News APB | Ports de Balears

THE PORT AUTHORITY OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS INFORMS SOLVALGARAY MARÍTIMA THAT IT HAS INITIATED PROCEEDINGS ON THE EXPIRY OF THE CAR PARK CONCESSION AT THE PORT OF LA SAVINA

30/08/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has informed the company Solvalgaray Marítima S.L. that it has initiated legal proceedings regarding the expiry of the license for the car park building at the Port of la Savina. The APB grants the company 15 days from the date of notification to submit any arguments they deem appropriate. The APB believes that this decision is justified by the need to protect the satisfaction of public interest from the incompliance of the obligations undertaken by the concessionaire, who is preventing the public purpose from being fulfilled. Last June, faced with a constant breach of the concessionaire's obligations, the APB informed Solvalgaray Marítima that it was initiating a fact-finding period due to a potential breach of the terms of the concession. After receiving the arguments from the concessionaire, the APB issued a report highlighting the concessionaire's refusal to comply with the terms and conditions and provide a solution to the car rental companies located at the Port of la Savina in order for them to continue to conduct their business within the car park building. According to the APB, the concessionaire must give preference to the car rental companies that were already operating at the Port of la Savina, with regards to any new requests, when assigning the new premises. The APB has informed the concessionaire on numerous occasions of the requirement to comply with the terms and conditions governing the contract. In addition, in the opinion of the APB, Solvalgaray Marítima must respect, as maximum prices, the maximum amounts that it bid and for which it was granted the concession. The APB has also informed the car rental companies involved that the concessionaire must comply with the economic conditions set out in the tender by means of which it was awarded the concession. Closed to the public The car park building at la Savina has remained closed to the public since the completion of the works carried out on it due to the fact that the APB has not approved the operating rules, as it believes that Solvalgaray Marítima is in breach of the contract for operation. The non-existence of these operating rules does not mean that the car rental companies cannot be assigned premises, when even the maximum prices that the concessionaire can receive are public and known, and thus comply with what is set out in the terms and conditions and the license.

The APB closes the 2017 financial statements with a profit of 20.5 million euros

28/08/2018

The financial statements of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) pertaining to financial year 2017 show a profit of 20.5 million euros, an increase of 3.9 % with regards to the year before when the profit exceeded 19.7 million euros. Furthermore, the turnover in 2017 was 73 million euros, exceeding the 2016 figures (with 69 million euros), maintaining zero long-term debt and the healthy financial situation of the entity. All ports except for the Port of Palma showed an increase in this section with regards to 2016. Therefore, the Port of Palma reported a net business turnover of 41 million euros, the Port of Ibiza 20.3 million, Alcudia 4.9 million, La Savina 2.4 million and, finally, the Port of Mahon 4.1 million euros. The APB has just published its 2017 financial statements at www.portsdebalears.com along with the audit report by the General State Comptroller through the Regional Audit Body of the Balearic Islands. The financial statements were drawn up based on the port authority's accounting records ending 31 December 2017, which were produced pursuant to current legal accounting provisions and on the instructions issued by State Ports. They portray a true and fair image of the assets, the financial position and results, and also of the accuracy of the cash flows included in the cash flow statement. These financial statements were approved by the APB's Board of Directors on 27 June 2018. The full document is available at www.portsdebalears.com.

PORT ACTIVITY EXPERIENCED SUSTAINED GROWTH IN 2017

23/08/2018

During the last financial year, port activity on the Balearic Islands followed the general growth pattern experienced in recent years, set against a booming socio-economic context. This is evident from the Annual Report and Sustainability Report of 2017, recently published by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB). Freight and passenger traffic at APB ports reached a new all-time high in 2017 with 15.4 million tonnes and 8.1 million passengers recorded, respectively. Recreational sailing continues to grow and consolidate with a leading global presence. In this regard, the APB is planning the future redevelopment of the industrial area in Palma, which would facilitate space for longer vessels, while new spaces in Mahon and Alcudia, currently in a tender process, will be created. All data The APB has released the Annual Report and Sustainability Report for 2017. Both studies cover all of the port authority's activity from last year and can be consulted on the APB's website, serving as an indication of their commitment to transparent management. These two documents contain specific data on all projects undertaken in 2017 and in relation to the economic, social and environmental evolution of the general ports of interest managed by the APB. They also indicate the functioning of the organisation and its governing bodies, infrastructures built or under way, an overview of investments, port use data, regular shipping lines, port companies and services, as well as traffic statistics. Lastly, the reports reveal the positive trends in relation to sustainability and development of infrastructure, as well as the updates and improvements of information systems and access to the electronic administration, as well as the consolidation of planned measures in the field of corporate social responsibility. Like previous years, you may consult the detailed information contained in these reports as well as other aspects that may be of interest. They are published at www.portsdebalears.com

Complete renovation of former APB building put out to tender

17/08/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has put out to tender a contract for the renovation of the building at Moll Vell no. 3 at the Port of Palma, where the authority was located before moving to the current building at Moll Vell no. 5. Therefore, after the now tendered renovation, the APB premises will consist of two buildings: the current office building and the future institutional building, the renovation of which is now being put out to tender.The tender amount is 5.5 million euros plus VAT with an 18-month completion term for the works. It should be remembered that after studying the building's properties with regards to structure, there was a period to study and determine the uses according to the social needs of the APB, as well as its economic feasibility and management. The corresponding dossiers to draw up proposals for the business model, feasibility study and preliminary design were therefore contracted for the purposes of creating an exhibition and restaurant area, which were carried out by the company VMA Arquitectura. Now, after the business model has been validated, the tender is being put out for the refurbishment of the former offices, bearing in mind the proximity of the building to the city's historic centre and the tourist bus stop. The project aims to give the building a practical use and at the same time contribute to its preservation by creating a City-Port visitor centre, in addition to setting up part of this infrastructure for use by the APB as a newspaper archive, library and meeting room for the Board of Directors, along with a new restaurant, the operation of which will be subject to an administrative license. The intention of the project is to create a functional building that maintains the institutional feel in the northern third of the building and enables the successful tenderer to properly exploit the different uses envisaged. Its exceptional location, with sweeping views of the Cathedral, Parque del Mar, La Lonja, Paseo Sagrera, the Port (fishermen's area) and Bay of Palma, facing eastwards, southwards and westwards respectively, allows for a layout that takes advantage of the light and view constraints. The project entails the demolition of the existing parking area and fencing, as well as the whole interior of the building with the exception of the main staircase with its skylight and the current façade. It should be noted that the existing building forms part of the memory of the place from a historical and heritage perspective. It is a historicist construction built in stone and dating back to the first half of the last century. Therefore, the original façades will be preserved and restored so as to be added and adapted to the new building. The renovation of the southern façade will create larger openings and a space connecting to the Paseo de la Escollera, which will extend the city out towards the sea. For information and specifications, see the APB's Tender Portal.

The APB launches the surveys with a view to drafting the Strategic Plan

09/08/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has started drafting its Strategic Plan which will address the future of the five ports it manages (Palma, Alcudia, Mahon, Ibiza and la Savina). The APB intends for it to be a useful tool for guiding and prioritising its activities over the next few years. At the same time, it will offer transparency as it establishes and explains the different APB projects in a coherent manner to the institutional, financial and social entities. The resulting dialogue and collaboration with them will help the ports offer the best possible service. To draw up the Strategic Plan, the APB has engaged the services of a joint venture that comprises Teirlog Ingeniería and Estrada Port Consulting. The work is expected to last approximately 15 months and the Plan will be valid for 10 years. A participatory process During those months, a participatory process will be launched in order to bring together and listen to the input of the whole port community and all the public and private stakeholders regarding the ports of general interest and the lighthouses on the Balearic Islands. The idea of the public participation arose from the desire to achieve more efficient and competitive ports, and that their main lines of activity –freight and passenger traffic, recreational boating and the cruise market– are in keeping with the needs of users and with the territorial strategy of the island and the sustainable development of the environment. Those interested in completing the questionnaire and participating in this drafting process of the Strategic Plan can do it via the APB website (www.portsdebalears.com) through a campaign the public body has set up called #APORTA, under the slogan ‘We want to hear from you’. Complete the questionnaire (link)

Formalities regarding the redevelopment of the seafront promenade in Palma move forward

08/08/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has put out to tender a contract for the drafting of the Construction and Works Management Project for the redevelopment of the seafront promenade in Palma. The tender amount is 550,280 euros plus VAT and the deadline for tenders is 14 September. Those interested can submit their tenders via the APB's Electronic Tender Portal. The stretch to redevelop comprises the area between Avenida Argentina and Porto Pí, up to the roundabout connecting Avenida de Joan Miró. Once the contract has been awarded, the APB will launch a new process for the execution of the works. This new tender process is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2019 so that the works can start in the autumn. The project entails all the guidelines established by the Council of Palma, which includes improving access to the seafront promenade for nearby neighbourhoods and that of Bellver, as well as improving the transversal patency between the port and the city. The specifications, for guidance purposes, set out certain suggestions of the Council of Palma regarding the redistribution of surface areas and uses, which are based on changing the current proportions of 50% allocated to vehicles and 50% to green spaces and cycling and pedestrian areas. The new proportions proposed by the Council point to a surface area of 75% allocated to green spaces and to pedestrian, cycling and outdoor seating areas, and the remaining 25% to vehicles on a single surface road. With regard to the individual traffic lanes, and in order achieve the suggested surface area percentages, reducing the 3 one-directional lanes to 2 has been proposed, adjusting their width and reducing the number of parking spaces on them. In this regard, a mobility study has been conducted using real-time simulations to ensure the viability of reducing the traffic lanes. The study concluded that such reduction is viable and no traffic congestion was seen. Furthermore, the final project will consider reducing the traffic speed to less than 50 km/h, giving greater priority to the cycle lane along the seafront and commencing the improvement works on the pavement surfaces, facilitating end-to-end journeys for bikes in harmony with outdoor seating, vegetation, benches and car parks, as well as other aspects geared towards "humanising" and "oxygenating" this emblematic area of Palma, a feature of its maritime façade.

THE APB OBTAINS INTERNATIONAL CARDIO-PROTECTED AREA CERTIFICATION

06/08/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has obtained the official certification of international cardiac protected area from EFHRE International University and the Spanish Emergency Association 112 (AES in Spanish), joining other institutions and public bodies who have been awarded the European Cardiosafe Space certificate. The APB has recently installed a total of 18 semi-automatic external defibrillators (SAED) at port facilities in order to cooperate in rescue tasks, and help prevent and control emergencies and first aid. They were first installed at the Port of Palma, followed by Alcudia and Mahon, and finally at the Port of Ibiza and La Savina. The APB currently has eight defibrillators at the Port of Palma, two at the Port of Alcudia, three at the Port of Mahon, three at the Port of Ibiza and two at La Savina, located in harbour stations, offices and public-access areas. There are also six semi-automatic external defibrillators installed in APB vehicles. This comprehensive cardio-protection service put out to tender by the APB was awarded to Caryosa Cardioprotección, which will be responsible for the preventive maintenance of the defibrillator equipment, as well as the management of real situations. A cardio-protected space is equipped with the necessary mechanisms to attend to and help individuals during the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest. A SAED defibrillator is a piece of healthcare equipment used to monitor the heart rate that can identify life-threatening irregularities and deliver, with the help of a person, a dose of electric current that restores the heartbeat to a normal rhythm. Automatic and semi-automatic external defibrillators are devices capable of administering a controlled electric shock or defibrillation to the heart to reverse ventricular fibrillation, sudden death or cardiorespiratory arrest, restoring the heart's normal function, i.e., a regular heartbeat. SAED defibrillators are designed for use by non-healthcare professionals, as is the case with APB staff.

THE APB RECONSTRUCTS THE DOCKS OF CALA SANT ANTONI AND CALA FIGUERASSA AT THE PORT OF MAHON

02/08/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has commenced the reconstruction works on two docks at the Port of Mahon: Cala Sant Antoni and Cala Figuerassa. The project entails improving the current installations of the dock of Cala Sant Antoni, a historical public loading dock, and the dock of Cala Figuerassa with direct management moorings. Over the years, the old Sant Antoni dock has been submerged by the sea and the APB wants to recover it for the main purpose of making it a public dry dock for small boats. Those boats will access it by road from the north bank of the Port of Mahon. The project entails reconstructing the dock, measuring 25 metres in length and 2 metres wide, that runs perpendicular to the coast. Additionally, a ramp for hoisting and launching boats will be constructed on the breakwater, at the side of the Poniente dock. It will also be sought that the dock acts as a barrage against waves caused by shipping traffic, thereby helping to prevent deterioration of the bay. This work is expected to last two weeks. Furthermore, at the dock of Figuerassa, a long esplanade, measuring 20 metres in length, 2.5 metres wide and 2 metres in depth, which runs parallel to the coast of Es Castell, is currently being reconstructed. It will be a concrete dock with a dry stone decorative finish. This activity forms part of a future project regarding the creation of a promenade, accompanying the Hospital dock and the Repòs del Rei area. The call for tenders is expected to take place this winter. The works of these two projects have a total budget of 150,000 euros.

The judging panel awards the best ideas for the development of Cala Figuera at the Port of Mahon

31/07/2018

The judging panel of the competition regarding preliminary plans for the development of Cala Figuera has given awards to the three most interesting proposals of the six submitted, which set out ideas for actions in said area at the Port of Mahon. The first prize of €30,000 went to a proposal called Marina de Trast due to its urban and architectural suitability and the proposed availability of open spaces. The second prize of €20,000 went to Cala Viva, which stands out due to the flexible design put forward and to its simplicity and low impact. The third prize of €15,000 went to a proposal called Terrasses del port due to the infrastructure and installations that facilitate the provision of services that are inherent to a maritime facility and to the open free and public spaces it offers. The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), together with the councils of Mahon and Es Castell, will consider the ideas and solutions they deem most appropriate from all the proposals submitted in order to subsequently put out to tender the execution and management of a maritime facility at Cala Figuera. The facility is to serve small, medium and long-length moorings and it will be compatible with the city-port project underway at the Port of Mahon in collaboration with the two councils. The judging panel, formed by representatives of the APB, the councils of Mahon and Es Castell, the Island Council of Menorca, the Association of Architects and the Association of Civil Engineers of the Balearic Islands, wanted to globally evaluate the proposals before subsequently entering into the details of each one. Most of the evaluations have reflected the importance of seeking a balance between service needs and the integration of the port area into the city. Most of the proposals put forward consider one or two main refurbished buildings to house maritime services and, on some occasions, spaces for a dry dock and car parks. Furthermore, the judging panel wanted to place value on the flexibility of the projects. In this respect, it has largely considered that all the proposals offer interesting ideas.

The APB signs an agreement with State Ports to develop the SAMOA system

26/07/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has joined the Samoa project, an initiative promoted by State Ports which already has agreements in place with another 24 Port Authorities. The project involves the implementation of a new and complex system for predicting oceanic and meteorological risk factors. These may help predict the path of possible accidental spillage of hydrocarbons in the interior of the ports and their anchorages. The Meteorological and Oceanographic Support System of the Port Authorities (SAMOA in Spanish), which is co-financed by State Ports and the ports of the state-owned port system, is the result of three years of development and multiple research projects carried out by State Ports and a team of institutions and companies. SAMOA works using three key features. The State Ports measuring networks, which are able to monitor in real-time the state of the sea the statistical prediction models, which aim to predict its evolution and finally, ways of accessing information and generating personalised alerts for each user within the Port Authorities themselves. The developments made involve a qualitative and quantitative leap in these three aspects, given that the existing networks have been improved, more than 40 statistical high-resolution models have been developed and put into operation (to predict currents, agitation and wind inside the ports), and new software has been created which allows us to see the results, configure reports and personalise alerts, as well as use tools of added value. Among these, it’s worth highlighting the systems to predict the path of possible accidental spillages of hydrocarbons inside the ports and their anchorages. The project has continued in a second phase, labelled as SAMOA-II, which has started in 2018 and in which additional products have been developed, such as warning systems for predicting overflow in the most exposed docks. Over the next few years, these modules will be developed with the support of specialised contracts. State Ports, as with the previous project, will finance 25% of the investment cost of SAMOA-II. Each port has selected, depending on its needs and priorities, the modules which are of most interest.

The APB orders the administrative eviction of Trapsayates

23/07/2018

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) yesterday ordered the administrative eviction of Trapsayates SA in order for it to immediately cease occupancy of the public port domain at the Levante dock between the tip of Cala Figuera and the tip of Rellotge at the Port of Mahon. A space that is being unduly occupied and unlicensed since it was notified of the declaration of revocation agreed upon by the APS Board of Directors on 13 December 2017. The eviction must take place within three days of notification by APB to the company. The Board of Directors has conferred the power to request the intervention of State Security Forces and Agencies, if necessary, upon the President of the APB, and also to request authorisation to enter the Levante dock area before the Court for Contentious-Administrative Proceedings.

Activity at the Port of Palma alone does not explain the levels of noise and particles in the air, according to a study by the UIB

18/07/2018

Ferry activity correlates with the evolution of PM10 particle concentrations over tome The APB intends to roll out this initiative at the other ports it manages Today, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and the UIB (University of the Balearic Islands) presented the initial conclusions of the SmartSensPort-Palma projects, which aims to evaluate the feasibility of monitoring environmental pollution variables with low-cost devices. The data collected via the new network of sensors installed at the Port of Palma have been analysed and the correlation between port activity and the contribution to environmental pollution levels in the area has been assessed by temporarily monitoring the noise level, as well as the concentration of particulate matter and gases. Based on the noise and particulate matter data analysed between September 2017 and April 2018, it is safe to say that there is no clear correlation between all of the port activities and the levels of noise and particulate matter pollution measured. I.e., according to the UIB study, activity at the Port of Palma alone does not explain the noise and PM10 particle levels present in the air. Therefore, the behaviour of these variables does not correspond with the behaviour of all activity types identified, with this activity understood as the number of hours a vessel stays at the port. In terms of ship type, only ferry activity shows a relatively high correlation with the concentration of airborne PM10 particles. Researchers at the UIB highlight the need to also study other factors that provide better explanations of the correlation with environmental pollution, as well as to extend the study to gases and define a behavioural model that makes it possible to draw cause-effect conclusions. Taking this all into account, the main conclusions of this pilot project are: 1. Low-cost sensor networks, despite their low resolution, are a potentially solid alternative for monitoring ports and making data-based decisions. 2. No clear link has been found between port activity and the environmental pollution data collected. 3. It is necessary to continue monitoring the data to make the leap from correlation analysis to causal analysis. 1. An innovative project SmartSensPort-Palma is an innovative project in which the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, the University of the Balearic Islands and the company MallorcaWiFi collaborate to study and design a smart network of low-cost sensors to monitor environmental pollution at the port, with the ultimate aim of making knowledge-based decisions with the capacity to improve the quality of life of citizens. Characteristics: Smart technology. It is an innovative network based on the implementation of low-cost technology to assess the true effectiveness of these systems and to achieve a social return by transferring research findings to other networks. The main advantage of these technologies is that they can be incorporated into many other types, given their low cost however, they require more time to be spent in modelling the values attained. Integration into other networks. A network designed to be easily integrated into the current network of air quality measurement and weather stations of other institutions. Open data. The ultimate aim is to use the data collected by the network to make knowledge-based decisions. The openness of the data will provide a basis for assessing port activities and will contribute to the APB's transparency strategy. This project first came about in 2016 on the initiative of the APB, taking advantage of the collaboration framework agreement already in place to commission the UIB to define and implement a sensor network that would help identify main sources of pollution at the ports of the Balearic Islands. This monitoring activity would allow data to be obtained every few minutes, in turn helping to draw correlations with port activity. The project involves a multidisciplinary team of researchers: Dr. Bartomeu Alorda, member of the Electronic Systems group of the Physics Department Víctor Homar, member of the Meteorology group of the Physics Department and Mauricio Ruiz, director of the Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Service. The UIB focused on designing the network, commissioning a server to receive data for the independent study of the platform offered by the installation company, and drawing up several reports: on the quality of the data the correlation of the data with key stations of the Government of the Balearic Islands and an analysis of the data collected. 2. The first data Noise and particle data were collected between September 2017 and April 2018, while gas data had a more complex modelling process, and since June 2018, data have been obtained on an ongoing basis and are currently being studied. 2.1. Port activity data According to information collected during this period: ➔ The hours of peak activity at the port are: between 6 and 11 am ➔ The busiest days of the week are Saturday and Tuesday ➔ In terms of ship type, the largest group is ferry, both in relation to the total number of ships and to the number of hours/ship moored at the port: From 1 September 2017 to 30 June 2018, a total of 2,750 ships called at the Port of Palma, 435 of which were cruise ships, which represents 15.8% of the total number. Source: APB If the total number of hours / ship during the entire observation period is counted, cruise ships represent 25% of the total hours/ship for this period, ferries represent 44% of the total, and other types of vessels stand for 31%. 2.2. Particle and noise data The analysis of the first set of data provides an initial daily and weekly pattern of noise and particulate matter, as well as the daily evolution of particle and noise data collected between September 2017 and April 2018. In general, the evolution of PM10 and noise shows and increase during the day and a decrease at night, which does not correspond with the evolution of activity in hours/ship at the port. Therefore, the presence of ships at the port does not explain a significant part of the noise or particle impact measured, which requires other factors to be sought. This conclusion is evident in the case of noise, where the behaviour is more in line with the daily rhythm of the city than with the daily rhythm of port traffic. Similarly, a dependent relationship can be established between the typical pounding of waves at the Bay of Palma with the decrease in the concentration of particles in the port area. However, in the case of PM10 particles, if the activity by vessel type is studied, it can be observed by means of a weekly cycle analysis that the level of PM10 offers a strong correlation with ferry activity (0.72), while the correlation with cruise ships is much weaker (0.26) and non-existent for other vessels. The average evolution of PM10 shows some peaks, but stays at a daily average within the permitted limits in urban areas (50 g / m3 daily). 2.3. Gas data The monitored gas data correspond to the month of June 2018 and, although they help identify standardised trends and establish a daily cycle of the level of concentration of the pollutant, they are not yet sufficient to establish a reliable model for drawing cause-effect conclusions. 3. Future One of the conclusions of the data analysis is that data must continue to be monitored in order to make the leap from correlation analysis to causal analysis. Following this experience, the APB aims to consolidate and roll out this initiative at the other ports of general interest in the Balearic Islands, and to harness the large amount of data collected to further the analysis through doctoral programmes and new collaborations with the UIB. It should be noted that the competent body to monitor air quality is the Autonomous Community, which has shown interest in the data collected by these sensors for additional use in its precision stations. Since the installation was completed in September 2017, and after several calibration, correction and certification processes by the installation company, the sensor network measures the level of sound pressure and particle concentration, as well as the behavioural patterns of gases. This is important because the cost of the network of €44,925 helps obtain indicative data that until now were only obtained through stations that cost at least five times as much. The use of low-cost technology, following the philosophy of smart cities, will help widen the collection of air pollution warning data much more efficiently for public administrations, and will also involve a process of knowledge transfer from the University to society. PM10 particulate matter can be defined as solid or liquid particles of dust, ash, soot, metal particles, cement or pollen dispersed in the atmosphere with a diameter that varies between 2.5 and 10 microns (1 micron equates to one thousandth of a millimetre).