The Port of Vigo consolidates its position as a European leader in the use of clean energies

• The institution presided over by Vázquez Almuiña continues to advance in its European plan for sustainable Blue Economy.
• The President of Puertos del Estado, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, and the President of the Port of Vigo, Jesús Vázquez Almuiña, presented the project to improve the energy efficiency of the Fish Market or 'Fish Market 4.0.'
• It is the first major fish market in Europe to operate with renewable energy with storage, allowing the optimization of the building's energy balance and reducing its annual consumption by 215,000 kW.
• This initiative is part of the commitment of the Port Authority of Vigo to the environment and the promotion of sustainability through its Blue Growth strategy.

Vigo, January 24, 2023.

The Port of Vigo will now have more efficient fishing facilities, thanks to the completion of the project to improve the energy efficiency of the Fish Market or 'Fish Market 4.0.' An action that is part of the commitment of the Port Authority of Vigo to the environment and the promotion of sustainability through its Blue Growth strategy.

As highlighted by the President of the Port Authority of Vigo, Jesús Vázquez Almuiña, at the inauguration of this renovated space, attended by the President of Puertos del Estado, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, as well as the delegate of the Xunta in Vigo, Marta Fernández-Tapias, the director of the European Fisheries Control Agency, Susan Steele, members of the Board of Directors and the management team of the Port, State Security Forces and Corps, representatives of the Port Community, and the Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Vigo, the total investment budget amounts to €2.5 million, of which €1.9 million will be financed with FEDER-IDAE funds and €500,000 through a collaboration agreement with Puertos del Estado for the development of this innovative project to improve the energy efficiency of the Fish Market, within the framework of the Innovation Promotion Plan for Transport and Infrastructure of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility, and Urban Agenda. The works have been carried out by the UTE Demain Obras y Servicios, S.L. - Frimarte, S.L.

Commitment to Innovation and Environmental Sustainability

The President of Puertos del Estado, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, congratulated the Port Authority for this project, which positions the Port of Vigo as a benchmark in Europe, emphasizing the importance of innovation and environmental sustainability in the future of ports, as fundamental criteria established in the new Strategic Framework of the Spanish port system.

According to Vázquez Almuiña, this initiative aims to improve the insulation conditions of the auction room envelope, as well as the modernization of refrigeration and lighting facilities and the installation of solar panels on the parking deck for self-consumption, equipped with an innovative storage battery system. This will optimize the building's energy balance by producing and storing energy during the day to be consumed at night, coinciding with the period of activity in the Fish Market. It is estimated that this system will reduce the annual consumption of the fish market by 215,000 kW.

"These actions," he emphasized, "will increase the energy efficiency rating of the building by one letter and will make this facility the first major fish market in Europe to operate with renewable energy and storage." To achieve this, a total of 306 photovoltaic panels of 550Wp and 2.1m2 of unit area have been installed on the roof of the Fish Market. This is a total area of approximately 800m2. The total power of the installation is 147kW. It consists of 3 network inverters, in addition to 20 lithium batteries of 180 amperes.

During his speech, the President of the Port of Vigo also referred to the tough times the sector is going through and mentioned the new bans that would affect trawl fishing, adding to those that came into effect last October, as well as the necessary reduction of VAT on all fishery products to favor "the multiple benefits of the Atlantic diet."

Faced with the uncertainty looming over the sector, Vázquez Almuiña recalled the leadership of the Port of Vigo in fishing traffic and the institution's strong commitment to environmental protection and sustainability as priorities within its Blue Growth strategy.