![Passenger Terminal No. 2 at the Port of Palma will be hosting an exhibition on the endangered wildlife and flora in the Balearic Islands until 19 October](/sites/default/files/20201009_084813.jpg)
![Passenger Terminal No. 2 at the Port of Palma will be hosting an exhibition on the endangered wildlife and flora in the Balearic Islands until 19 October](/sites/default/files/20201009_084813.jpg)
![Flying high in the Port of Palma](/sites/default/files/IMG_5598_v2.jpg)
Flying high in the Port of Palma
01/10/2020![The energy efficiency improvements at the Port of Mahon will bring energy savings of over 60%](/sites/default/files/NOCTUNA_PORT_MAO.jpg)
The energy efficiency improvements at the Port of Mahon will bring energy savings of over 60%
28/09/2020
Technology and innovation
Environment and CSR
The Passenger Terminal No. 2 at the Port of Palma will be the setting for an exhibition on the endangered wildlife and flora in the Balearic Islands entitled "The Balearic Islands, urgent nature." The exhibition, which has already been held in other areas of the Balearic Islands, will be in the terminal until 19 October. It has been put together by SEO/BirdLife as part of the ARES project (Initiative for the Recovery of Wild Species), commissioned by the Balearic Islands Government's Regional Ministry of the Environment and Territory. The flora and wildlife analysed include marine invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, endangered flora, rural birds, birds of prey and a beetle native to Formentera.
Today, the Chairman of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) met the Mayor of Palma, José Hila, to share and discuss issues and projects relating to the Port of Palma. This is the APB Chairman's first official meeting since he took office on 26 September 2020. During the meeting, both representatives showed their willingness to continue working together and coordinate the different initiatives planned for Palma, including the project to redesign the seafront promenade, which is still being studied. For the Mayor, "this is a major initiative for Palma that will transform the seafront, break down the existing barriers and bring the city closer to the sea." The APB Chairman, Francesc Antich, has announced that the JAMLET-TYPSA joint venture has already completed the project for the building work, which will cover a surface area of 169,010 square metres. The estimated budget for this initiative is €43 million. Last May, the APB and the City Council reached an agreement on the management of the seafront promenade in Palma, which is pending signature, after approval by the Ministry of Finance. Once the agreement has been signed and the building project has been completed, the works, which are expected to start at the end of 2021, can be put out to tender.
The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is to allocate €200,000 a year to improve the bike lane that runs through the Port of Palma. The bike lane is used by thousands of people each year to move around or do exercise. Thanks to this contract, for which the submission of bids ended the last week, the bike lane as well as other safety, urban planning, containment and drainage elements will be maintained and repaired, should this be necessary. This also ensures that any incidents affecting safety are dealt with as quickly as possible, as well as undertaking preventive maintenance to guarantee service levels. In 1984, the APB was a pioneer in the construction of a bike lane in Palma which, at that time, was shared by cyclists and runners. It is 5,619 m long and runs between the Club de Mar and Portitxol. ol.
The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) will today be resuming work on the promenade at the Port of Alcudia, which will be pedestrianised right up to the passenger terminal. The work was interrupted in March, by mutual agreement with the Alcudia Town Council, due to the health emergency caused by COVID-19 and the start of the tourist season. This project includes urban improvements on the sections of the Teodor Canet and Gabriel Roca streets that are classed as port public land at a cost of €917,569 excluding VAT. The project consists of urban development improvements on the streets Teodor Canet and Gabriel Roca in the Port of Alcudia with the widening of pavements for pedestrians, improvements in street furniture, road signs, new garden areas and a new rainwater and lighting system. The number of lanes of traffic has also been reduced, making the road one way towards the commercial port, and a roundabout has been built that will direct vehicle traffic flows between the Commercial Quays and the Passenger Terminal. There are also plans to use the sea side of the road for parking. The total surface area of this urban improvement project is 4,800 square metres and the work is scheduled to be completed in five months. Joint initiative with the Town Council This APB initiative has been coordinated with the Alcudia Town Council, which has already completed the urban improvement of the stretch of the Teodor Canet street that falls under its jurisdiction. The measures to be carried out, which include reducing traffic speed in this area, improving street furniture and reducing vehicle noise, all aim to promote tourism and encourage pedestrians to walk along the promenade all year round.
Early in the morning, Sergio Cantón heads for the Port of Palma to carry out essential conservation work. He is one of the people responsible for looking after, feeding and training the falcons and Harris eagles that fly around the port and scare away wild birds such as seagulls, pigeons and wagtails. The importance of this surveillance service is paramount, as the corrosive effect of bird droppings deteriorates the port's facilities, electronic systems and boats. And not only that: they can also cause and spread diseases through the air conditioning systems. The presence of falcons flying over the area frightens the gulls and they do not return, although new ones come, so the work has to be ongoing. Best known for their work at airports, where falconers ensure that birds do not interfere with flights, this service was launched more than a decade ago at the Port of Palma. Since then, says Sergio Cantón, the results are clear: "Before, we had roosts where some 3,000 or 4,000 birds were grouped together in the Port of Palma alone. Thanks to this service, the population is kept under greater control". Each falconer has a group of birds under his care, mainly falcons and Harris eagles. They are in charge of weighing them, feeding them and controlling possible behavioural changes. Once the team is in place, two types of rounds are carried out: continuous dissuasive flights or those focused on a sensitive area where a problem is identified. The way of working shows the trust between the trainer and the bird. From food preparation to flight control: "Each bird is unique," explains Canton. "Some have innate talent, but they all require a lot of training. In many cases, the falconer has seen the birds being born and has accompanied them throughout their lives: "The relationship is very special. When they are very young they are afraid to fly, and are even a little clumsy. Little by little you see the progress in their training, and it is really rewarding". From dawn to dusk, the team of specialists from Natura Parc move around the Poniente Quay, the Commercial Quays and the West Breakwater, where the birds' flights are controlled. But, as the falconer mentions, the responsibility for keeping wildlife in check is a global one: "A simple, poorly closed chest is a hotbed for birds, or throwing bread to the seagulls from the boats". This is a task which is unfamiliar to a large part of the population and which, in an era marked by technology, shows us that the simplest solutions are the most sustainable over time.
Today the Official State Gazette (BOE) published the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda order appointing Francesc Antich Oliver as the new Chairman of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), replacing Joan Gual de Torrella Guasp. In accordance with the provisions of article 31.1 of the recast text of the State Ports and Merchant Navy Law (TRLPEMM), the Chairman of the Port Authority is appointed by the appropriate regional government body. Once it has been notified to the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, the appointment is published in the corresponding Official Regional Gazette and in the Official State Gazette. Career A graduate in law from the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Antich was born in Caracas (Venezuela) on 28 November 1958. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1981. From 1986 to 1998, he was the manager of the Palma City Council’s Municipal Housing Board and later became the Urban Planning manager for the Palma City Council. He was the Mayor of his home town, Algaida, from 1991 to 1997. He has been a member of the Balearic Islands Parliament for four terms and was a councillor of the Majorca Island Council from 1992 to 1999. He was the President of the Balearic Islands Government on two occasions (1999-2003 and 2007-2011). From 2011 to 2019, he held a seat in the Spanish Senate and in 2019, he was appointed as Commissioner of the Balearic Islands Government in Madrid. He currently holds the position of lawyer for the Municipal Housing and District Refurbishment Board on the Palma City Council.
The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has started work on improving the energy efficiency of the over six kilometres of public lighting at the Port of Mahon which, according to estimates, will bring energy savings of over 60%. The overhaul involves replacing 261 old lights with new LED technology fittings and the installation of 395 new lighting points in previously poorly lit areas, such as the access road to the north coast. The work consists of installing modern LED lights that are resistant to humidity, saline environments, atmospheric dust and mechanical and electrical effects, as well as introducing management systems with five different lighting levels. All of this will give the walkway a new, improved appearance and, above all, will increase the system's energy efficiency and facilitate preventive maintenance. The project has a budget of €1,054,428 and is scheduled to be completed in March 2021. In addition, the project has obtained a subsidy of €236,804.57, granted by the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE) In addition, part of the actions carried out, in particular those at the Levante wharf and Cós Nous wharf, will be co-financed with ERDF funds through the Aid Programme for Energy Renovation of Buildings and Infrastructures of the AGE, managed by the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE). The purpose of this aid programme is to encourage and promote the implementation of actions that reduce carbon dioxide emissions through energy saving and efficiency and renewable energy projects in existing buildings or infrastructures of the General State Administration, in compliance with the objectives set out in Spain's Multi-regional ERDF Operational Programme 2014-2020. Thanks to the support of the European Union, the actions in the two docks mentioned above, with an eligible cost accepted for the resolution of same is €473,607.15, will receive a grant of €236,804.57. These actions will reduce energy consumption by about 73% in these areas, thus contributing to the reduction of the Carbon Footprint of the port of Maó.
Over the next four years, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has agreed to allocate an annual €189,000 to detecting and repairing leaks in the Port of Palma’s water supply. This project is part of the APB's initiative to optimise the efficiency of the drinking water network, which began in 2016 with the implementation of a Smart Metering Network (SMN). This system provides real time information on consumption and minimises losses generated by incidents in the network. In addition, this initiative at the Port of Palma will serve as a pilot project to implement identical control methods at the other public ports in the Balearic Islands. The SMN can be used to remotely calculate the water consumption of sailing concessions and facilities and the supply of water to ships, among others. Once a day, the network collects the hourly values of the 238 meters and simultaneously classifies the different meters according to their use (APB's own consumption, premises, sailing, industrial, cruise ships and irrigation). The information provided is of paramount importance when making decisions on optimisation. Thus, the gardens are watered with recycled water, and a study is being conducted to assess whether this can be extended to other areas, such as boat cleaning, regulations permitting. Leak detection The current investment aims to ensure efficient water management and reduce water losses in the 30,628 m of the water supply network in the Port of Palma. In addition, ongoing monitoring of the network will help to detect irregularities in the meter readings and by extension, any excessive consumption. On many occasions, these abnormal readings are caused by leaks and incidents in the transport and distribution network, which can be identified, located and repaired, if necessary, as quickly as possible.
The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has implemented a remote control system for the different lighthouses, beacons and buoys which permits remote operation of these signals, managing alarms as well as displaying the state of their components to ensure they function correctly. The system that has been implemented is made up of the NETCOM control centre software, provided by Mediterráneo Señales Marítimas, which runs on a virtual server on the APB computer network and which the maintenance company has access to via a VPN the six communications coordinators installed in the APB ports and the 145 remote monitoring stations for the lighthouses, beacons and buoys in the coastal network and the beacons and buoys in the ports. This system enables comprehensive distance maintenance of the remote control system without requiring the presence of staff on site. The monitoring equipment includes 34 lighthouses (17 in Majorca, 7 in Minorca, 7 in Ibiza and 3 in Formentera) and 111 beacons and buoys (50 in Majorca, 33 in Minorca, 17 in Ibiza and 11 in Formentera). Access via the website In addition, the user can check the status and technical details of all the navigational aids in the Balearic Islands at www.portsdebalears.com.
The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands' (APB) Board of Directors has appointed Marc Pons Ponsas its Deputy Chairman. Pons is the Balearic Island Government's Minister of Mobility and Housing and represents the Balearic Islands' Government on the APB's Board of Directors. Marc Pons will occupy the position of Deputy Chairman on a temporary basis until a new chairperson is appointed. During the meeting held this afternoon in the Port of Palma, the Board of Directors accepted the resignation of the hitherto Deputy Chairman, Miquel Puigserver Lloberas, who will continue as a member of the Board representing the Provincial Association of Maritime Companies (APEAM). Puigserver has tendered his resignation for health and personal reasons and for the good of the APB. The objective of Marc Pons' appointment is to safeguard the smooth running of the organisation until the new chair of the APB is appointed.
The Port of Palma adds a further 16 charging points for electric vehicles and installs a new grey water and sewage suction system for vessels used in yacht charters. These improvements are the result of an investment of €1,786,274 made by the company La Lonja Marina Charter S.L., after the extension of its concession was approved. The recently completed investments made by La Lonja Marina Charter also included resurfacing the jetties and pontoons, improving and modernising the drinking water and lighting systems, safety and security, the fibre optic network, Wi-fi, retractable bollards and replacing the service pedestals. All this is part of the APB's commitment to include environmental considerations in the planning, management, design and implementation processes of its infrastructures. The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands' (APB) Board of Directors agreed in February 2019 to extend the concession by four and a half years at the request of the concessionaire, in accordance with the provisions of the Recast Text of the State Ports and Merchant Navy Law (TRLPEMM). As a result, the concession period ends on 29 September 2023. The facilities managed by La Lonja Marina Charter in the Port of Palma consist of 2,240 square metres of land and 16,040 square metres of water, and include two jetties, measuring 129 metres and 116 metres respectively, for mooring tourist boats.
The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has completed the restoration of the wooden walkway that runs along Cales Fonts in the Port of Mahon, maintaining the slab quay-type and a traditional style adapted to the surroundings. At the same time, the walkway has been widened by a further 2.5 m. The work, carried out by Inmaproco, S.L. at a cost of €128,314.45, provides citizens with a pleasant coastal walk, while at the same time solving a structural problem that existed on the previous walkway. An underwater inspection revealed that there was significant damage in the concrete footings located at the base of the steel piles. In addition, there are plans to moor sailing and motor boats up to nine metres in length on the quay.