News APB | Ports de Balears

Port Maó, Horizon 2030: the comprehensive transformation of the port of Mahon gets under way

23/07/2025

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (Autoridad Portuaria de Baleares - APB) has taken a decisive step today towards the transformation of the port of Mahon with the presentation of two strategic projects: the future maritime station of Cós Nou and the start of the public participation process for the redevelopment of the south bank. Both actions are part of the ambitious 'Port Mahon, Horizon 2030' plan, which foresees a joint public and private investment of 81 million euros until 2029.The president of the APB, Javier Sanz, stressed that in addition to the investment, what these projects stand out for is the public participation process which sustains the framework for the port-city improvement,"working with a model of integrated port that is open to the city and thinking of its people".During the morning, the basic project for the new Cós Nou maritime station was presented to the port's main users, which included security forces, logistics operators, local authorities and other agents of the port community. The proposal, drawn up by UTE Port Mahon—a temporary joint venture formed by Grimalt Nadal Morey Enginyers and Barceló-Balanzó Arquitectes and winner of the public tender called by the APB—is the result of a consensus between institutions, technicians and professionals with a stake in the port’s future.New maritime stationThe new station will replace the current temporary facility, substantially improving convenience and operability for passengers and logistics operators alike. Moreover, its construction paves the way for the consolidation of the port's transformation strategy, which has shifted goods traffic to the Cós Nou in order to free up the passenger quay and thus facilitate its urban integration and its dedication to cruise activity.Preparatory works have been underway since May 2025, starting with upgrades to the Cós Nou access road, an essential measure to ensure connectivity and the safe transit of heavy vehicles, budgeted at 2.83 million euros.The overall budget of the project amounts to 21 million euros. The construction project will be delivered in September and the tendering process for the works will follow. The new station is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2027, by which time the port will have a modern, operational infrastructure fully adapted to its current and future needs.Redevelopment of the south bankAt the same time, APB has announced the start of the public participation process to design the redevelopment of the south bank of the port of Mahon, comprised of the section between Colàrsega and Cala Figuera. This intervention aims to radically transform the seafront, creating a more attractive, accessible and sustainable urban environment. The process, which will begin in September and conclude at the end of the year, will be led by the NEARCO consultancy firm, with experience in similar processes in Mahon and other port cities.The aim of this process is to listen, gather proposals and build consensus with the different stakeholders, from local residents and traders to public institutions, professionals and citizens' groups. The conclusions obtained will be directly incorporated into the design of the preliminary project, guaranteeing a shared solution adapted to the region's real needs.The redesign of the south bank seeks to regain pedestrian space, reduce the prominence of road traffic and promote friendlier mobility, including a new bicycle lane and an electric public transport system that will connect the future Cala Figuera car park to the Cós Nou maritime station. It is also planned to expand the green space, incorporate quality street furniture and create new recreational areas designed for active and continuous use throughout the year.With these actions, APB reaffirms its commitment to an inclusive, sustainable and people-centred urban transformation. The port of Mahon is thus preparing to become better integrated into the city, more accessible to all and aligned with the values of social cohesion, environmental sustainability and economic development.

Port-city Transport and infrastructure Socio-economic development

Next Port Nautical Experience will manage the moorings on the Poniente quay in the port of Maó for the next 11 and a half years

22/07/2025

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (Autoridad Portuaria de Baleares - APB) has agreed, in its last meeting held yesterday afternoon, to choose the proposal of Next Port Nautical Experience as the most advantageous solution to manage an administrative concession for the mooring spots located on the Poniente quay of the port of Maó.The concession will have a duration of 11 years and 6 months and includes the management of a total of 17,500 square metres of water surface and 370 linear metres of mooring line.The company will invest 2.8 million euros in the modernisation of the docks, with structural repairs, renovation of the pavement, eight jetties (two fixed and six floating) and improvement of the electrical network. A service building and a clean point with a vacuum station for the collection of waste water and bilge will be built.The proposal also includes the installation of aerothermal systems for air conditioning and DHW, efficient LED lighting and solar beacons, as well as electric charging points for boats, vehicles and bicycles.In environmental aspects, most of the existing concrete anchor blocks will be reused, a vacuum water collection network connected to the municipal network will be implemented and innovative projects such as artificial micro-reefs and a pilot bioremediation module with seaweed cultivation will be developed.On the financial side, the company will pay an annual occupancy fee of 47,000 euros, plus 480,000 euros per year for improvements and 4 % of turnover as an activity tax.Change of managementThis concession incorporates two jetties previously managed directly by the APB, which means that 57 moorings are now under indirect management, linked to the new concessionary company. However, the fare will remain the same: €0.114 per square metre per day or fraction thereof.The APB is committed to maintaining the service to those users who do not agree with the change of management. They are eligible for a new berth in another part of the port, bearing in mind that their mooring rights are renewed biannually and are not of a permanent nature.On the other hand, the APB maintains the direct management of one jetty, which will retain 22 mooring spots for fishing boats and those providing port services, such as those dedicated to cleaning the coastline.This indirect management model optimises the use of port spaces and improves their operability.

Socio-economic development

Med Sea Yacht Services wins the tender to manage the dry dock at the port of Maó

22/07/2025

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (Autoridad Portuaria de Baleares - APB) has agreed at its last meeting, held yesterday Monday afternoon, to select the most advantageous offer, the proposal of the company Med Sea Yacht Services, to manage the installation for the mooring and launching of boats and supplies located at the Cós Nou quay, in the port of Maó.The concession will have a duration of 19 years and contemplates a total investment of 9 million euros for a comprehensive reorganisation of the dry dock, with the aim of modernising the existing infrastructures, expanding its operational capacity and meeting the technical needs of the nautical sector more efficiently.The proposal's most important initiatives include the enlargement of the current area of travel-lift operations, by lengthening the current breakwaters and the construction of two new ones, doubling the space for dry-docking and launching of vessels of different lengths. The mooring trains will also be renewed and new jetties will be installed.On land, the construction of a refuelling station with underground tanks with a 150,000 litre fuel capacity, five pumps - two with a high flow rate - and fast-loading outlets are planned, as well as a mobile unit and the addition of a pit for the repair of sailing boats.These interventions will make it possible to adapt the dry dock to current standards of quality and sustainability, and to reinforce the role of the port of Maó as a benchmark in boat maintenance and repair.In financial terms, the company will pay an annual occupancy fee of 177,000 euros, plus 88,800 euros per year for improvements and 4 % of turnover.Continuity of serviceSince 2022, the management of this facility has been in the hands of the company Desarrollos Concesionales Insulares (DECOIN), under a temporary authorisation that ends in August 2025.In order to guarantee service continuity during the completion of the administrative processing of the long-term concession awarded to Med Sea Yacht Services, the APB launched a parallel public tender for a new temporary authorisation of one year, extendable up to three years.This process has also been secured by Med Sea Yacht Services, which will take over the interim management until its ownership as concessionaire for the next 19 years is formalised. The temporary authorisation shall automatically lapse when the concession enters into force.

Socio-economic development

The port of Palma opens EM3 at night to receive migrants bound for the Peninsula

21/07/2025

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (Autoridad Portuaria de Baleares - APB) has made Maritime Station number 3 (EM3) of the port of Palma available to accommodate migrants in vulnerable situations who arrive in small boats on the island and who are then directed to the various reception centres that the State has on the mainland.The measure came into force last Saturday, by virtue of the negotiations and agreements reached between the APB and the Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands to attend to these people who are part of the protection programme for asylum seekers in Spain.The Government Delegation assumes the contracting of assistance to this group through the Red Cross, which includes the distribution of lunch and dinner, as well as the monitoring of the transfer. For its part, the APB hosted several people at the EM3 this weekend who had just recently reached the island in precarious vessels.Support services for these people in the port of Palma is offered without affecting the normal functioning and operation of the port of Palma.

Transport and infrastructure

The APB opens its facilities to UIB students to further their professional training

10/07/2025

The Balearic Islands Port Authority (Autoridad Portuaria de Baleares - APB) and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) have launched a collaboration programme that will allow university students to carry out external academic internships at the APB facilities. The aim of this initiative is to offer a more complete training to students, connecting the academic field with the real professional world.Thanks to this agreement, undergraduate and postgraduate students at the UIB will be able to complete their training through practical placements in the general interest ports managed by the Port Authority: Palma, Alcúdia, Maó, Ibiza and la Savina. Internships may be curricular or extracurricular and may also include final projects (TFG, TFM, PFC and TD), always adapted to the student's academic profile.The APB will be responsible for defining the profiles and tasks, as well as selecting the participants, while the UIB will ensure that the training requirements are met and will carry out the academic monitoring. Each student will be supervised by an academic tutor from the university and a professional tutor in the port environment.The project, with an initial duration of four years with the possibility of extension, also establishes a Joint Monitoring Committee to ensure the quality of the programme and resolve any possible incidents.With this initiative, the APB reaffirms its commitment to the training of young talent and the strengthening of its links with the university environment and Balearic society.

Port-city

The port of Ibiza makes progress in port-city integration and accessibility with the completion of two key developments

02/07/2025

The urban integration works on Santa Eulària avenue and the renovation of the access points to the Botafoc docks in Ibiza Port have been completed. Both developments, carried out by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), have been completed on schedule, with the aim of improving the port-city relationship and the port functionality.The Santa Eulària Avenue project has transformed the access to the port into a safer, more accessible and sustainable space, with a separate cycle lane, a new pavement for pedestrians, landscaped areas with trees, renovated street furniture and efficient lighting with LED technology. With an investment of 1.2 million euros, the development improves the connection between the Formentera passenger terminal and the city, while calming road traffic.The project is part of the APB's strategy to integrate the port with the urban fabric. To make this possible, Ibiza City Council played a key role, especially in the sections owned by the Council.Meanwhile, the improvement work on the Botafoc docks, begun last November, has also been completed, with an investment of 2.6 million euros. This project has made it possible to replace the four existing escalators and install two new ones (one ascending and one descending) at the end of the fixed walkway next to the breakwater. A new lift has also been added, and all flights of stairs have been covered with protective canopies. The canopies and railings of the fixed walkways have also been replaced and the pavement, which had been deteriorated by exposure to the marine environment, has been repaired.The work was carried out in phases over seven months to ensure the continuity of port operations. With this development, the safety and comfort conditions for passengers embarking and disembarking at the Botafoc docks are significantly improved.These developments reflect the firm commitment of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands to a concept of the port as an open, integrated space at the service of citizens. Universal accessibility, sustainable mobility and the coexistence between port activity and urban life are fundamental pillars in the planning and development of the ports managed by the APB.

Port-city Transport and infrastructure

The APB puts the contract for the port bus in the port of Ibiza out to public tender for a period of 15 years

26/06/2025

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) passed a resolution, in its last meeting held yesterday in Palma, to approve the specifications and clauses that will govern the public tender for the management, under concession, of the port bus in the port of Ibiza. The duration of this concession contract will be fifteen years.The service, which has been provided since 2023 under temporary one-year authorisations, is now entering a new phase that will allow for its long-term consolidation and the development of improvements in both operational and environmental sustainability. The tender aims to guarantee a more efficient, accessible service with a lower environmental impact, in line with the decarbonisation and sustainable mobility strategy promoted by the APB.The port bus service offers a priority maritime connection between the pontoon attached to the Botafoc Commercial Docks and the Contramuelle Norte, facilitating the transfer of passengers from the docking points to the city centre. The minimum frequency of the service during cruise calls will be 20 minutes, and the timetable shall be designed to match the ships' arrival and departure times. In addition, bidders may tender for other lines within port waters zone 1 using the embarkation and disembarkation points set out in the tender documents.The tender requires the successful bidder to have at least three vessels, with a total capacity of at least 150 passengers, and to have engines that comply with IMO Tier III international emissions standards. The use of clean technologies and proposals that reinforce the port's environmental commitment will be considered positively.In addition, the concession holder must maintain the facilities, manage waste, ensure accessibility and have modern ticketing and ticket control systems. The service will include physical customer service points and ticket offices, as well as digital solutions for purchase and access.The annual occupancy fee has been set at almost €8,000, while the activity rate is set at 4% of turnover.With this competition, the APB seeks to consolidate an internal maritime transport model that reduces land traffic, improves the user experience and contributes to the port system's sustainability objectives.

Port-city Transport and infrastructure Socio-economic development

OCIBAR will manage the marine sports area of the Botafoc in the port of Ibiza

26/06/2025

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), at a meeting held yesterday afternoon in the port of Palma, passed a resolution to award the company OCIBAR S.A. the management, under administrative authorisation, of the moorings, the service station, the dry dock area and the shopping premises located in the Botafoc area, in the port of Ibiza.The management period granted shall be for an initial period of two years, extendable for a maximum of three years. At the moment, the Special Plan for the Port is at an advanced stage of processing, which envisages, until it is approved, a call for tenders for a long-term concession - between 20 and 30 years - which would allow the significant investments necessary for the complete renovation of the facilities to be undertaken.This tender is intended to guarantee the provision of quality services in the port area during the transitional period, while the new planning process is being finalised. The plot of land under management covers a total of 97,000 m², of which 43,000 m² are land area, with various buildings for commercial uses, a service station for pleasure boats, and an area for mooring and repairing boats. This is in addition to more than 54,000 m² of water surface area, with 432 mooring places distributed over five pontoons.The award envisages an annual occupancy fee of €2,215,013.76 and a business tax of 4% on the turnover generated by the operation of the port services. In addition, OCIBAR S.A. has offered a fee improvement of €8,850,000 per year.With this resolution, the APB ensures the continuity and improvement in the management of one of the most important sites of the port of Ibiza, while waiting for the new Special Plan to allow the area to be comprehensively developed in the long term.

Socio-economic development

The port of Mahón steps up efforts to promote water conservation

19/06/2025

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has revived and intensified its awareness campaign “Every drop counts” in the port of Mahón this summer, aimed at promoting water conservation among recreational boat users.This move is part of the APB's commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. It also responds to the growing need to safeguard water resources, especially in places like ports, where activity increases significantly during the summer months.The campaign targets both mooring permit holders, whether directly or indirectly managed, and visiting boat users who drop into the harbour of Mahón during the summer season.Key initiatives include the distribution of hose nozzles with automatic shut-off to promote more efficient consumption, as well as information leaflets with the campaign's core message. This material has been handed over to the six marinas in the area: Amarres Poniente, Club Marítimo Mahón, Club Náutico Villacarlos, Marina Menorca, Marina Port Mahon and Mô Llevant.The campaign will also be rolled out in the Varadero Mô industrial area and at various official offices located in the port, such as the Harbour Master's Office, the Coastal Authority, the Island Council's Tourist Office and the APB's own offices.The message has been visually reinforced with 30 banners placed on the busiest quays on the south side of the port, reminding both sailors and pedestrians in Mahón and Es Castell that every drop counts.With this initiative, the APB rekindles its commitment to the environment and invites all port users to actively participate in the conservation of such an essential resource as water.

Environment and CSR

The APB and the Palma Local Police coordinate to regulate the occupation of the public domain of the pavement terraces on the seafront promenade

17/06/2025

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and Palma City Council will implement protocols and action procedures to control the illegal occupation of pavement terraces on the seafront promenade. Among other actions, it is envisaged to coordinate checks by officers on patrol in the area.This morning the councillor for Public Safety, Miguel Busquets, and the director of the APB, Toni Ginard, met at the San Fernando station of the Palma Local Police, along with the heads of their management teams and of the Local Police and Port Police. The meeting served to establish channels of communication between the two bodies, with the aim of achieving better monitoring of compliance with the authorisations for occupation of the public domain by the business premises in the port area.Checks by officers on patrolIn recent weeks. the Palma Local Police, in collaboration with the Port APB - Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, carried out a joint operation to check the occupation of the public thoroughfare by the pavement terraces of the leisure and restaurant establishments on Palma's seafront promenade, Avenida Gabriel Roca.Officers of the Port Police of the Port of Palma, as well as officers from several different units of the Local Police, took part in these operations. As a result of, several charges were brought for unauthorised occupation in the areas owned by the Port Authority and City Council.

Port-city Socio-economic development

The APB launches a tender to manage charter moorings on the seafront promenade of the port of Palma

12/06/2025

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has recently agreed to open a public tender to award the management and operation, under an administrative concession, of mooring berths for charter boats on the seafront promenade of the port of Palma.The tender procedure aims to award the operation of a total area of approximately 18,000 square metres of public port land, located next to the Golondrinas quay. Most of the space will be allocated to mooring around 95 boats that may be over 20 metres in length. The contract also includes a building for toilets and a harbour master's office.The services that the successful bidder must provide include managing moorings for charter boats, supplying water and electricity, including electric chargers for at least 4% of the moorings, and supplying fuel to boats moored at the facility, among other services.The maximum term for the management of the concession will be eighteen years. The tender sets an initial occupancy rate of around €430,000 per year, subject to increase, and an activity rate of 4% of annual turnover.Environmental competitivenessInvestment in infrastructure, environmental improvements such as the use of renewable energies, the quality of materials and the suitability of the environment will also be assessed.In addition, the specifications will assess the most competitive rates in the proposals, differentiated for basic and transient vessels, with different rates for high and low season, calculated in euros per square metre per day.

Socio-economic development

Large crowds turn out for the first Open Day at the port of Mahon

07/06/2025

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is delighted with the response of the Menorcan population to the first edition of the Open Ports Day in the port of Mahon, which saw a large turnout from all sectors of the public. More than forty public, private and non-profit organisations were involved in the port festival which brought the general public closer to the activities of ports of general interest and lighthouses.The president of the APB, Javier Sanz, said he was "satisfied and surprised by the large number of people and the interest we have awakened in the port, which is ultimately what we wanted". Sanz emphasised the numerous activities of various kinds and the displays of port trades which have been concentrated in various locations, "which are the soul of the port, which is what interests us".The event was led by President Sanz, along with the mayor of Mahon, Héctor Pons, the mayor of Es Castell, Lluís Camps, the Minister for the Sea and Water Cycle of the Balearic Islands Government, Juan Manuel Lafuente, and the president of the Menorca Island Council, Adolfo Vilafranca.The APB trophy, which counts towards the Balearic OCR cruiser championship, is one of the highlights of the programme. The sailing regatta, organised by the Mahon Maritime Club, set sail from the harbour in Mahón, right in front of the crowd gathered on the cruise ship pier. Maritime activities such as visits to the pilot boats, Maritime Rescue, moorings and tugboats have been very popular.The visits to the Favàritx lighthouse, the fishing dock, the naval station in the port of Mahón, the military fortifications of La Mola and Marlborough, the King's Island, the mussel farms and the excursions with swallows around the port have also been very popular.There were also activities for children organised by the Mahon Local Police, the 112 emergency service, the Menorca fire brigade and the Port Police, which attracted a lot of attention from the youngest members of the family.Travelling festivalPort Festa-Viu el port is an initiative that the APB launched in 2023 in the port of Palma, which this year was held in the port of Mahon and which next year is planned to be taken to the port of Ibiza, before coming to the ports of Alcudia and La Savina. This is a commitment of the port organisation in its Corporate Social Responsibility policy to unify and reinforce the identity and culture of the ports and to serve as a guide for the rest of the people and companies operating in its installations.

Port-city