News APB | Ports de Balears

The APB presents ‘Mediterranean Routes’ at the Seatrade Cruise Global event, promoting the Port of Mahon as a destination

14/03/2017

Among the lines of strategy of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) in attendance at the Seatrade Cruise Global event in Florida, the presentation of ‘Mediterranean Routes’ is playing an important role. A new product that will take the cruise enthusiast on a journey through the main islands of the western Mediterranean. Under the coordination of Joan Gual de Torrella, president of the APB, the regional and local authorities and the port authorities representing the cities of Mahon, Ajaccio, Alguer, Messina and Valetta-Malta, shared the design of a cruise ship network covering the islands in the western Mediterranean. The project began to be envisaged at the Seatrade Cruise Med event held last September in Tenerife, but it wasn't until Seatrade Cruise Global in Florida, the cruise industry's premier global event, that the creation of the route was made official. The main appeal of the route consists of extolling the virtues of the elements of identity, the monumental and landscape quality, the shared historical past, the gastronomy and sustainable tourism development of the cities where stopovers are planned. Given the good air connections Palma has with other major airports, European cruise enthusiasts would kick start their route at this port. Americans, on the other hand, could start off in Barcelona or Rome. The cruise lines in attendance at the fair welcomed this project with enthusiasm.

The APB heads the Balearic delegation at the Seatrade Cruise Global in Florida, the cruise industry's premier global event

13/03/2017

For yet another year, totalling twenty, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is attending Seatrade Cruise Global, the cruise industry's premier global event which kicks off today until 16th March in Fort Lauderdale (Florida, United States). A delegation led by the president of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, is currently over in Florida, along with the main consignee companies of the Balearic Islands, institutional representatives, such as the regional minister for Tourism of Ibiza Island Council, Vicente Torres, the councillor for Tourism of Alcudia, Joan Gaspar Vallori and the Agency for Tourism of the Balearic Islands (ATB). The Balearic Island ports are promoted at the Ports of Spain stand. The APB has been attending the event ever since 1997. According to Joan Gual, the goals have changed over the years. “Today, we are not here to continue growing, but rather to offer a better quality product at an established and specialist destination”, says Gual. Therefore, Palma is presented as a top destination even in winter Alcudia and Mahon stand out as an ideal choice for those who look for exclusivity, and Ibiza as the most diverse island with a wider variety of products. The key lies in promoting the unique features of the product offered by each of their ports. A strategy that consists of adapting what it can offer to the needs of each ship and its passengers in the best possible way. The Balearic Islands are the top cruise destination in the western Mediterranean with over 800 stopovers scheduled for 2017 and around 2 million passengers.

The APB extends STP license term for use of the facilities intended for vessel grounding and launching

09/03/2017

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) yesterday resolved to authorise the modification of the administrative license granted to the company Servicios Técnicos Portuarios (STP). This modification consists of the inclusion of a land maritime public domain surface area of 24,422 m2 in the already existing license,14,743 m2 of which are the land surface area and 9,679 m2 the water surface area used for mooring, and the extension of the initial term of the license by 5.4 years. With this increase in term, the new end date of the license is set for May 2026. The investment commitment made by the licensee amounts to six million four hundred and four, six hundred and seventeen euros and forty-four cents (€6,404,617.44 ). Among the investments proposed is the purchase of a new 1.000 t travelift which will be added to those already in use and which will increase the boat lifting capacity at the site. (The current maximum limit was 700 t.) In addition, a new pit will be built for boat repairs and the 150 t travelift will be replaced by a new modern one with the same lifting capacity but with improved performance. Also of note are the investments in actions to improve the surface water collection network and in the facilities for treatment and purification purposes so as to improve the environmental quality of the services provided at the port facilities.

Joan Gual de Torrella and Juan Carlos Plaza donate their Christmas gifts to Sonrisa Médica

08/03/2017

The president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), Joan Gual de Torrella, and the chairman, Juan Carlos Plaza, today donated a cheque for €500 to the non-profit association Sonrisa Médica, proceeds from the sale of Christmas gifts. Gual and Plaza decided to sell the twenty gifts they received las Christmas to a restaurant in Palma and donate the proceeds to the NGO Sonrisa Médica, which focuses on livening the hospital stays of young children on the island with visits from clowns. The donation was warmly received by the chairman of the association, Josep Lluís Vidal and the head of fundraising, María José Suárez, who both assure that it will go to a good cause.

The Secretariat of State for Infrastructure, Transport and Housing publishes a resolution establishing the minimum services at ports due to the call for dockers to strike.

07/03/2017

After studying the Minimum Services proposal presented by State Ports on 1 March, the Secretariat of State for Infrastructure, Transport and Housing has published a resolution establishing the minimum services to be carried out during the dockers' upcoming strike action on: 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22 and 24 March. This action anticipates a partial stoppage of activities (odd hours) on alternate days (3 days a week over a period of three consecutive weeks). Given the scope of the call to strike, which will affect all cargo-handling companies providing port services related to handling goods, the right to strike held by the workers called to take such action must be combined with a set of minimum services that mitigate the impact on the general public and on economic development. Generally speaking, these minimum services must fully cover island trade, Ceuta and Melilla as there is no other way to supply these territories. In equal measure, all services required to guarantee operations affecting perishables and dangerous goods must be continued, in addition to services for responding to emergencies and all other services designed to prevent regular passenger traffic from being affected. A full copy of the resolution is available on our website

Gual de Torrella announces that the foreseeable future of sailing clubs will be determined in 2017

02/03/2017

Joan Gual de Torrella, the president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), has announced that decisions will be given in 2017 to the applications, currently being processed, submitted by sailing clubs based at the islands' ports of general interest. The statement was made at a meeting held by Gual with Marc Pons, Minister of Territory, Energy and Mobility of the Government of the Balearic Islands, and representatives of the ACNB [Association of Sailing Clubs of the Balearic Islands]. Gual promised that the APB will make decisions this year on the concession extension applications submitted by Club Náutico de Palma, Club Náutico Portitxol and Club de Mar. Furthermore, the suitability of projects presented by Club Náutico de Ibiza and the situation of Club Marítimo Molinar de Levante will also be determined. The aim of the meeting was to convey the interest of the Balearic government and the APB in bringing together criteria when managing the Balearic Islands' sailing clubs, which both administrations consider to be real financial, social and sporting promoters on the islands. Almost 14,000 people practise some type of nautical activity fostered by one of the twenty-four clubs that make up the ACNB.

Baleària and Gas Natural Fenosa bring the first natural gas engine in Spain on a passenger vessel to Majorca

02/03/2017

The ‘Abel Matutes ferry’, which crosses to Barcelona daily, has capacity for 900 passengers and more than 2,200 linear metres of cargo This project, which is ground-breaking in Spain, is aimed at reducing emissions and enhancing the quality of the air in both urban settings and in ports such as those of Palma and Barcelona Baleària's Abel Matutes ferry, which runs daily between Palma and Barcelona, operates with the first natural gas engine in Spain on a passenger vessel. In conjunction with Gas Natural Fenosa, the company has sponsored the development and installation of this auxiliary engine, as well as a 30 m3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank (with a range of one week). The ferry transformation project took place without interfering in the vessel's operations and routes. The new natural gas engine is integrated in the vessel's electrical deck, allowing it to operate with any auxiliary system and with no visual impact. The vessel uses natural gas during arrival and departure manoeuvres at the ports of Palma and Barcelona, and also for electricity generation while it remains docked, instead of the usual fuel. By applying this system, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are reduced by 40% and nitrogen oxide (NOx) is reduced by 80%, which means annual savings of nearly 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), more than 60 tonnes of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and 6 tonnes of sulphur oxide (SOx). The ferry has a length of 190 metres, capacity for 900 passengers and 2,235 linear metres of ro-ro cargo. The Chairman of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, highlights that this project "represents the first determined step in Baleària's commitment to natural gas". The shipping line has become one of the global pioneers in the use of this product with the construction of three smartships propelled by LNG and an investment of more than 320 million euros. Utor also remarked that the commitment to the environment and the use of non-contaminating energy “is one of the company's strategic decisions”. Joan Gual de Torrella, President of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, felt the initiative was highly positive and hoped ‘that it will open up a new horizon toward more sustainable and efficient sea transport of passengers and freight’. In turn, Daniel López Jordà, Managing Director of Retail Business at Gas Natural Fenosa, stated that the project “is an important commitment to innovation, with the aim of improving the quality of the air in both the city and within the port area. Natural gas will be a key player in upcoming years in the transport sector due to its clear contribution in reducing emissions and particulate matter”. This project is part of the CLEANPORT initiative and is co-funded by the European Union through the CEF-Transport programme. The ports of Palma (Majorca) and Barcelona, as well as the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine, have also participated in the project.

The APB obtains AENOR ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system

28/02/2017

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has been certified with the AENOR 14001:2015 seal of quality and has extended the scope of the Quality Management System certification in accordance with standard ISO 9001:2015, which both validate that the institution has a quality management system based on the principles of quality and continuous improvement. The APB has designed an environmental management system in accordance with the principles of standard ISO 14001, which guarantees adequate environmental behaviour and fulfilment of all legal and contractual requirements. The aim is to safeguard respect for the environment whilst providing services in the entire public port domain under the responsibility of the APB. Environmental commitment These certifications corroborate the APB's commitment to provide quality services and guarantee that the environmental impact of their activity is as minor as possible. The scope of the Environmental Management System covers the following aspects: - Managing the occupation and use of the Public Port Domain to provide commercial and port services. This includes issuing and inspecting administrative certificates, as well as concessions, authorisations and permits. - Managing the port services, which entail: vessel and ship stopovers, freight and passenger traffic, conservation and maintenance of non-concessional infrastructure and navigation systems, among others. - Managing the implementation of works and projects. This certificate is added to the initial one received by the APB in 2015 for its quality management system and the aim for this year is to enhance the functioning of these two management systems and merge them into one integrated management system covering the areas of quality and environment. Rolling out these management systems will enable the APB to sustainably meet its aims, seeking the maximum satisfaction of its clients and striving for excellence in the services it provides.

The APB puts out to tender the management of mooring points for sport boats during the high season in Moll d’en Pons i na Quefeis at the Port of Mahon

24/02/2017

The Port Authority of the Balearic Island (APB) has put out to tender the management of mooring points for sport boats in the area of Moll d’en Pons i na Quefeis at the Port of Mahon. The aim of the tender is to grant an administrative concession to operate during the high season a water surface area of 17,508 m2 that belongs to the port. The new area will have a walkway that will connect Moll d’en Pons i na Quefeis by means of the cliff front. The tender announcement is to be published today in the Official State Gazette (BOE), commencing the process of choosing the most favourable bid and the subsequent granting of said concession. The operating term will be for a maximum of fifteen years. The occupancy fee is 16,550.13 euros and the activity fee is 4% of the successful bidder's estimated turnover.

The APB is to accept a proposal by the Molinar de Levante Maritime Club to submit a new project in order to continue its concession

23/02/2017

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is to accept a proposal by the Molinar de Levante Maritime Club to present a project in order to continue operating at the Port of Palma. Joan Gual de Torrella, president of the APB, this evening informed members of the maritime club in a meeting held at the Port of Palma that the project they intend to put forward should meet certain indispensable requirements. These include respecting current mooring numbers and sizes, and giving continuity to the seafront promenade. This new concession could last for a maximum of 50 years. Gual de Torrella has asked the Molinar de Levante Maritime Club to work closely with the authority from today onwards to reach an agreement as regards the new project. As such, the APB seeks to meet the social demand of the club in two aspects: guaranteeing the continuity of the economical mooring plots and the club's sporting activity. The current concession of the Molinar de Levante Maritime Club comes to an end in March 2018.

The APB calls meeting between members of the Molinar de Levante Maritime Club to report on the future of the concession

21/02/2017

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has convened a meeting between members of the Molinar de Levante Maritime Club to lay out the future details of its concession at the Port of Palma. During the meeting, the president of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, will inform members of the current status of the concession and will outline the steps to follow to safeguard their activity. According to Gual, "the Maritime Club's withdrawal of the expansion project opens up a new opportunity that must be seized in order to work together". The president of the public body also expressed his desire to meet with all affected members in order to present the APB's plans. The meeting will be held on Wednesday 22 February at 19:30 in the APB conference room at Moll Vell no. 19 at the Port of Palma. Molinar de Levante Maritime Club members wishing to attend the meeting are reminded that they are required to bring accreditative documentation including their DNI and membership card.

Remodelling works get underway on La Savina Harbour Station to enhance service to users and transport companies

15/02/2017

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has begun refurbishing the interior of the Formentera Harbour Station building. The project meets the demand of different transport companies to be able to offer their services to users. This initiative will entail remodelling the ticket desk area and toilets, avoiding having to alter the built area, or the used surface area, since the building for the La Savina Harbour Station is currently found in good condition. This reform involves changing the distribution of various rooms, in turn improving current facilities to allow the port to offer a better quality service to its users and enhance the building's space for transport companies. Works will include replacing flooring and false ceilings, in turn expanding the ticket desk area on the ground floor. The company that was awarded the contract is Ferrovial. The works are to be completed within four months as per the construction plan with a one-year warranty period. The project will provide direct employment to up to 6 people and the total budget is €77.033.