The President of Puertos del Estado and the President of the Port Authority of Tarragona discuss strategic projects of the Port

Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena meets with the Port Community during his visit to the Port of Tarragona.

February 11, 2022. The President of the Public Ports Body, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, visited the Port of Tarragona today. The meeting with the President of the Port of Tarragona, Josep M Cruset, and other officials of the Port Authority focused on presenting the port's strategic projects and analyzing the current state and future prospects of the port system with the Port Community of Tarragona.

The visit began with a working meeting with the Executive Committee of the Port Authority of Tarragona, which served to explain the status of the investments that the Port is developing under the slogan "Horizon 2023" with the aim of growing, increasing traffic, and enhancing its competitiveness. Cruset stated that "the deployment of 'Horizon 2023' will involve the implementation of several own and external investments, around 2023 and early 2024, which will provide a solid foundation for the growth of port activity and the local economy and employment."

On the one hand, the operation of the Mediterranean Corridor will make the port the southernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula with a connection to Europe in international gauge. Almost simultaneously, the start-up of the Lilla tunnel on the A-27 will improve land connectivity, in terms of time and efficiency, with the hinterland of the Port. On the other hand, Tarragona is working on the construction of three major infrastructures that will generate growth in port traffic, especially general cargo, and contribute to the economic recovery of the province of Tarragona.

Port Tarragona is developing a Logistics Activities Zone, with an investment of over 30 million euros in the coming years, to urbanize a port area of ​​nearly one million square meters ready to accommodate private investments for the implementation of logistics activities with high added value. In parallel, the Port is making a 15 million euro investment in the construction of a new intermodal terminal in Guadalajara-Marchamalo, just 60 km from Madrid, and directly connected to the port's intermodal terminal: La Boella. The concession of this terminal will involve private investment of more than 20 million euros (plus 5 million in public investment) for the expansion, modernization, and operation of this infrastructure, contributing to the growth of general cargo traffic and rail transport.

After the presentation by the president of Port Tarragona, the president of Puertos del Estado conveyed to the executives of the Port Authority that "2022 will be a key year for the Spanish port system as we have important challenges ahead to make ports more and better connected, safe, smart, sustainable, and competitive."

MEETING WITH THE PORT COMMUNITY

After signing the Honor Book of the Port Authority, the President of Puertos del Estado met with more than 40 representatives of the local port community. The meeting with representatives of companies from different links in the logistics chain allowed for a common understanding of the different perspectives on the current state of the state port system. Companies operating in the Port of Tarragona expressed their willingness to support the Port Authority in this new growth phase with investments and new business opportunities.

According to Rodríguez Dapena, "public-private collaboration is essential to achieve economic, social, and environmental goals, and the Port of Tarragona is a good example of this strategy." He also urged business representatives to "seize the business opportunities that port infrastructures will offer in the coming years with the launch of projects related to digitization, innovation, and sustainability."

SEA TOUR

The visit of the President of Puertos del Estado concluded with a sea tour of the docks of the Port of Tarragona. One of the most interesting centers of the visit was the new Moll de Balears, with 700 meters of quay and 40,000 square meters of surface, which will soon host a private investment of 5.5 million from Global Ports that will result in a new cruise terminal. Port Tarragona expects to recover passenger figures from 2019, around 130,000 cruisers, in two or three years.