News APB | Ports de Balears

THE PORT AUTHORITY OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS AWARDS INCENTIVES TO SIX COMPANIES FOR THEIR GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES IN 2018

18/10/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has awarded a total of €264,826 in incentives to six companies in recognition of their good environmental practices in 2018. In compliance with its environmental policy, the APB has rewarded efforts by companies operating at the general ports of interest that improve their port activity in a bid to enhance environmental protection. The six companies awarded were Alcudiamar, Port of Alcudia, with a total of €121,930 Compañía Logística Hidrocarburos (CLH) with €18,020 at the Port of Palma, €452 at the Port of Ibiza and €5,460 at the Port of Mahon. Others included the companies Serveis Marítims Port Eivissa, which manages Marina Ibiza, with €53,511 at the Ibizan port and Tanit Ibiza, which manages Varadero Ibiza, with €3,302 for its concession at the Port of Ibiza and Marina Palma Cuarentena with €5,720 for the concession it manages at the Port of Palma. And lastly, the company Servicios Técnicos Portuarios (STP) with €46,014 and the company INIC Port Mirall de Mar de Mallorca, which manages the Port of Mallorca, with €10,413, both located at the Port of Palma. Environmental Policy The Law on State Ports and the Merchant Navy stipulates that holders of a concession or authorisation that establishes good environmental practices in its management will be awarded a 15% incentive. Therefore, incentives will be awarded for fishing activities and ship repair, conversion or dismantling projects that have an environmental agreement with the port authority and which have a management system in place that has been certified by National Accreditation Entity (ENAC). The APB's Board of Directors approved the public body's Environmental Policy in 2016 as part of an environmental management system certified by AENOR with the ISO 14001:2015 seal. This environmental commitment covers all activities carried out at the five general ports of interest on the Balearic Islands (Alcudia, Palma, Mahon, Ibiza and la Savina), and is bolstered by ongoing improvements to enhance environmental protection on a day-to-day basis within the scope of port activity. All information contained in the Sustainability Report can be consulted on the APB website. For more information on the incentives awarded to companies in 2017 in recognition of their good environmental practices, see page 109.

The APB assures Alcudiamar users that they can continue to use Alcudia port facilities until 2030

10/10/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has guaranteed moorers at Alcudiamar marina that they can continue to use these facilities in the port of general interest of Alcudia until 2030, in line with the new conditions of the extension of the concession period that begins today. Representatives of the APB yesterday attended a meeting called by Alcudiamar to explain the situation of the concession once the initial term, which began in 1988, ends. Today marks the first day of the 12-year extension of the concession for Alcudiamar. As a result of this extension, Alcudiamar must pay the APB a new annual fee of 2.7 million euros and invest nearly 22 million euros in infrastructure over the next 12 years. APB experts yesterday explained to the moorers that the APB is going to approve new maximum prices to cover this fee update and the investment to be made. These new prices will be of a transitional nature until they are definitively approved, given that at the beginning the relevant part of the investment will not be passed on to users until the works are recognised. The interested parties received direct information on what the pricing system will look like. Moreover, Alcudiamar has contributed 600,000 euros to the State Port Connectivity Fund by means of which Spanish ports of general interest fund road connection projects outside their service area, required in order to provide their facilities with proper accessibility and to enhance their competitiveness. Alcudiamar submitted the application to extend its concession period in 2014. The APB's Board of Directors approved the extension of the marina's concession in April 2016, following a binding report by State Ports.

WORK PROGRESSES TO BUILD THE "PORT FORWARD" PROJECT FOR THE FIVE PORTS OF GENERAL INTEREST OF THE PORT AUTHORITY OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS

05/10/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is part of a consortium subsidised by the European Commission to launch the "Port Forward" project - within the "Port of the Future" initiative - and today the port of Palma has received visits from some of the consortium members to learn more about the operation and management of new technologies in the APB. This is the second meeting to take place in order to initialize this project to improve sustainable development in ports of general interest (Palma, Alcudia, Ibiza, la Savina and Mahon) managed by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB). The first meeting took place in Magdeburg (Germany) last July for the project launch. "Port Forward" brings together renowned technology centres and other ports such as Vigo, and the ports of Livorno, Naples, Kristiansand and Magdemburg. This project has a budget of six million euros and is 100% funded by the European Commission. In the meeting taking place today and tomorrow we will be visited by Manuel Baeza from Transmediterránea, Fátima Vellisco and José Luis Burón from Acciona, Sergio Martínez and Jordi Ricart representing Leitat, Vincent Bracke and Ben Bellekens representing Imec, and Jorge Martín, Head of Quality, Environment and Innovation at the APB. All attendees visited the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) port infrastructure in the port of Palma with Javier Segovia, head of Information Systems of the APB, as well as the port’s control centre and monitoring with Álvaro Rodríguez, responsible for Port Operations of the APB. They also met with Antoni Ginard, Head of Infrastructures of the APB, to discuss systems and procedures of computer-aided maintenance (CMMS). After the presentations, current systems deployed for management and efficiency were discussed. Finally, the members of the consortium met with several companies that can provide technological solutions that add value to the service provided by the APB. About the "Port Forward" project This project will make it possible to improve sustainable development and the management of resources more efficiently. In this sense, the port of the future must meet a series of requirements such as that of being a smart and interconnected port. For the implementation of these works, the APB relies on projects that have been developing for several years such as air quality monitoring, the creation of meteorological warnings with the SAMOA platform, the AIS system, energy efficiency and heat maps, among others.

ALCUDIAMAR, COLONIA SANT PERE YACHT CLUB AND FORNELLS YACHT CLUB RECEIVE CERTIFICATIONS FROM AENOR FOR THEIR MANAGEMENT

05/10/2018

The certifying organisation AENOR has awarded six certifications of Quality, Environmental Management and Safety and Health at Work to the Alcudiamar yacht facilities, Colonia Sant Pere Yacht Club and Fornells Yacht Club at the headquarters of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) of the port of Palma this afternoon, which certify that they meet the requirements of internationally recognised standards, reflecting best practices. The event was attended by the director general of AENOR, Rafael García Meiro and the director of the organisation in the Balearic Islands, Soledad Seisdedos, as well as the president of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, who acted as host. García Meiro said that "quality is an essential element in the competitive tourism sector and that distinguishes it from other destinations. The Balearic Islands' yacht clubs and facilities have found solid allies in international standards to improve their competitiveness, sustainability and safety at work”. For his part, Gual de Torrella highlighted the commitment of the APB in implementing a model of increasingly sustainable public management, with the "necessary and evident” help and collaboration of the private sector, in the protection and conservation of the environment in our ports. The nautical sector and the environment The three organisations have received the Environmental Management System's ISO 14001 certificate from the AENOR general director. Alcudiamar also received the ISO 9001 Quality Management System certificate and the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management certification. Also, the Colonia de Sant Pere Yacht Club were honoured with the ISO 9001 seal. The Alcudiamar general director, Bartomeu Bestard, received the certifications of this nautical facility, which also boasts the tourist quality certificate and is located in the port of general interest of Alcudia, managed by the APB. On behalf of the Colonia Sant Pere Yacht Club, located north-east of the island of Mallorca, its president Cristina Terrassa received the certification, while Joan Camps, president of the Fornells Yacht Club, on the island of Menorca, received his AENOR certificate of Environmental Management.

"RAMBLA DE MAR", MILLOR IDEA PER A LA REMODELACIÓ DEL CONTRAMOLL-MOLLET DEL PORT DE PALMA

03/10/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has awarded the first prize (€20,000) of the ideas competition regarding the remodelling of the Contramuelle-Mollet at the Port of Palma to the team comprising architects Pere Rabassa and Toni Forteza, and engineer Toni Ramos, for its proposal entitled “Rambla de mar”. The second prize was jointly awarded to the proposal of engineer Javier Bespín and architect Josep Wennberg, entitled “A port obert”, and to that of the architects Juan Palencia and Marta Colón de Carvajal and the engineer Noelia Ruano, entitled “La mar es mi tierra”. Both teams were awarded €10,000 each. The third prize of €5,000 went to the architect David Tapias and the engineer Oscar García for their proposal entitled “La Mirandilla”. For Joan Gual de Torrella, the president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and the chair of the panel, the aim of the competition was to bring the city and the sea closer together, “with a discreet change in which citizens notice an improvement, but that suits the current setting”. On conclusion of the competition, governed under its rules, the APB will be able to use any of the ideas submitted in the undertaking of future actions relating to this area at the Port of Palma, without any obligation to form a contractual relationship with the contestants. Furthermore, the APB may push forward the drawing up of any specific construction project in order to incorporate the ideas obtained in this competition. Decision of the judging panel The members of the panel have highlighted the discretion of the winning project, “Rambla del Mar”, as well as the role of the Seafront Promenade as a main element as regards people and vehicles. The proposal entails the demolition of the fish market, merging it into one building with the Maritime Museum. One of the requisites under the rules was to conserve the arches of the Fisherman's Wharf. Forteza and Rabassa integrate the arch-work into the new building proposed, said the panel. “A solution that is not garish and does not excessively change the appearance of the city”. For the members of the panel, this solution brings vessel manufacturing work spaces to mind, “with somewhat timeless architecture and style” and constitutes continuance between the city and the sea promenade it proposes. “A port obert” stands out for the compactness of the building, the liberation of spaces and the suggestive reminder of the Atarazanas building, according to the panel's decision. The other second prize-winner, “La mar es mi tierra”, which envisages an underground parking area, was considered “as it incorporates an element of interest, which is the museum”. The third prize was awarded to the project “La Mirandilla” due, according to the panel, to its “constructive rigour, serious approach, and its unique and coherent image regarding all the buildings considered”. Finally, the panel awarded three honourable mentions or runner-up prizes of €2,500 each to the proposals “Nova Plaza elevada”, by architect Jerónimo Junquera and engineer Macario Fernández “Tela Marinera”, by architects Kevin Penalva, Daniel Abella and María Gómez, and engineers Rafael Pons and Juan José Lemm and “Dits dins la mar”, by architect Eric Jorgensen Roca and engineer Joan Caldentey. Composition of the panel The panel in charge of making the decision comprised the following people: Acting on behalf of the APB: Joan Gual de Torrella and Juan Carlos Plaza, the APB president and his director, respectively, Jorge Nasarre, head of Planning and Sustainability, and María Antonia Ginard, secretary. Acting on behalf of the Council of Palma: Joan Riera, Town Planning Manager, and Pilar Simón, municipal architect. Acting on behalf of the Civil Engineering Association: Pedro Puigdengoles, a director of the association, who acted on his own behalf and on that of Juan Antonio Esteban, another director. Carlos Puente and Guillermo Vázquez, architects appointed by the Official Association of Architects of the Balearic Islands, and Pedro Bonet, architect from the Mallorca Island Council. And finally, Albert Forés, head of the Consorci Museu Marítim de Mallorca.

The APB approves the tender process corresponding to the management of the Cós Nou dry dock at the Port of

28/09/2018

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has approved the tender process, including the social clauses of the specifications that were agreed to with the Council of Mahon, relating to the management of the Cós Nou dry dock at the Port of Mahon. The operating area under the award totals 24,591 square metres, of which 18,625 corresponds to land surface area and 5,966 to water. The surface area can be increased at the request of the successful tenderer, which is obliged to reserve a section of the esplanade for vessels measuring eight metres or less. In this area, owners who so request it may exclusively carry out personal maintenance work on their vessel and clean and spray the exterior body work, provided that the current regulations are complied with as regards safety, care and protection of the environment. Furthermore, under the agreement reached with the Council of Mahon, owners of vessels that measure eight metres or less will have access to the inner harbour for lifting and launching purposes using their own means, as well as to the dock ramp. Dry dock services The services that shall be provided at the dry dock include the lifting and launching of vessels, as well as their storage, surveillance and safeguarding on land. The awardee shall manage the occupancy of the port area under the concession and the use of the pit to ground and launch vessels. The APB shall provide the awardee with a 150-tonne travelift that is already being used in the area. The dry dock will have mooring areas in which to repair vessels, as well as a dry marina with at least 150 spaces for vessels of 10 metres or less. It will also have a fuel supple point for large vessels, as well as shops and offices for activities relating to the vessel repair and maintenance sector. The manager will be in charge of collecting selected rubbish and waste, the water supply, electricity, telephones, data transfer and other possible services to be put forward in the tendering stage. In the awarding of the contract, the most beneficial offer will be selected, taking into account the lowest maximum tariffs, improvement of the activity rate and the annual occupancy rate, which stands at €182,976.27, the operating period, which must be under 25 years, and the investment promised by the tenderer.

Plaza des Martell at the Port of Ibiza to be for the exclusive enjoyment of pedestrians

28/09/2018

Access to Plaza des Martell at the Port of Ibiza has been restricted, limiting its use to pedestrians. The aim of this measure is to protect the public space from possible damage caused by inappropriate use and to preserve pedestrian tranquillity and safety. The decision was made as a result of verifying, from its launch, a progressive rise in diverse damage sustained, both on pavements and on existing street furniture, among others. The inappropriate use of this space, such as practices that dirty the area and the use of skateboards, as well as the rise in plaza conservation costs, have concerned citizens wanting to enjoy a peaceful area near the sea where they can take a stroll, rest on the benches and use it as a meeting point. As such, the Port of Ibiza has decided to restrict this space to pedestrians, asking users to respect the existing street furniture and those who want to enjoy the place in a responsible manner. Appropriate signage has been put into place to inform the public of its exclusive pedestrian use. Failure to comply with this restriction may result in fines of up to €600 for actions against the good functioning of port services, in application of Article 65 of the Regulation on Service, Policing and Regime of ports of general interest.

Two works in the port of Mahon tendered for more than five million euros

27/09/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has put two works contracts for the port of Mahon out to tender, which together add up to more than five million euros. One is for the refurbishment of the Levante dock and the other is for the construction of a lift connecting the port to the city. At the end of the useful life of a 65-metre section of the Levante dock, it will be demolished and rebuilt using the construction typology consisting of a covered dock built on pilings, on which the beams and boards will be placed. Underneath the dock, a breakwater slope is planned in order to reduce port agitation by decreasing the reflection coefficient of the waves. This work includes the construction of a drainage pipe, designed to drain the flow of rainwater coming from the city in order to prevent flooding on days of heavy rain. The APB has also commissioned an underwater archaeological intervention campaign to assess the archaeological potential of the area in question and to identify the preventive measures to be taken so as to prevent the works from affecting any possible heritage sites. The tender budget for these works is €4,329,808.41 excluding VAT with a maximum completion period of 10 months. Lift The other works come in response to a request by Mahon City Council with the aim of connecting the city to the port, bridging the existing gap due to the drop separating the two. This objective for the city of Mahon was the reason why an agreement was signed between the APB and Mahon City Council, in which they agreed upon the installation of a vertical lift to facilitate access to the town centre from the Costa de ses Voltes, as well as the consolidation of the cliff area where this lift will be placed. The construction of the lift will mean it will be easier for residents and tourists to move between the port and the old town. The 25.5 metre drop separating them will therefore be bridged and a walkway placed on the upper access. The tender budget for these works is €1,042,315.88 excluding VAT and the maximum completion period is 9 months. The tenders for both works are published on the APB's Electronic Tender Portal: https://seu.portsdebalears.gob.es/contratae/

The Balearic Islands Port Authority donates a fire engine to the Fire Brigade of the Formentera Council to reinforce safety at the Port of Savina

26/09/2018

The Chairman of the Balearic Islands Port Authority, Joan Gual de Torrella, and the Chairman of the Island Council of Formentera, Jaume Ferrer, have formalised this morning the donation of a fire engine to the Formentera Fire Brigade, with a signing ceremony at the Balearic Islands Port Authority central offices in Palma. The donation of this fire fighting vehicle is part of the cooperation agreement signed between both institutions on 18 December 2014 with the purpose of contributing towards the safety of the Port of Savina, in terms of fire prevention, fire fighting, rescue and civil protection. The lorry is currently in Seville, where it has been adapted so as to be used in emergencies. It should arrive on the island in the next few days. In addition to the lorry, the Balearic Islands Port Authority has provided the Formentera Fire Brigade with the amount of €10,000 for the acquisition of material for specific emergency action in ports. The fire engine acquired by the Balearic Islands Port Authority is a light vehicle equipped with a hydraulic platform and tanker, and has been allocated to the company Iturri, S.A. with a budget of €191,000. With this action the Balearic Islands Port Authority continues with its strategy to sign agreements with the local island councils, in order to reinforce the resources available to fight fires in these installations and elevate to the maximum level the safety of port facilities.

A COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ASSESSES THE SEVEN PROPOSALS SUBMITTED FOR THE REFURBISHMENT OF THE SEAFRONT PROMENADE OF PALMA

21/09/2018

The committee of experts has convened today at the headquarters of the Balearic Port Authority (APB). It is tasked with evaluating the candidate teams in order to produce the construction project of the new refurbishment of the Seafront Promenade of Palma. A total of seven proposals were presented based on the preliminary design produced by the Town Hall of Palma to convert the current port road into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard. At its meeting today, the committee of experts began to assess the technical and aesthetic criteria with a maximum score of eighty per cent. The remaining twenty per cent will relate to the economic proposals, which will be known on 10 October when the sealed bids are opened. The committee of experts is chaired by Juan Antonio Santamera, Chairman of the Civil Engineering Association, Joan Riera, Urban Planning Manager of the Town Hall of Palma, Martín Lucena, representative of the Official Association of Architects of the Balearic Islands, Carles Llop, architect and teacher at the Superior Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB) and director of the Land and Urban Planning Department of the Territory of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC ) and finally Jorge Nasarre, head of Planning and Sustainability of the APB.

Joan Gual, the President of APB, defends the specialist handling of cruise tourism at the Seatrade Cruise fair in Lisbon

20/09/2018

During the course of the round table organised at the 2018 Sea Trade Cruise Med fair in Lisbon, the President of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), Joan Gual de Torrella, has backed specialist services by each of the agents who intervene in the cruise tourism sector. In this way, Gual explained that the APB offers a service to shipping companies, and the destination area is responsible for creating and providing a complementary tourist service. This additional service, therefore, should be characterised by each location and the shipping companies should be able to adapt to each one. “Palma has gone from being the capital of a tourist destination to being a tourist capital”. That’s how Gual summarised the growth of the capital of Mallorca, which now provides highly specialised commerce and accommodation for its visitors, with boutique hotels and luxury shops. The president of the APB stressed that 40 years ago, the members of the Balearics, Chambers of Commerce, local councils and Parliament pinpointed the development of cruise tourism as an area of growth and urged the APB to invest in infrastructure to make this possible. Therefore, little by little, this tourism sector has grown, culminating in the last five years with the Balearic Islands positioned as the second most popular cruise destination in Spain, and the fourth in the Mediterranean. Gual highlighted that the APB has fulfilled its investment cycle, with the development of construction projects and renovation of the port infrastructure, together with national and international promotion campaigns. They have also taken on studies and support for this tourist product, even leading tasks which fall outside of their field of knowledge and skills expertise, as they have more to do with managing tourist infrastructure on land. “Now, it is necessary for each party to contribute its best skills and abilities. The group of public and private entities specialised in tourism must define and undertake a common strategy, using all the additional services the ports can provide”, stated the President of the APB. Gual underlined the need for specialised management and has stated that “the port will guarantee the best service to the shipping industry, with port operations of the highest quality, while at the same time taking care of the environment by working together with companies to minimise and correct any effects on it”. The APB in Lisbon The main aim of the APB’s presence at this Sea Trade Cruise fair in Lisbon has been to promote the port of Mahon as a high-end, exclusive destination, in order to attract the medium cruise ship sector which fits the tourist services Menorca can provide. The delegation from the Balearic Islands which attended the Seatrade fair made up of Héctor Pons, representing the Mahon local council, Jorge Nasarre, APB Head of Planning and Sustainability and Xisca Leal, APB Sales also welcomed María Ornella Chacón, President of the State Ports, at their Balearic Ports stand.

THE UIB FINISHES THE FIELDWORK TO FIND OUT THE STATUS OF THE POSIDONIA IN THE EXTERNAL WATERS OF THE APB PORTS

18/09/2018

The University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) has completed the fieldwork to study the status of the Posidonia oceanica in the external waters (zone II) of the five ports of general interest managed by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) (Palma, Alcudia, Mahon, Ibiza and la Savina) and is concluding the analysis of the factors that could affect its proper maintenance and the protection of biodiversity. The results of this study are expected to be presented next November, which will provide information on the current status of the seabed and, in turn, the possible causes of its deterioration. This work is being carried out by the University-Business Foundation of the Balearic Islands (FUEIB), with the aim of finding out the status of the seagrass and studying the possible measures required for its protection. This project, with an allocated budget of one hundred and eight thousand euros, includes the development of software that alerts sailors to potentially critical areas of Posidonia oceanica in zone II of the ports managed by APB and also the development of a computer application that sailors can download to receive alerts on low points where there is danger of grounding. During the fieldwork, information was gathered on the historical distribution of Posidonia oceanica in the external zones belonging to the ports of the APB and the study zones were marked out. In addition, parameter monitoring data were obtained in order to objectively and rigorously assess the conservation status of this aquatic plant. The UIB is currently analysing these results, along with the processing of multiple biomarker and bioindicator samples, and also the determination and quantification of dissolved nutrients. Background information In recent years, the APB has carried out studies and work in order to understand the possible impact generated by port activity, in accordance with its environmental policy, which is part of a management system certified by ISO 14001. In response to the request from the Mediterranean Sailors Association (ADN), the President of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, in 2017, commissioned the UIB to conduct a study to analyse the status of the Posidonia oceanica in the external waters (Zone II) of the ports it manages and also the factors that can affect its proper conservation. This study aims to find out, in the most documented and thorough manner possible, the status of the situation and what action is required to protect the seabed.