered nature). There will also be a range of workshops for all parties involved in port activities, to promote good practices at marinas and to reduce the dumping of waste into the sea.
THE PORT AUTHORITY OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS AWARDS THE WORKS OF THE BOTAFOC HARBOUR STATION AT THE PORT OF IBIZA
17/04/2019The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has awarded the works for the Botafoc Harbour Station, at the Port of Ibiza, to the temporary consortium Comsa-MB, with a budget of €16,330,960.06. The works will commence in May and are scheduled to last 18 months. The new building, which seeks to recreate traditional Ibiza architecture using straight lines, the colour white and reddish sandstone, will provide all the necessary services so as to satisfy the needs of passengers, with compliance of safety and accessibility measures its top priority. It will offer its users extensive waiting room areas, as well as separate boarding and disembarkation areas, and all the amenities needed to ensure that passengers receive the comfort sought, in addition to being able to simultaneously provide service to up to six ships. With regard to the characteristics of the new harbour station, it will be located between the North and South piers of Botafoc, approximately 30 metres from the sea. It will have a built-up surface area of 6,580 metres, which includes two floors and the mezzanine. The ground floor will house the pre-boarding services and security controls, while the offices will be located in the mezzanine. The top floor will consist of a walkable roof providing access to the boarding walkways. Consensual project The final project for the new harbour station emanates from the project that won an ideas competition, the jury of which comprised the Ibiza City Council, the Balearic Islands Business Association of Entrepreneurs engaged in Maritime Activities (APEAM), the Association of Architects, the Civil Engineering Association of the Balearic Islands, and the APB. Finally, the project that was put out to tender by the APB received the approval of the Town Planning Department of the Ibiza City Council. This infrastructure completes the objective established in the Infrastructure Master Plan of the Port of Ibiza, which sets forth the transfer of the city’s most disruptive port operations to the Botafoc docks, namely the boarding and disembarkation of cargo and regular passenger traffic, and in this manner ease congestion at the Levante dock, today the Marine promenade.
THE PORT AUTHORITY OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS ACQUIRES FOUR NEW HYBRID VEHICLES
15/04/2019The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has acquired four new Toyota Prius Plus Hybrid vehicles for the port police at the Port of Palma, which will become operational this week. In the near future, the APB is also considering purchasing another five vehicles, this time 100% electric, in order to renew its fleet with more efficient and environmentally-friendly cars. Charging points for these cars have therefore been set up at the port facilities. The budget for the acquisition of the vehicles was 138,454 euros and has been awarded to Multiauto Palma, S. L., by means of a public tender.
THE PORT AUTHORITY OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS AND THE SPANISH INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY SIGN THE AGREEMENT THAT WILL ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW IEO HEADQUARTERS IN THE PORT OF PALMA
29/03/2019The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) today signed the agreement that allows the use of the former Navy's commissary site in the port of Palma for the construction of the new IEO-Oceanographic Centre of the Balearic Islands, as well as the necessary facilities to develop its activities and its subsequent use and maintenance. To this end, the conditions through which the IEO may occupy a 1,868 square-metre lot in the public area of the port are set out, needed for the execution of the works regarding the new headquarters, as well as the public port areas that are affected by the facility, during the time required for its use and term. The agreement has a term of 35 years from today, and a maximum term of nine months is established for the IEO to submit the construction project. As regards the term of execution of the works, this may not be more than three years after it is approved by the APB. New headquarters The Director of the IEO, Eduardo Balguerías Guerra, recalled that there is a core architectural project for the future building and for which they will receive a grant from the Directorate General for Innovation of the Balearic Government of three million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). For the director of the IEO-Oceanographic Centre of the Balearic Islands, Toni Quetglas, an important step has been taken today for the construction of a new space for the research body, since its current headquarters, also located in the port of Palma, in the gardens of the Paraires docks, is now too small and cannot be expanded due to building protection laws. Regarding the port, the president of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, has highlighted the importance of reconverting the Old Dock of the port of Palma into a research centre and bringing it closer to the public.
THE APB FINALISES THE REFURBISHMENT WORK ON THE LLEBEIG LIGHTHOUSE ON SA DRAGONERA
26/03/2019The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has finalised the refurbishment works on the Llegbeig Lighthouse, located in the southeast of Sa Dragonera Island. The works included upgrading its roof, replacing the lantern and restoring the tower of the main building and its attached warehouse. Their poor state of conservation made the action by APB necessary. The APB awarded the work contract to Obras y Pavimentaciones Man, S.A.U., entailing a total investment of 513,164.19 euros (VAT included). A total of 6 workers, and on occasions up to 10, worked on the project for a period of 6 months. As accessing the lighthouse is difficult, a helicopter had to be used to remove rubble and other elements, such as the lantern and the dome. This was the third time that the APB had used this aircraft for a lighthouse in the Balearic Islands. The helicopter was last used in a project on the Bleda Plana Lighthouse in Ibiza (2009) and for delivering new batteries to the same island of Sa Dragonera. The new lantern, which is a copy of the old one, was made from stainless steel to increase its resistance to saltwater and to ensure it is long-lasting. In fact, the exterior metal structure of the old lantern was suffering from significant rusting and its base also had to be reconstructed. The dome, which weighs 1,100 kg, and the vibrant structure that sustains it, which weighs around a tonne, were transferred separately due to the weight limitations of the helicopter. Furthermore, the old lantern will form part of the Maritime Signalling Exhibition at the Porto Pí Lighthouse once restored. Island of the three lighthouses It is worth remembering that the Sa Dragonera Island has two active lighthouses, the Llebeig Lighthouse in the southeast and the Tramuntana Lighthouse in the northeast. The APB has previously undertaken work on both lighthouses, which included removing the solar power batteries and clearing the weeds from its surrounding area. The refurbishment of the main building's tower and the warehouse of the Llegbeig Lighthouse was required due to the really poor state of conservation the buildings were in. The attached warehouse was in the worst state, as it had lost part of its roof and interior walls. The building, which was used as a home up until 1973, also need sufficient maintenance. The third lighthouse, which is no longer used, is that of Na Pòpia, which was at one time the highest lighthouse built above sea level in Spain.
STUDIES COMMISSIONED BY THE APB PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE MOVEMENT OF PASSENGERS ON THE SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS CRUISE SHIP ON ITS STOPOVER AT THE PORT OF PALMA ON 23 JULY 2018
05/03/2019In 2018, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) asked the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and a specialist team at the institution to conduct case studies to find out the extent to which the increased sensation of street congestion perceived in the centre of Palma determined and contributed to the decision of cruise ship passengers to disembark. The study, "Analysis of Mobility in Palma based on Data Provided by the SmartWifi Network", was conducted by the UIB team comprising the PhD students Bartomeu Alorda Ladaria, Vicente Ramos Mir and Maurici Ruiz Pérez, while the project, “Study on the Mooring of Symphony of the Seas in Palma”, was conducted using the resources of the APB. The first study was based on a record of geolocation data of mobile devices detected by the SmartWifi network in Palma (a free wifi network that covers both the port and the city of Palma), using the data to monitor the movement of passengers on the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship. The second study entailed, on the one hand, counting the number of passengers that disembarked and embarked the cruise ship and, on the other hand, conducting a survey to find out what activities passenger did in Mallorca and the means of transport they took to get to the activity location. Both studies were conducted during its eight-hour stopover in Palma on Monday 23 July 2018, starting at 8 am and finishing at 4 pm. Of the 6,413 passengers, on board what was at the time considered to be the cruise ship with the largest passenger capacity in the world, 5,271 disembarked, which meant that 17.8% decided to stay on the ship. Of the passengers that disembarked, 51% (3,280) decided to visit Palma: 389 on excursions and 2,891 at their own leisure. Meanwhile, 18% of the others decided to go to another destination and 13% decided to go on an organised excursion that did not include tours of Palma. The data was sourced from the surveys conducted on 849 passengers who decided to visit the Island of Mallorca at their own leisure and from figures provided by the shipping liner on passengers that had booked an excursion prior to docking. Despite the fact that the cruise ship organised many activities in Mallorca for its clients, the majority of the passengers that stepped foot onto the island preferred to visit it by themselves. According to those surveyed, 71% of the passengers who wanted to visit the island by themselves decided to go to the centre of Palma, while 10% visited other locations. Other areas of interest were the Palma Beach (5%), the Bellver Castle (4%), Palmanova Beach (4%), the Portopí shopping centre (3%) and a tourist bus tour (3%). Public transport In terms of the means of transport chosen, 49% of the passengers surveyed said they opted to take the shuttle bus or buses available to get from the ship to the city centre, while 44% decided to take a taxi. Some other less-common options were also mentioned, such as taking the Line 1 bus of the EMT (Municipal Transport Company), walking, taking a so-called 'taxi tour' and even the much more unusual option of hiring a bus. Geolocation of passengers The aim of the study conducted by the UIB on the same date was to focus on the movement of the passengers on Symphony of the Seas during their stay in the city of Palma. The team was able to visualise the position of anonymous passengers by analysing the geopositioning data provided by the SmartWifi network installed at the port and in the centre of Palma, which the APB and the Council have shared through the 365 Palma de Mallorca Tourism Foundation since 2016. In order to do that, an attempt was made to identify groups of devices that had a high probability of belonging to the passengers. As such, algorithms were programmed taking into consideration that the mobile devices of the passengers had not been detected before that date, that their detection coincided with the time the ship was at the port and that the location of the devices had at some point during the day been in the city and at the port. The data obtained showed that 90.4% of the passengers observed by the SmartWifi network visited the centre of Palma, while 73.8% were found at some point on the promenade. The results of the analysis of mobility suggests that the proportion of devices, considered to belong to the passengers of Symphony of the Seas, that was observed at the points of interest was very low in comparison with the total number of devices observed in the same area. In the Mallorca Cathedral area, only 2% of the devices captured by the SmartWifi network were attributed in the study to passengers of Symphony of the Seas. Furthermore, only 1% of the devices detected on the promenade were attributed to the passengers and their presence coincides with the embarking times. As such, it can be deduced that their presence in the area coincides with their return from visiting the city. Finally, less than 1% of the devices were detected in Calle Jaume III and Plaza de España. The average number of passengers observed by hour in the Cathedral is comparable to the average number of passengers observed on the promenade, although the peak times were different. The peak time at the Cathedral was 12 pm, while the peak time at the promenade was at 1 pm. This difference could be due to the passenger process of returning to the ship before the embarking time. The fact that there was also a peak in Calle Jaume III at 1 pm led the researchers to believe that it could have been down to the passengers deciding not to return to the ship for lunch and to extend their visit of the city. Conversely, the maximum peak of passengers in Plaza de España was at 11 am, which may have been due to the policy implemented by the Council of Palma that establishes different bus parking areas for cruise ships. Therefore, the most significant entrance into that area at said time was detected due to the application of said policy or to the timetable of public transport from the port to the centre of Palma. Sensation of street congestion Both documents are limited to analysing the data obtained and not the level of street congestion in Palma. However, the information obtained allows us to have a much more accurate idea of the real percentage of passengers on each cruise ship that visit Palma and the peak congestion times. The UIB concluded that: "this study is limited to showing the methodology of the analysis proposed and the results obtained from the cruise ship studied and not to analysing in depth the degree to which congestion on that day in Palma was perceived. As such, it serves as another tool that can be used to make progress on managing said street congestion."
THE APB BEGINS DEMOLITION WORK ON THE OLD NAVY COMMISSARY AT THE PORT OF PALMA WHERE THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE OCEANOGRAPHIC CENTRE OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS IS TO BE LOCATED
05/03/2019This March, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) will begin demolition work on the old navy commissary at the port of Palma, located on the Old Harbour, so that the Oceanographic Centre of the Balearic Islands (COB), which belongs to the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), can build its new headquarters on this site. The demolition works have been awarded to the company Construcciones y desmontes Ribera Navarra, S.A. for the sum of EUR 272,431.18 (VAT included) and will take place over approximately 4 months, directly employing a total of 5 people. Once the 9 buildings making up this old commissary have been knocked down, the APB will hand the space over to the COB so it can build its new headquarters, as stipulated under the agreement on the creation of an innovative marine science and technology hub at the Old Harbour of Palma. It should be remembered that this agreement was signed last May with the Vice-President of the Government and the General Secretariat of Science and Innovation of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Competitiveness. The aim of this agreement is to open the port of Palma to science and citizens, creating a meeting place for collaboration between different institutions and public and private entities. The objective is therefore to promote and develop research, technological development and innovation activities in the marine and maritime sectors, placing emphasis on thematic areas of strategic interest for the Balearic Islands, such as marine sciences and suitable management of the marine environment and the coast.
