The INEOS Britannia team will extend its stay in Mallorca to prepare for the America’s Cup sailing competition

The INEOS Britannia team will extend its stay in Mallorca to prepare for the America’s Cup sailing competition

 08/05/2023

The INEOS Britannia team, which is finalising its preparations in Palma for the 37th edition of the America’s Cup in 2024 in Barcelona, will extend its stay in Mallorca for three more years to prepare for future editions of the competition, as its leaders have told the Minister for the Economic Model, Tourism, Employment, Iago Negueruela, during a meeting held today in Palma. At the same time, the meeting, which was also attended by the Director General of Tourism, Isabel Vidal, and the President of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), Jaume Colom, served to make progress on a protocol of intentions aimed at Mallorca becoming the permanent headquarters of Ineos Britannia in the future to prepare for the America’s Cup. During the meeting, the members of INEOS Britannia expressed their intention for Palma to become its permanent headquarters and praised the “magnificent port infrastructures, the port’s smooth connections with the main cities in Europe and the conditions offered by its bay throughout the year”. In addition, as a result of this commitment to Mallorca, they also expressed their willingness to open avenues of collaboration in training for staff linked to the maritime industry, which will further strengthen ties with the UK, and continue to focus on nautical training, as well as on the relationship with technology companies in Mallorca. After the meeting, Negueruela highlighted the interest shown by the team to extend their stay in Palma, which will serve to “continue to support nautical training and a complement to recreational boating” in the Balearic Islands. During the meeting, Jaume Colom for the APB showed his willingness to continue in the port of Palma as no details were presented of any location that might be compatible with the reorganisation of port activities planned for the coming years. INEOS’ CEO, Sir Ben Ainslie, declared that “Palma has been a great sailing training base for INEOS Britannia since we arrived on the island last summer. We have built strong relationships and feel the strong support of the local community”. “The possibility of establishing a sailing headquarters in Palma presents a great opportunity and we look forward to continuing to provide a platform that can increase jobs across the island,” he added. The INEOS Britannia team includes Mallorcans Miguel Sánchez Cuenca (physicist and meteorologist) and Elvira Llabrés (computer engineer).

Technology and innovation Socio-economic development
Work on the Formentor lighthouse road has been completed

Work on the Formentor lighthouse road has been completed

 13/04/2023

Today, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) completed the work on the structural reinforcement of the earth retaining wall on the access road to the Formentor lighthouse. The access road to the lighthouse will be opened tomorrow to all traffic and people not involved in the work. On 22 June 2022, with the reinforcement work partially completed, the road was partially opened for reasons of public interest and the start of the tourist season. Last November, the road was once again closed to vehicle traffic in order to complete the lining of the retaining wall with a dry stone wall.

Port-city Transport and infrastructure
The OASIS project will transform the ports of Palma and Eivissa into active agents in the regeneration of biodiversity and the fight against climate change

The OASIS project will transform the ports of Palma and Eivissa into active agents in the regeneration of biodiversity and the fight against climate change

 11/04/2023

Transforming ports into agents of environmental regeneration and the fight against climate change is the objective of the OASIS project, developed by the Spanish company Ocean Ecostructures and which the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) will implement in the general interest ports of Eivissa and soon in Palma. This innovative technology makes it possible to transform grey marine infrastructures into blue oases, regenerating biodiversity and recovering the capacity of the seas to absorb CO2. Thus, thanks to a calcium carbonate or mineral coating attached to the quays or breakwaters - known as LifeSkin - a biofauna will be generated that will reduce CO2 by compensation. OASIS has been selected to receive a grant of 566,000 euros in the form of a commercial project under the Ports 4.0 plan to promote entrepreneurship for innovation in the port sector. Initially, 40 units will be installed in the port of Barcelona and 15 in the ports of Palma and Eivissa. The APB, as a facilitating agent, will provide the facilities and equipment to install the necessary units for the project in the agreed areas and collaborate in its execution, participating in the results obtained. We wil work with different location profiles (depths, turbidity levels and quality, currents...) and with different types of substrates (material, texture and shape). This will enable us to identify the best solutions for each type of environment, resulting in a segmentation of ports and design profiles. Environmental regeneration It has been demonstrated that this calcium carbonate cover is the optimum substrate for the repopulation of specific species, such as sponges, cystoseira, posidonia or gorgonians, among others, as well as a refuge for other species, and even a breeding area. It thus becomes a first-rate environmental regeneration tool whose versatility allows it to be applied to any marine infrastructure.

Environment and CSR Technology and innovation
Sailing and windsurfing in the Balearic Islands will have their own space for general and technical training

Sailing and windsurfing in the Balearic Islands will have their own space for general and technical training

 31/03/2023

Sailing and windsurfing in the Balearic Islands will have their own space for general and technical training. The Regional Ministry of Social Affairs and Sports and the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) have reached an agreement to set up a specific space in the port of es Molinar, in Palma. Until now, the Sailing and Windsurfing technical training programme of the CTEIB was carried out in spaces and facilities provided by the sports clubs. This is a response to a former claim to have its own public technical training facility. The space will be leased by the APB, while the Regional Ministry of Social Affairs and Sports will assume the construction and management of the new centre, through the Foundation for Balearic Sports, with an estimated cost of 486,000 euros. Today the president of the APB, Jaume Colom, the councillor of Social Affairs and Sports, Fina Santiago, the general director of Sports, Carles Gonyalons, the president of the Balearic Islands Sailing Federation, Catalina Darder, and the president of the Spanish Sailing Federation, José Javier Sanz, visited the space where the new facilities will be located. The technical directors of the Sailing and Windsurfing technical training programmes were also present. The president of the APB, Jaume Colom, has approved the signing of this agreement, which ensures that citizens have access to the sea and basic sports and, at the same time, that the Balearic Islands continue to be a pioneer in sailing. For his part, Santiago pointed out that the absence of this public space was one of the objectives of his Ministry, especially after the privatisation of the Calanova area. He also thanked both the federation for its involvement as the driving force behind this project and the APB for assuming the need and generosity of leasing the space, which will be managed by agreement with a 15-year lease, he added. The space where the new facilities will be located is Caló d’en Rigo. Already part of the project for the remodelling of the space that the APB carried out in 2021 was the installation of a sailing school of 511 square metres, taking advantage of a new stretch of breakwater with a deck, which is currently a raised walkway accessed by a ramp and stairs. Project The planned project includes an office for the CTEIB Sailing and Windsurfing programmes, a room for coaches, a classroom, changing rooms, gymnasium, boat storage facilities and workshop. Each of the rooms can be accessed directly from the outside, but the office, the coaches’ room and the classroom are connected internally. The boat storage facilities and the workshop are also connected internally. Promoting sports The aim of these new facilities is to continue promoting the training of technically-skilled athletes. However, other activities of the Balearic Sailing Federation and other federations related to the maritime environment will also be carried out in this space, such as the monitoring of young sporting talent. It is worth remembering that the Balearic sailing and windsurfing athletes are currently achieving great results. One example is the bronze medal of the sailor Joan Cardona in the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, 2020. Cardona, in fact, is one of the athletes who has completed the CTEIB’s technical training programme.

Environment and CSR Port-city Technology and innovation Transport and infrastructure Socio-economic development
The Portocolom lighthouse will become part of the Balearic Islands Research Station Network

The Portocolom lighthouse will become part of the Balearic Islands Research Station Network

 30/03/2023

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has approved the text of the agreement for the management of spaces and facilities at the Portocolom lighthouse in Mallorca, between the Conselleria de Fons Europeus, Universitat i Cultura (Ministry of European Funds, University and Culture) of the Government of the Balearic Islands and the APB. Under this agreement, and pending the signature of the two bodies, the APB is assigning part of these premises to the Regional Department for scientific research equipment to be incorporated into the Balearic Islands Research Station Network (XEIIB). The spaces and facilities covered by this agreement have a built-up surface area of 475.3 square metres, of which 412.4 square metres corresponds to the main building on the ground floor and first floor, and 62.9 square metres to the auxiliary building (warehouse). The agreement will be valid for five years, which can be extended if neither of the parties states otherwise. The general objective of this network is to promote, facilitate and enhance research on the natural, terrestrial and marine resources of the Balearic Islands through a series of centres distributed across the archipelago for the decentralisation of such research. On the other hand, the APB intends to give value to a heritage that is not currently necessary for the maintenance of the maritime signal and that, with this agreement, will once again be useful for research on the environment in order to fulfil the commitments acquired in the environmental policy of this public body. As part of this agreement, open days will be held to show different groups the research activity carried out in the former lighthouse keeper's quarters, when information on the history of the lighthouse itself will be presented and distributed. Research Station As a research station, the key benefit of maintaining a continuous sampling and research activity along the coastline is obtaining a better knowledge of the ecosystems, the changes they undergo, the detection of their causes and possible solutions. This knowledge will make it possible to establish a baseline for detecting possible changes and to draw up models of development scenarios and future uses, in order to set up management policies that guarantee the environmental quality of the islands. Specifically, the station will carry out an inventory and integrated study of biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial, control of seabird populations, phenology of flowering and fruiting of plant species used as indicators of the effects of an increase in environmental temperature, a visual census of coastal fish and control of posidonia meadows, among others.

Environment and CSR Port-city Technology and innovation
The proposal submitted by the company Calima la Savina S.L. Was chosen as the most advantageous solution for managing the cafeteria of the Maritime Station of Formentera in the port of Eivissa

The proposal submitted by the company Calima la Savina S.L. Was chosen as the most advantageous solution for managing the cafeteria of the Maritime Station of Formentera in the port of Eivissa

 30/03/2023

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) resolved, this Wednesday 29 March in an ordinary session, to choose the proposal submitted by the company Calima la Savina S.L. as the most advantageous in the tender for the exploitation under administrative concession of the cafeteria of the Maritime Station of Formentera in the port of Eivissa. This hospitality area is 211 square metres inside and has 163.8square metres of terraces. This concession will involve the provision of removable elements such as tables, chairs, displays or umbrellas, and no fixed infrastructure or masonry works are permitted. The entire premises shall also be equipped with a free WiFi system. The cafeteria/bar service will cover all stopovers of vessels docking at the Ribera Poniente quay, specifically half an hour before the first stopover of the day and never before the last one. The duration of the concession will be five years, extendable up to a maximum of seven and a half years, with an annual occupancy fee of 16,948.30 euros and an activity fee of 4% of turnover, in accordance with Articles 187 and 188 of the State Ports Act. In addition, and at the bidder's proposal, an increase in the rates of 195,049.70 euros is established. On the other hand, the bidding company will make an investment of 254,735euros, destined to replace all the installations and the false ceiling of the premises, among others. In terms of energy efficiency and waste management, Calima La Savina has proposed the installation of a mini eco-park (green point), intelligent litter bins and sunshades that will allow mobile devices to be charged via USB using solar panels.

Port-city Transport and infrastructure Socio-economic development
Firefighters from the Consell Insular de Menorca and the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands take part in a terrorist attack drill inside a ship docked in the port of Maó

Firefighters from the Consell Insular de Menorca and the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands take part in a terrorist attack drill inside a ship docked in the port of Maó

 24/03/2023

This morning, firefighters from the Consell Insular de Menorca (CIME) and the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) took part in a simulated terrorist attack on board a ship in the port of Maó belonging to the Trasmed shipping company, which was docked at the Cós Nou docks. In the drill, they had to extinguish a fire in the holds of the ferry caused by a bomb explosion and evacuate two injured people who required urgent medical assistance. In addition to the Fire Brigade, APB and Trasmed security officers, the Civil Guard, Emergencies 112, Port Police, port pilots, the Harbour Master’s Office and the Government Delegation took part in the drill. The drill began at half past nine in the morning and lasted two hours. It simulated a passenger on board the Ciudad de Barcelona entering a restricted area of the hull without authorisation during the journey. Once in port, an explosion occurred inside a vehicle in the garage, injuring the crew. The APB activated the various plans established for both civil protection and the fight against terrorism, proceeding first to cordon off the area and evacuate both passengers and crew. Once the firefighters had accessed the ship to take charge of the fire and the injured, a package suspected of containing a second explosive device was located. The Civil Police then identified the person who had entered the restricted area of the ship and who appeared to be the owner of the suspicious package. Suddenly, the owner of the package pulls out a gun and takes a person hostage. At this point, hostage-taking procedures are activated in the port. Fire brigade agreement This drill is part of the third agreement signed between the CIME and the APB on prevention, fire extinguishing, rescue and civil protection, for which the Fire Brigade receives training and an annual financial contribution of 55,000 euros to become the APB’s own intervention team for emergencies in the port of Maó.

Transport and infrastructure
The Plastic-Free Menorca Alliance finances the installation of a filtered water fountain in the port of Maó to reduce the use of plastic bottles

The Plastic-Free Menorca Alliance finances the installation of a filtered water fountain in the port of Maó to reduce the use of plastic bottles

 24/03/2023

Since yesterday, visitors strolling through the port of Maó will be able to refill their water bottles thanks to the installation of a filtered water fountain financed by Menorca Preservation, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and the Cleanwave Foundation. The filtered water fountain has been installed on the Levante quay and will become part of the network of refill points promoted by the Cleanwave Movement, an initiative of the Cleanwave Foundation, offering free access to drinking water to people in the area so they can refill their bottles and thus avoid buying single-use plastic ones. Currently, this network has more than 60 public fountains installed in the Balearic Islands and can be found through its free app. Thanks to additional funding, Menorca Preservation will work to expand this network in Menorca through the Menorca Sin Plástico Alliance. The initiative stems from the identification of the use of plastic bottles as an important element of pollution within the “Action Plan for the reduction of plastic pollution in Menorca 2030“ developed by the Plastic-Free Menorca Alliance in 2021 together with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In view of this, the Action Plan proposed the installation of filtered drinking water fountains at the busiest tourist spots in order to reduce the use of bottled water on the island. The Cleanwave Foundation estimates that since 2017, through the installation of these fountains, they have managed to avoid the use of more than 3,300,000 plastic bottles (0.5l). In addition, according to data from the Cleanwave Foundation, it is estimated that in the Balearic Islands 1.5 million single-use plastic bottles are used daily, twice as many as in the rest of Spain. They also calculate that 92% of the waste on the beaches of the Mediterranean islands is plastic, 40% of which corresponds to single-use plastic bottles, and that, specifically, more than 8 million tonnes of plastic bottles end up in the sea each year. The APB is collaborating in the project and has taken charge of the installation and maintenance of the fountain. According to the delegate of the port of Maó, Vicent Fullana, “the commitment of the APB to the reduction of plastic is actually being put into practice, as you can see from the elimination of single-use plastics at the five ports of general interest that it manages, through an internal instruction in force since October 2020. It is no longer just a reduction of waste, but a change in company culture, which we are now also passing on to port users”.

Environment and CSR Port-city
From the sea to the city: Gravity Wave creates street furniture made from recycled fishing nets for Palma harbour

From the sea to the city: Gravity Wave creates street furniture made from recycled fishing nets for Palma harbour

 20/03/2023

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands and the Gravity Wave association have a clear objective: to live in a world with plastic-free seas. In this quest they have joined forces under the PLASTIC FREE OCEANS movement to restore the health of the oceans. In the first phase of the campaign, 10,000kg of plastic have been removed from the sea. Now, they have proposed to close the loop in the circular economy, giving a second life to these fishing nets that have been collected and transformed into urban furniture for different Spanish coastal cities such as Calpe and, mainly, Palma. Specifically, 10 benches and 10 litter bins have been delivered, 8 of each in Palma. These items have been on display to the public since 21 March, following an opening ceremony attended by the director of the APB, Jorge Nasarre the CEO of Gravity Wave, Julen Rodríguez Miriam Arístegui, from Alcat Alianzas Estratégicas y Partnerships and Domingo Bonnín, president of the Cofradía de Pescadores de San Pedro de Palma (San Pedro de Palma Fishermen's Guild). The aim of this event was to highlight World Water Day and the importance of caring for water, especially the oceans. Gravity Wave Gravity Wave is a social, circular economy and environmentally conscious company, driven to solve one of humanity's greatest challenges: plastic pollution of seas and oceans. They clean plastic from the seabed and transform it into valuable, long-lasting products through a circular economy process. They also prevent the plastic that is still generated from ending up back in the water. That is why they work together with fishermen, people, companies and organisations through the movement #PlasticFreeOceans.

Environment and CSR Port-city Transport and infrastructure
The president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, Francesc Antich Oliver, submits his resignation due to health issues

The president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, Francesc Antich Oliver, submits his resignation due to health issues

 24/02/2023

The president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), Francesc Antich, today formally asked the president of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, to accept his resignation from the post due to health issues that prevent him from continuing with his commitment at the head of the port authority, and to pass this request on to the Governing Council. Francesc Antich submitted his resignation this morning through the registry of the autonomous administration, which will come into effect at the end of November. Francesc Antich Oliver was appointed president of the APB on 26 September 2020 by a ministerial order published in the Official State Gazette, following his appointment to the post by the Governing Council of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands. Antich has been President of the Government of the Balearic Islands in two legislatures (1999-2003 and 2007-2011). From 2011 to 2019 he was a Spanish senator appointed by the Parliament of the Balearic Islands and in 2019 commissioner of the Government of the Balearic Islands in Madrid. Before becoming president of the APB, he was an attorney for the Municipal Housing and Neighbourhood Rehabilitation Board of the Palma City Council.

The APB brings its 150th anniversary to a close with an institutional event at the Port Centre

The APB brings its 150th anniversary to a close with an institutional event at the Port Centre

 24/02/2023

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has brought to a close a year of commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the body that gave rise to the APB, the Port of Palma Board of Works, with an institutional event attended by representatives of civil society, the port community and political authorities. Among them were the president of the Government, Francina Armengol the president of Puertos del Estado, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, the delegate of the Government, Aina Calvo and the president of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands, Vicenç Thomàs, and others. Also present were the members of the APB's Board of Directors and former presidents, directors and secretaries of the institution. The event combined videos on the past, present and future of the APB with speeches by the leading authorities. Jaume Colom, president of the APB, took the opportunity to highlight the role of the people who have made possible "a modern development of our ports, which has had a direct impact on the economic growth of our islands over the last century". People, most of them "anonymous, proud and jealous of their daily work", he added. "Men and women whose daily activities, whether more extensive or more specific, make the complex operations of the ports so essential and vital in the islands for the supply and transport of citizens". The most moving moment of the event was the tribute to former presidents, directors and secretaries of the APB, represented by Rafael Soler and Pere Bonet. The former is the longest living director, while Bonet is the last lighthouse keeper of the Portopí lighthouse in the port of Palma. On behalf of all those present, they were presented with the first two issues of the lithographs produced by the artist Marta Ruiz Anguera for the occasion, which will be given to the workers of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands. After the speeches by Rodríguez Dapena and Francina Armengol, the commemorative plaque that will be displayed at the entrance to the recently inaugurated institutional headquarters was unveiled. The person in charge of doing the honours was María del Carmen Vico, the institution's youngest employee, as a symbol of the succession of generations and the public commitment to society that the APB has assumed since its foundation. The wording on the plaque is dedicated to the men and women who have made the port their public service mission, preserving the legacy of their predecessors and passing it on to future generations. 'De tot cor’ The theme 'De tot cor', on loan from the Mallorcan artist Tomeu Penya, has been the motto of the 150th anniversary of the public body. The event ended with a brief performance by Tomeu Penya playing the guitar, as a final token of gratitude and a vision of the future. 150 years of history A wide range of different activities have marked a year of celebration and projection towards the future. From publications, exhibitions to congresses and cultural shows, the five ports have hosted the scheduled events. The aim of these anniversaries is to remember as well as to strengthen the spirit of service of the port authority towards the port community and society in general. A mission with different names and competencies over time, which seeks to respond more effectively to the daily challenges that arise in the port area, adapting and modernising the port facilities and services in order to improve the fluidity and comfort of goods and passenger traffic.

150th anniversary History Port-city
The APB and the Palma City Council will set up three park-and-ride car parks with capacity for more than one thousand vehicles at the Seafront Promenade and the frequency of the EMT bus service will be increased

The APB and the Palma City Council will set up three park-and-ride car parks with capacity for more than one thousand vehicles at the Seafront Promenade and the frequency of the EMT bus service will be increased

 24/02/2023

Representatives of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and Palma City Council met today with the stakeholders involved in the remodelling of the new Promenade to raise various mobility-related issues. The meeting was attended by the councillor for Infrastructures and Accessibility, Angélica Pastor, and the head of Planning and Infrastructures of the APB, Antoni Ginard. Cort explained that two plots of land have been identified in the area that will be used as temporary park-and-ride lots with a capacity for 950 vehicles. The APB will also gradually remove the parking spaces to adapt to the new proposed sites and 108 parking spaces will be maintained on the seaward side throughout phase 1 of the works (end of 2023) and phase 2 (first half of 2024). This will enable 92 parking spaces to be maintained, plus 9 parking spaces for loading and unloading and 7 for people with reduced mobility. A first park-and-ride area will be set up in Federico García Lorca Street with a capacity for about 150 parking spaces. Palma City Council is carrying out a series of improvements so that it can become operational at the beginning of 2023. The site will be cleaned, lighting will be installed, railings will be fixed, the slope will be levelled off, the land will be adapted and the parking spaces will be organised. The car park at Les Golondrinas quay, with a capacity for 80 vehicles, will also be opened to the public. In addition, there will be a 30,000 square metre site next to CLH with a capacity for 800 parking spaces. The administrative procedures will now be launched to enable it to be used as a temporary deterrent parking area for access to the city's Western zone. The work to be carried out includes the installation of the water collection network, as well as lighting and paving, among others. The existing trees will be maintained. It is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2023. This car park will be connected to line 1 of the EMT, which will increase its frequency, and which currently connects the area to the city centre. At the same time, the APB will maintain the parking areas in the middle of the Promenade during the first quarter of the year, while the deterrent park-and-ride facility is being set up. The parking areas are actually located at Pl. Mediterránea, Marina Puerto de Mallorca, Aigo Dolça and Auditórium. In addition to the new car parks to be set up, there are others in the area, such as the Marquès de la Sènia municipal, the Estación Marítima and the Joan Miró 55 car parks, among others. Furthermore, the s'Aigo Dolça car park, with a capacity for 117 vehicles, will be operational from 2024. Once the works on the new Promenade have been completed, four Bicipalma public bicycle dock stations will be installed. Four traffic lanes As for traffic, four lanes (two in each direction) will be maintained along the entire route and practically throughout the entire construction period, as has been the case until now. In addition, specific work is currently being carried out on the existing pavement on the sea side to convert it into a roadway. A pedestrian promenade The promenade project is defined as "a promenade for pedestrians". Therefore, the pedestrian area will be increased from 29.5 to 39.7%, and the pavements in the area furthest from the sea, which are now between 2.5 and 5 metres wide, will then be 5 to 10 metres wide. This will guarantee that terraces, green areas, parking, bus stops, containers, etc. can all be used without encroaching on the pedestrian precinct. The departments of Infrastructures, Mobility and City Model, Decent Housing and Sustainability have been coordinated in order to carry out the actions in both areas.

Port-city Transport and infrastructure Socio-economic development