News APB | Ports de Balears

The president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) emphasizes the importance of Majorca’s candidature as a Sustainable Tourism Observatory

19/11/2020

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) supports Majorca’s candidature as Sustainable Tourism Observatory, with a view to it becoming an important tool in positioning the island as a more sustainable, safe, modern, and quality destination. This was evident in today’s online event whose participants included the president of APB, Francesc Antich, the Tourism and Sports minister at the Council of Majorca, Andreu Serra, the CEO of AnySolution, Dolores Ordóñez, and the head of Quality, Environment, Innovation and CSR department at APB, Jorge Martín. The APB considers this step to be an important tool for focusing on a change of model, without neglecting tourism but rather turning it into a benchmark in terms of sustainability, since this Observatory would be the second in Spain, eighth in the European Union and 31st in the world. In this respect, the president of the APB, Francesc Antich, stressed the importance of promoting the candidature: "There is no doubt that Majorca’s experience and its high tourism carrying capacity, its great dependence on tourism and insular character, the uniqueness, richness and fragility of its landscape and its marine and land-based natural resources, make it a unique place, worthy of the benefits of the Observatory, its complicities and synergies, its rigorous and persistent perspective aimed at enriching and improving its tourism model and encouraging other destinations to do the same". The minister, Andreu Serra, valued the importance of having an Observatory that "will provide us with data for the future promotion of tourism, as well as an indication of our next move and our needs within the Sustainable Development Goals". In addition, Serra said that the Observatory will also "be a fundamental tool in consolidating the island as a safe destination in the entire tourism value chain." There are several requirements for Majorca to become part of the Sustainable Tourism Observatories network, which are mainly leadership, the value chain or cooperative work, as well as environmental values, such as acoustic pressure, CO2 levels, etc., enabling us to determine the reality of this region in comparison with others, through the different Observatories, contributing to the internationalisation of the destination. The candidature is managed by the Majorca Tourism Foundation, which is promoting other activities to ensure the island’s position. What is a Sustainable Tourism Observatory? It is a network promoted by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) to support the continuous improvement of sustainability and collaborate in the tourism sector’s ability to recover through the systematic and periodic monitoring of the results and the impact of tourism. Along these lines, observatories provide a better understanding of the use of resources at the destination and promote responsible tourism management.

The APB assigns a lightweight fire engine to the Palma Fire Brigade to be able to work in the Port of Palma

16/11/2020

This Tuesday, the Palma Fire Brigade received a new lightweight fire engine on loan from the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB). It is designed to operate in areas with very limited mobility such as the old districts of cities and the ports themselves. Thus, the vehicle can make sharp turns in narrow streets, given its small dimensions and lightweight design. The approximate cost of this fire engine is €200,000, which have been paid by the APB. The Palma City Council, in turn, has provided the equipment, amounting to €18,000. The APB Chairman, Francesc Antich the Mayor of Palma, José Hila the Councillor for Public Safety, Joana Maria Adrover and representatives of the Palma Fire Brigade attended the handover ceremony. With this new vehicle, the APB reinforces its fire-fighting resources in Palma. Both organisations have been working together for years in the areas of prevention, fire-fighting, rescue and civil protection so as to make the most of the resources and means available and to raise safety levels. The Port of Palma has an Internal Emergency Plan (PEI) drawn up by the APB in which the Palma Fire Brigade is considered as an intervention group, whose functions include emergency assistance, extinguishing fires on land and on boats, intervening in civil protection operations, evacuation tasks, land rescue operations and participating in drills. In return, the Palma Fire Brigade, as urban and industrial firefighters, will be able to use the vehicle in the city, thus improving the safety of citizens throughout the municipality. The first partnership agreement between the two organisation dates back to 2001. The last one, under which this vehicle has been delivered, was signed in 2012 and ended on 1 October this year. This agreement establishes that the APB will provide the Palma Fire Brigade with financial support for training, specific resources and a lightweight fire engine, in return for the commitment to deal with any emergencies that may arise in the port, as part of its Internal Emergency Plan.

The APB, present at the Balearic Yacht Show

16/11/2020

Everything is now ready for the top players in the national and international sailing industry to come together at this innovative online meeting organised by the Majorca Chamber of Commerce and the Balearic Marine Cluster, with the support of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands. We invite you to navigate through the Balearic Yacht Show, the first virtual nautical show in the Balearics, where more than 80 national and international companies will be showcasing their products and services, as well as taking advantage of this meeting to generate synergies. This online yacht show is rounded off with a programme of talks, conferences and live events where major local and international speakers will be sharing their expertise and reviewing different topics that directly affect the industry. Environmental challenges, the evolution of the industry, and the impact of Brexit... are just some of the topics that will be addressed during the three days of the show. Click on www.balearicyachtshow.org to dive into a totally virtual yacht show, where you can go on virtual visits to yachts, attend live talks with exhibitors and participate in interesting conferences about the sector. Don't miss out on all the work being done by the nautical industry to ensure that this first virtual yacht show in the Balearic Islands is a resounding success. Remember to register at www.balearicyachtshow.org and interact with the main professionals in the sector. We look forward to seeing you from 18 to 20 November at the Balearic Yacht Show!

Signing of the fire prevention and firefighting, rescue and civil defence agreement between the Minorca Island Council and the APB

10/11/2020

The cooperation between the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and the Minorca Island Council has been further strengthened with the signing of an agreement on fire prevention, firefighting, rescue and civil defence, in order to optimise the resources and equipment available and to increase safety in the port area. According to this agreement, the APB will provide equipment and a specific training programme for the Minorca Island Council's firefighting brigades (SPEIS), with a budget of €218,000 for the next four years. The Port of Mahon has its own Emergency Plan drawn up by the APB in which the SPEIS is considered as an emergency response group whose functions include fighting fires on land and on ship, intervening in civil defence operations, evacuation tasks, land rescue operations, the loading and unloading of dangerous goods and participation in drills, among other activities. This reciprocal partnership dates back to 2001, when the first cooperation agreement was signed between the two organisations. Through this agreement, the APB provides assistance at all times in tasks carried out by the SPEIS as well as human resources for the development of surveillance activities in the service area at the Port of Mahon.

The APB presents a pioneering system for the collection of marine waste from the ports of Ibiza and La Savina

10/11/2020

This morning a demonstration of the innovative system for cleaning the water surface and combating marine pollution in the ports of Ibiza and La Savina, which has been in service for three weeks, was given to the media. The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands' representative for the ports of Ibiza and La Savina, Ignacio Revilla Alonso, and Noelia Sosa Puig, an oceanographer and graduate in Marine Sciences from Patena, the joint venture that won the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands' service contract, presented the system at the Port of Ibiza. The system, which is unique in the world and on the Spanish coast due to the solutions it provides and the innovations it features, consists of an innovative solar-powered catamaran, a semi-rigid hybrid boat, and a modern electric drone to reach the most inaccessible areas. The three devices will be entrusted with removing solid waste and other floating and semi-submerged items from the waters around Ibiza and La Savina every day of the year with a maximum response time of 30 minutes when dealing with pollution situations, such as hydrocarbons or grey water, and providing assistance in other emergencies. The equipment The CatClean85 catamaran, created to clean the water surface and built with low environmental impact processes, is 100% electric, pluggable and solar-powered, without any type of petrol or diesel generator or alternator. The catamaran is 8.5 metres long and can sail in both directions. It has a battery life of two days (18 hours) when sailing at a speed of between 2.5 and 3 knots. However, it has unlimited autonomy sailing at an average speed of 1.5 knots, using the energy generated by its solar panels. The plastic and floating material collection system consists of a large shovel capable of lifting nearly a tonne of waste and collecting objects ranging from 10 millimetres to the size of a commercial metal drum. Its reduced draught (0.5m) enables it to work in shallow areas and even list without sand entering. It can also work in dirty water and with products or liquids that are potentially harmful to conventional engines. A skimmer-type endless suction device can be fitted for tasks requiring the collection of oil by-products and other substances. The water drone, which is also similar to a catamaran, is almost two metres long and 1.5 metres wide. It can collect up to 250 litres of marine waste and has an autonomy of 8 hours. Designed to be versatile and to reach the most difficult areas between the pontoons and the boats, the drone has, among other features, an LCD screen display, and 4G and 2.4G remote control. It can travel up to two kilometres from the control and operating area. Its deck is panelled with shock- and weather-resistant solar panels, and it has cameras and artificial intelligence systems for autonomous or semi-autonomous tracking and navigation. The 7.6m semi-rigid cleaning boat is suitable for high-risk areas thanks to its flexible and highly resistant sides. Its distinguishing feature is its hybrid design, with an electric motor for cleaning the water surface inside the ports, powered by two 48V batteries, which give it 18 hours of autonomy. Its bow is equipped with two large cleaning baskets, and all its instruments are powered by a solar panel located above the wheelhouse. Ibiza and La Savina The ports of Ibiza and La Savina receive more than 44,000 port calls a year and nearly five million passengers annually between the two ports (2019 data), with annual passenger traffic equivalent to that of the Port of Algeciras including the summer season operations to cross the Straits of Gibraltar.

The APB supports Majorca's candidacy as a Sustainable Tourism Observatory

05/11/2020

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is supporting Majorca's candidacy as a Sustainable Tourism Observatory, using this as an important tool to position Majorca as a more sustainable, safe, modern, high-quality destination. The APB believes that this initiative is an important tool for changing its tourism model to make it more sustainable, and make Majorca a benchmark for sustainable tourism, given that this Observatory would be the only second in Spain, the eighth in the European Union and the 31st in the world. An online event has been organised to present this initiative to the port community on 17 November, with the participation of the APB Chairman, Francesc Antich the Majorca Island Council's Tourism and Sports Councillor, Andreu Serra the Managing Director of AnySolution, Dolores Ordóñez and the APB's Head of Quality, Environment, Innovation and CSR, Jorge Martín. Requirements There are several requirements that will be taken into account before Majorca can become part of the network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories. These include leadership, the value chain, cooperative work, and environmental values, such as sound pressure and CO2 levels. These will determine the reality of this region in comparison to the others through the different observatories, and will thus contribute to improve the international outreach of the destination. The candidacy is being organised by the Fundació Mallorca Turisme, which is promoting other actions to position the island. What is a Sustainable Tourism Observatory? It is a network promoted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) which aims to continuously improve sustainability and assist the tourism sector in its recovery through systemic, regular monitoring of the results and impact of tourism. In this way, the observatories provide a better understanding of the use of resources in the destinations and encourage responsible tourism management.

The APB Board of Directors agrees to put out to tender the management of the facilities administered by the Ibiza Yacht Club

03/11/2020

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) Board of Directors today agreed to tender the temporary occupancy permit for the management of the moorings for small and medium-sized boats administered by the Ibiza Yacht Club in the Port of Ibiza. The call for a public tender has been agreed on so that, on a transitional basis and for a period not exceeding three years, the services can continue to be provided to users while the appeal filed by the APB with the Spanish High Court against the ruling of the High Court of the Balearic Islands (TSJIB), which halted the process of awarding the concession to the Ibiza Yacht Club, is resolved. This agreement was reached after the company Doce Millas, in addition to the Ibiza Yacht Club, asked to be able to temporarily manage the marina facilities until a definitive tender can be put out. The decision of the APB's Board of Directors is backed by reports issued by the State Attorney's Office, the Balearic Islands State Attorney's Office and the State-owned Ports Body. Social function The tender terms and conditions include the management of the current moorings, as well as the social club building, the area for the repair and maintenance of boats and the area for recreational sailing. In order to determine the most advantageous bid, priority will be given to the reduced rates offered to mooring users. The reduced rates for the use of the moorings will have a 50% weighting in the assessment of the bids. The other 50% will be distributed as follows: 20% for the investment proposed to guarantee the safety of the facilities during this time, another 20% for the commitment to carry out social and cultural activities with a not-for-profit purpose, as well as the economic contribution that the operator will make to this type of activity, and the remaining 10% to improve the initial annual occupancy rate of €312,395.99. The duration of the authorisation and its termination will depend on how the appeal filed by the APB is resolved, and in any case may not exceed the maximum period of three years established for this type of permit. The APB Board of Directors has also agreed, as established in the Public Sector Procurement Law, to allow the Ibiza Yacht Club to continue providing the services it has been offering up until now, while the tender is being resolved, i.e. an estimated period of between two and four months, starting on 31 October, the date on which the current authorisation ends. Pending the courts' decision In June 2020, the APB agreed and petitioned the Balearic Islands State Attorney’s Office to file an appeal with the High Court against the May 2020 ruling issued by the TSJIB, which declared the agreement reached by the APB Board of Directors on 18th July 2018, ratifying the choice of the bid presented by the Ibiza Yacht Club as the best bid for the concession to manage this area of the Port of Ibiza, to be legally invalid. This appeal is pending before the High Court.

Approval of the by-law regulating traffic in the APB ports' service areas

03/11/2020

The new by-law regulating vehicle and passenger traffic in the service areas of the five ports managed by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) was published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on 29 October 2020. These regulations go into detail on certain issues that set out the scope of the APB's operations, differentiating between areas that are open to the public and limited access areas, and in the case of the latter, making a distinction between areas with controlled access and areas with restricted access. Specifically, it addresses situations involving pedestrian traffic, personal mobility vehicles, bicycles, scooters and skateboards, such as speed limits, special traffic measures, stops, parking and no stopping areas. The text includes guidelines on how to behave in the event of an accident or emergency in the port area, aimed at all those who may be involved in, witness or be party to these events. Finally, the car parking charges and times are specified, as well as the corresponding fines and penalties. The by-law was approved by the APB Board of Directors in a session held on 30 June 2020, by virtue of the provisions of article 33, section 2 b) and article 30, section 5 r) of the recast text of the Spanish Law on State-owned Ports and the Merchant Navy, passed by the Legislative Royal Decree 2/2011 of 5 September.

The APB puts out a tender for the management of large boat moorings on the Levante Dock at the Port of Ibiza

28/10/2020

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has agreed to put out a public tender for the management of large boat moorings on the Levante dock at the Port of Ibiza. The tender decision was taken once the Spanish Council of State had ratified the expiry of the concession held by the company YSM Marinas y Puertos España S.L., under the name Sovren Marina, last August. The new feature of this tender is that boats over 20 metres in length will be allowed to moor if they are home port yachts, i.e. if they stay for at least six months a year, or if they are transit boats calling at the port in low season. This measure has been taken to guarantee a larger number of boats and thus boost economic activity in the marina throughout the season. This new concession, like the previous one, comprises the management of 42,152 square metres of surface area - 38,852 m2 of water and 2,745 m2 of land - and two berthing lines, one 240 metres long on the Levante Quay and the other 115 metres long on the Es Martell Quay. The concession also includes the ground floor of the Es Martell building, which has an area of some 600 square metres and can be used as commercial premises for activities authorised by the APB. The roof and stairs of the building will continue to be for public use, as in the previous concession, just like the quay surface, where the installation of barriers or partitions to prevent pedestrians from using the area is prohibited. Concession expiry The concession period will be for a maximum of twelve years and will have a minimum occupancy charge of €408,019.20 per year. The APB will hand over the facilities to the concessionaire in the state in which Sovren Ibiza left them on the date its concession expired, with some of the work being unfinished. The company YSM Marina y Puertos de España currently owes the port authority a total of €5.5 million.

Restoration work on the roof of the Alcanada lighthouse is completed

22/10/2020

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has completed the restoration work on the roof of the Alcanada lighthouse in Alcudia. The renovation consisted of rebuilding the roof's support structure which, due to its poor condition, was discharging all its weight on the perimeter walls, and the installation of new roof tiles. In addition, the façade was painted, the interiors were rendered and joinery items were replaced. The work, which lasted two and a half months, was tendered to the company Vip Property Integral Services. Alcanada Lighthouse The Alcanada lighthouse was officially opened on 15 May 1861. It was designed by Emili Pou and was established as a sixth order lighthouse, with a catadioptric optical system and fixed light. Its technology has been continuously updated and modernised. In 1960, the lamp was removed and another non-visitable one was put in its place. This meant the light was now activated automatically by means of a solar valve and was the reason why the resident lightkeeper left the facility in 1961. Its light characteristics then changed to regular white flashes. Subsequently, in the 1990s, solar panels were installed which enabled the use of gas apparatus to be removed. As in many other lighthouses, the Alcanada lighthouse keepers have taken an active role in helping the victims of several shipwrecks throughout history.

APB set to eliminate single-use plastics in its facilities

20/10/2020

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has approved an internal document, drawn up by the Quality, Environment, Innovation and CSR Department, to eliminate single-use plastic from its facilities. The document describes the measures adopted and initiatives to be studied in order to make it easier for the APB's staff to replace single-use plastic in the workplace. This initiative seeks to change the corporate culture through daily actions which include eliminating plastic cups and bottles, and encouraging employees to bring their own cups if they want to have a coffee from the vending machines. In addition, in the APB facilities where there are resources to wash reusable kitchenware, no single-use plastic is made available to office staff. In specific cases where single-use items must be used for health and hygiene reasons, they are 100% compostable. Triage and recycling The APB currently has separate containers in its facilities for separating office waste such as paper, packaging and waste, as well as containers for toner cartridges and batteries. The APB ensures that each type of waste is properly handled by authorised waste managers. Light packaging, paper and other waste is collected and weighed every day, so as to correctly monitor how much of this waste is being produced. It is then placed separately in municipal containers to ensure that each type of waste can be properly handled, thus facilitating recycling or recovery.

The Chairman of the APB announces the start of the procedure to integrate the Avenida de Santa Eulària into the Port of Ibiza

15/10/2020

The Chairman of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), Francesc Antich, has paid a first official visit to the Ibiza City Council where he met the Mayor of Ibiza, Rafa Ruiz. During the meeting, they reviewed various issues related to the Port of Ibiza and announced the start of the procedure to integrate the Avenida de Santa Eulària and the areas surrounding the APB's headquarters into the city in 2021. The procedure for this project, which runs from the current Formentera Passenger Terminal to the APB's headquarters will be carried out over the next year with the aim of starting work in October, after the tourist season. The initiative has a budget of approximately €1 million. The integration project for the Avenida de Santa Eulària includes widening the pavements, removing architectural barriers and building a bike lane that will connect with the current lane in the quay area at the Port of Ibiza. The project will continue with the integration of the port into the city and turn it into a leisure area for residents and visitors.