In the first half of 2010, total throughput in the Port of Bilbao reached 15.5 million tonnes, a very similar figure to last year's. The growth of dry cargo is outstanding 34%, inside which general cargo grew 50%, mainly due to the increase in iron and steel products, machinery and spare parts.
Solid bulks, on the other hand, went up by 43%, with iron ore, scrap and chemical products standing out. Likewise, container goods and the number of TEUS grew by 18% thanks to the boost in iron and steel products and also in machinery and spare parts.
Half of the Port of Bilbao's overseas traffic, which grew by 8%, still has the European Atlantic as its origin or destination. There was an outstanding 70% growth experienced in the African Atlantic. In regard to countries, the main origins or destinations of Port of Bilbao total traffic (including hydrocarbons) are Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Iran and the Netherlands.
In the half year ending, several shipping companies have reinforced their maritime offer in the Port of Bilbao. The main initiatives are as follows:
1. DFDS Lys Line has reinforced its service with larger vessels and new destinations. In addition to the usual destinations of Immingham, Moss and Lysekil, the ports of Hamburg, Chatham and Halden have been added, with the option of calls at Tilbury and Bruges
2. NORMED, a new regular service between Bilbao and Turkey calling at Istanbul and Izmir has been established
3. Transfennica has reinforced its motorway of the seas with Zeebrugge by adding a new destination to Tilbury
4. WEC Holland Mass has added a second weekly service to Sines, to the one that already exists with Portugal and the Canary Islands
5. MacAndrews has increased its weekly links between Bilbao and the British Isles and Holland, which now number five
6. Finnlines has extended its Bilbao Antwerp Helsinki route to the Port of Saint Petersburg with three modern Ro Ro vessels.
7. Maersk will reinforce its weekly Algeciras service with its own vessel
In terms of passengers, 79,724 tourists have come to the Basque Country by sea, which supposes 20% more than in the same period for last year. These passengers can be broken down to the 58,174 (+16%) who arrived on the Portsmouth Bilbao ferry, while the remaining 21,550 were cruise tourists 29%. Since May, Bilbao has been a base cruise port thanks to the Iberocruceros shipping company and its vessel the Grand Mistral.
The Port Authority of Bilbao, in spite of the crisis, has maintained its investment plan. This year, it will invest EUR 42.4 million, of which EUR 20.6 million have already been used. In March, the civil works on Dock AZ-3 were concluded, while those on Dock AZ-2 will be completed in 2011.
Likewise, EUR 1.9 million are being invested in the building of a provisional 1,400 square meter maritime station at the Getxo Cruise Terminal; 7.2 million in the maintenance works on Punta Lucero Breakwater, the second in time of the Port of Bilbao and the one closing the outer entrance to the bay and at the end of July, the restoration works for another of the Port's emblematic constructions the Iron Dock at Portugalete will be awarded.
The Port Authority is also carrying out important investments in the prevention and environmental areas. In this sense, a new hydrocarbons waste simulator, based on a mathematical model, has been acquired. Similarly, in conjunction with the Interior Department of the Autonomous Basque Government, an emergency warnings network for possible toxic escapes from companies located in the Port of Bilbao has been brought into operation.
As to private companies, there are projects in force worth over EUR 50 million at the present time. The most outstanding ones include the building of new tanks for chemical products by Acideka; the Intertek Ibérica fuels laboratory; the solid bulks coke and sulphur storage plant promoted by Petronor, and the Acoleq sulphuric acid plant. In the industrial zone there are three plots of land in different states of negotiation for future assignment.
Solid bulks, on the other hand, went up by 43%, with iron ore, scrap and chemical products standing out. Likewise, container goods and the number of TEUS grew by 18% thanks to the boost in iron and steel products and also in machinery and spare parts.
Half of the Port of Bilbao's overseas traffic, which grew by 8%, still has the European Atlantic as its origin or destination. There was an outstanding 70% growth experienced in the African Atlantic. In regard to countries, the main origins or destinations of Port of Bilbao total traffic (including hydrocarbons) are Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Iran and the Netherlands.
In the half year ending, several shipping companies have reinforced their maritime offer in the Port of Bilbao. The main initiatives are as follows:
1. DFDS Lys Line has reinforced its service with larger vessels and new destinations. In addition to the usual destinations of Immingham, Moss and Lysekil, the ports of Hamburg, Chatham and Halden have been added, with the option of calls at Tilbury and Bruges
2. NORMED, a new regular service between Bilbao and Turkey calling at Istanbul and Izmir has been established
3. Transfennica has reinforced its motorway of the seas with Zeebrugge by adding a new destination to Tilbury
4. WEC Holland Mass has added a second weekly service to Sines, to the one that already exists with Portugal and the Canary Islands
5. MacAndrews has increased its weekly links between Bilbao and the British Isles and Holland, which now number five
6. Finnlines has extended its Bilbao Antwerp Helsinki route to the Port of Saint Petersburg with three modern Ro Ro vessels.
7. Maersk will reinforce its weekly Algeciras service with its own vessel
In terms of passengers, 79,724 tourists have come to the Basque Country by sea, which supposes 20% more than in the same period for last year. These passengers can be broken down to the 58,174 (+16%) who arrived on the Portsmouth Bilbao ferry, while the remaining 21,550 were cruise tourists 29%. Since May, Bilbao has been a base cruise port thanks to the Iberocruceros shipping company and its vessel the Grand Mistral.
The Port Authority of Bilbao, in spite of the crisis, has maintained its investment plan. This year, it will invest EUR 42.4 million, of which EUR 20.6 million have already been used. In March, the civil works on Dock AZ-3 were concluded, while those on Dock AZ-2 will be completed in 2011.
Likewise, EUR 1.9 million are being invested in the building of a provisional 1,400 square meter maritime station at the Getxo Cruise Terminal; 7.2 million in the maintenance works on Punta Lucero Breakwater, the second in time of the Port of Bilbao and the one closing the outer entrance to the bay and at the end of July, the restoration works for another of the Port's emblematic constructions the Iron Dock at Portugalete will be awarded.
The Port Authority is also carrying out important investments in the prevention and environmental areas. In this sense, a new hydrocarbons waste simulator, based on a mathematical model, has been acquired. Similarly, in conjunction with the Interior Department of the Autonomous Basque Government, an emergency warnings network for possible toxic escapes from companies located in the Port of Bilbao has been brought into operation.
As to private companies, there are projects in force worth over EUR 50 million at the present time. The most outstanding ones include the building of new tanks for chemical products by Acideka; the Intertek Ibérica fuels laboratory; the solid bulks coke and sulphur storage plant promoted by Petronor, and the Acoleq sulphuric acid plant. In the industrial zone there are three plots of land in different states of negotiation for future assignment.