News APB | Ports de Balears

The APB regulates the times for noise-generating activities on the deck of certain ships

19/04/2018

The Official State Gazette (BOE) has published today a resolution by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), which approves the port ordinance regulating the times for noise-generating activities on the decks of cruise ships and sports and recreational vessels, while they are sailing and moored at the ports of general interest it manages. The ordinance prohibits any type of activity that involves playing music or any generation of noise on the decks of certain ships between twelve midnight and nine o'clock in the morning in the ports of general interest. However, the regulation allows for an exception in cases authorised by the APB management for reasons concerning special and one-off events which, in any case, should be held at the docks furthest from the neighbourhood areas. This port ordinance applies to tourist cruise ships, sports and recreational boats and vessels. Recreational boats and vessels also include those specifically used for sea excursions and chartering. Any violations of this ordinance shall be penalised by applying the penalty system set out in Section IV of the Third Book of the Consolidated Text of the Law on State Ports and the Merchant Navy, approved by Royal Legislative Decree 2/2011.

Ibiza welcomes the exhibition of the 8th APB Painting and Photography Contest

12/04/2018

The exhibition of the 8th Painting and Photography Contest of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) continues its journey through the Balearic Islands and is set up in the lighthouse of Ses Coves Blanques, in Sant Antoni de Portmany (Ibiza). From today, the APB will exhibit the winning art pieces and those submitted by participants in the Painting and Photography Contest on Ibiza and Formentera. The contest, now in its eighth edition, receives a high level of interest, with over 300 pieces entered from all of the islands. The challenge consisted of depicting one of the ports of general interest in the Balearic Islands or one of their lighthouses. Among the awarded entries, there is one dedicated to the port of Ibiza, specifically, the first prize in the category of Other Pictorial Techniques, entitled Storm in Dalt Vila, by Antonio Gázquez, a piece that, together with the others, will be exhibited in the Exhibition Hall of the lighthouse of Ses Coves Blanques between 12 and 28 April. The works are divided into three categories: Watercolour, Other Painting Techniques and Photography. Out of those that were entered last October, one hundred works were short-listed and exhibited in Palma at Christmas, before moving to Mahon last March where they received a positive response from the public. A cultural boost For the eighth consecutive year, the APB has sponsored this competition dedicated to the lighthouses of the Balearic Islands and to the ports of general interest of Palma, Alcudia, Mahon, Ibiza and La Savina, with the aim of capturing, by means of visual art, the popular interest that is aroused by places as ordinary and unique as ports and lighthouses and paying special tribute to them as parts of cultural heritage. Hours Lighthouse of Ses Coves Blanques C/ Alemanya, 1. Sant Antoni de Portmany From 12 to 28 April, 2018. From Tuesday to Saturday, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The APB requests access to GOB studies on the impact of cruise ships to improve environmental management at ports

10/04/2018

The president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), Joan Gual de Torrella, has sent a letter to the president of the Balearic Group of Ornithology (GOB), Andreu Corberà, requesting access to their environmental impact studies of cruise ships. The APB intends to use this unknown data and incorporate it, where possible, into the conclusions of several studies that the Authority currently has underway. In the letter, the APB president writes "it has been reported in the media that your organisation has published data on the power consumption of cruise ships, comparing it with the electricity usage of certain localities and the other major infrastructure in the region, Son Sant Joan Airport". Therefore, Gual asks the GOB to share "the studies that contain the data you have released". Joan Gual de Torrella uses the letter as an opportunity to explain the actions that the APB Quality and Innovation Department has been carrying out for several months to obtain as many indicators as possible with a view to implementing both preventive and corrective measures against the environmental impact of port activity. "A complex task given that the wide range of factors and stakeholders that are simultaneously involved must be coordinated in order to obtain the results required" Gual claims. More specifically, he is referring to the study that the APB is carrying out in conjunction with the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) to measure the air and noise pollution at the Port of Palma. It involves using a network of sensors installed around the port to help analyse the environmental impact caused by port activity. The results of this study will be determined this summer once all the indicators and acoustic and pollution samples from one full year have been collected. Gual ends his letter stating that the incorporation of this data into current APB studies will boost "progress towards identifying the best environmental management solutions possible to implement at the port".

The APB puts into operation the new Harbour Station No. 6 at the Port of Palma

09/04/2018

Yesterday, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) put the new Harbour Station No. 6, located on the platform attached to the western dock at the Port of Palma, into operation. The new infrastructure has replaced the previous provisional canopy, the size of which was insufficient to meet quality and good service guarantees for cruise ships of over 300 metres in length. The new Harbour Station No. 6 comprises a building with 9,280 m2 of useful surface area and some covered exterior spaces measuring 3,575 m2 which, together with the reorganisation of the annexed esplanade, facilitates the operations of those ships, whether they use the Port of Palma as a base or as a mere port of call. Furthermore, with this new infrastructure, the APB looks to guarantee the safety and comfort of its users, providing the building with all the required passenger services and commodities, such as wide spaces for the delivery and collection of luggage, embarking and disembarking, and vehicle parking. The project was drawn up by the company JG Ingenieros, while the works were undertaken by a joint venture between OHL and VOPSA. The works were carried out in 16 months while the former harbour station, covering 2,500 m2, continued to partially operate so as to assist all stopovers during the works. The investment amount was around 12.4 million euros and 67 different companies participated in the works with an average of 60 employees working during the first phase of the works and 100 during the second. On occasions, 160 employees were working at the same time on the works. The opening of the new Harbour Station coincided yesterday with the arrival into Palma for the first time of the Symphony of the Seas, a new Royal Caribbean ship, considered to be the world's biggest.

The APB puts running a bar at La Mola Lighthouse in Formentera out to tender

23/03/2018

In the last Board of Directors meeting, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) approved the specifications and conditions that are to govern the public tender to run, under the administrative concession system, the bar-cafeteria-restaurant in the La Mola Lighthouse on the island of Formentera. The aim of this tender is to select the most cost-effective proposal to grant an administrative concession to run premises with 872 m2 of surface area located in the La Mola Lighthouse. It is a public domain for ports comprising two buildings. The premises will be run by means of an administrative concession to occupy the public domain and authorise the supply of commercial bar-cafeteria-restaurant services (compulsory provision) as well as other optional services to be proposed by the bidder and approved by the APB. The annual occupancy fee to be outbid by the tenderer is €17,219.58 excl. VAT and the maximum term for the concession is 12 years.

The APB to launch a tender process for urban development ideas for the Contramuelle-Mollet at the Port of Palma

23/03/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is to launch a tender process for remodelling ideas for the Contramuelle-Mollet area at the Port of Palma. The aim of this tender is to select a proposal for the redesign of this port area, following the dynamic initiative already underway by the APB to integrate the port into the city for the benefit of locals and tourists. Joan Gual de Torrella, the president of the APB, announced the call for tenders as the demolition works on two buildings located in the Contramuelle-Mollet area at the Port of Palma got under way. This action will help to free up space in the area and to provide the port with open public spaces, following the ‘Port-City’ model sought by many renowned cities. It is also a model that the APB puts into practice at all of the ports of general interest that it manages. Today, the company Construcciones y Desmontes Ribera Navarra S.A. began tearing down the two buildings using demolition shears. The works, which will last 4 months, have a budget of 328,000 euros. During the demolition process, the debris material will be separated for recycling and the construction material will be reused as filling at the Port of Palma. Measures have been taken to mitigate the situation of the suspended dust caused by the works. These measures include the installation of a large containment curtain and the use of water sprayed with hoses. Traffic will be controlled while the works are ongoing in order to reduce as much as possible any inconvenience for port users. Tender for ideas The call for ideas covers the expansion of green areas by removing buildings in favour of open spaces. The fishing zone will remain during the reorganisation process. Conversely, the Astilleros de Mallorca concession will be transferred to another location at the Port of Palma. The requirement that projects must consider the possible location of a future marine museum in the industrial space is among the tender requirements. The urban area to develop stretches from the Pesquero bar to the mouth of Sa Riera. The aim of this action is to boost, on the one hand, the project that the APB has already put out to tender corresponding to the car park at the Lonja Dock and, on the other, the Seafront promenade remodelling project, promoted by the Council of Palma in collaboration with the Port Authority. Furthermore, in the project, it must be taken into consideration that the Club de Mar concession will be undertaken at the end of the Seafront promenade. “It entails a radical change in the port area,” said Gual, who explained that the demolition is just the beginning of what will be a full reorganisation of the Seafront promenade. He also said: “citizens will enjoy the best space Palma has to offer, from the Viejo Dock to Portopí,” not forgetting the old town and the cathedral.

The APB puts temporary operation of a dock for smaller boats at the Port of La Savina out to tender

22/03/2018

In its last meeting, the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) approved the specifications and conditions that are to govern the public tender to grant temporary authorisation to operate the dock for smaller boats at the Port of La Savina in Formentera. The aim of this tender is to select the most cost-effective proposal, granting administrative approval to the winning bidder to temporarily operate a total surface area of 12,492.80 square metres, characterised by 412.3 metres of mooring line, 90 mooring points and three buildings in the public domain for ports linked to the fishing dock at the Port of La Savina. This approval will be applicable until a final concession is awarded for this port area. The annual occupancy fee to outbid by the tenderer is €158,936 excl. VAT for a one-year renewable term and a maximum approval period of 2 years.

The APB puts out to tender the development and urban planning of Cala Figuera at the Port of Mahon

20/03/2018

The Official State Gazette (BOE) has today published the resolution of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) announcing the public tender of preliminary plans for the development and urban planning of Cala Figuera at the Port of Mahon. The aim of the tender is to select the most cost-effective proposal outlining a preliminary plan for the development, urban planning and definition of infrastructures and superstructures of the port area of Cala Figuera at the Port of Mahon. According to the Delimitation of Port Spaces and Uses (DEUP), it is an area intended for nautical, sporting and additional facilities. The APB has established several pre-requisites for this call for proposals. These stipulate that the total implementation budget must not exceed 15 million euros, and there must be provisioning for approximately 60 moorings for boats measuring between 15 and 100 metres in length. Additionally, another 80 moorings under 8 metres in length are expected to be dispersed at the other end of the Cala, the side closest to Mahon. The project also involves building a public loading dock and a dry dock ramp for small boats. This project will culminate with the complete remodelling of the port, which will be equipped with a walkway over the sea, a public-access esplanade covering more than 5000 metres, new parking spaces, forested areas and updated street furniture, taxi and bus stops and a pedestrian path with elevator connecting the port with the city. This initiative is in line with the Port of Mahon Action Plan that the APB launched with the administrations and other local entities at the beginning of this parliamentary term. Proposals may be submitted within a three-month period and the contract will be awarded two months later. More information on the Public Domain bulletin board on the website.

Mahon welcomes exhibition of the 8th APB Painting and Photography Contest

16/03/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) will exhibit, from 19 March, the winning art pieces and those submitted by participants in the Painting and Photography Contest in Menorca. The contest, now in its eighth edition, receives a high level of interest, with over 300 works entered from all of the islands. The challenge consisted of depicting one of the ports of general interest in the Balearic Islands or one of their lighthouses. The winning pieces, specifically the second prize in the Other Painting Techniques category, is inspired by the Port of Mahon and is titled Casa Venècia. Port de Maó, by Josep Plaja López, a piece that will be on display together with the others at the Caixabank Exhibition Hall in Mahon between 19 and 30 March. The works are divided into three categories: Watercolour, Other Painting Techniques and Photography. Out of those that entered last October, one hundred works were short-listed and exhibited in Palma at Christmas, with a warm reception from the public. Cultural heritage For the eighth consecutive year, the APB has sponsored this competition dedicated to the lighthouses of the Balearic Islands and to the ports of general interest of Palma, Alcudia, Mahon, Ibiza and La Savina, with the aim of capturing, by means of visual art, the popular interest that is aroused by places as ordinary and unique as ports and lighthouses and paying special tribute to them as parts of cultural heritage. Hours Sala de Exposiciones de Caixabank C/ Nou de Maó. 19 - 30 March 2018. Monday to Saturday 10:30 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:00

The APB organises workshop on electronic procurement

15/03/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has organised a workshop on electronic procurement to explain to providers how its new Electronic Procurement Platform works. As of now, the Platform will be used to process procurement records, in accordance with new Law 9/2017 of 8 November on Public Sector Contracts. The programme for this meeting between the APB and its providers covers information on new Law 9/2017 on Public Sector Contracts and the applicable legal framework, APB actions to improve Electronic Management, as well as new working methods by the port authority. In addition to APB managers, the workshop will have participation from Public Lawyer, Olga Peñalver, and representatives from the company Pixelware. To this end, three sessions are planned: * Palma. 15 March 2018 from 11 am to 1 pm. Cambra de Comerç Mallorca. c/ de l’Estudi General, 7 * Mahon. 20 March 2018 from 11:30 am to 2 pm. Sala Roja at the Recinto Ferial de Menorca. c/ Alqueria Cremada s/n – POIMA) * Ibiza. 21 March 2018 from 11 am to 1 pm. Sala de Formación, APB. Acceso Muelles norte s/n

The APB commences its Strategic Plan

08/03/2018

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) commences the drawing up of its Strategic Plan. The aim is for the plan to be a useful tool for the functionality of the port body, while also being a tool for transparency that explains the APB's projects to different social agents, seeking dialogue and collaboration with each one of them in order to offer a better 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. During those 15 months, a participatory process will be launched in order to bring together and listen to the input of the whole port community and 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 lines of activity –freight and passenger traffic, recreational boating and the cruise market– are in keeping with the needs of users and with the sustainable growth of the environment.

The APB puts running of bar-cafeteria at the port of Alcudia out to tender

06/03/2018

In the last Board of Directors meeting, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) approved the specifications and conditions that are to govern the public tender to run, under the administrative concession system, the bar-cafeteria at the maritime station of the port of Alcudia. This tender will involve the most favourable bid being chosen and the subsequent granting of said public concession. The winning bidder will be granted, under an administrative concession, use of an area of public domain at the port with a surface area of 108.61 m2. In the same way, the tenderer is authorised to provide business services as a bar-cafeteria-restaurant, along with other optional services (to be proposed by the tenderer) which are to be authorised by the APB. The annual occupancy fee to outbid by the tenderer is €14,470.44 excl. VAT and the maximum term for the concession is 10 years.