The Portuguese government plans to invest €931 million in the port of Leixões over the next decade, focused on the construction of a new container terminal on the north pier, as part of the Porto 5+ national strategy.
According to the cabinet resolution published last week, €219 million of the total investment will be financed by the port authority or European Union funds, and €712 million will come from private companies.
The resolution states that “in the Porto of Leixões, capacity is expected to increase by 10 million tonnes. The biggest increases in capacity will occur in containerised cargo with the new North Container Terminal, and in roll-on roll-off cargo.”
Planned works include the construction of a new quay and expansion of embankments at the North Container Terminal through a public tender, the expansion of the quay and embankment for roll-on roll-off cargo to the south, the conversion of the oil terminal and new inspection centre, and the modernisation of general cargo and dry bulk terminals with the alignment of the quay wall.
Investments also cover environmental and urban measures, including the installation of systems to produce and supply green energy to ships, the development of rail terminals, and the restructuring of the Leixões logistics platform.
Modernisation of urban spaces is planned with the municipality of Matosinhos, including changes to the port beltway. Of the total, €72 million is assigned to the logistics platform and railway in the port of Leixões, and €93 million to the integration of the port with Matosinhos.
By 2035, the port aims to handle 20 million tonnes of cargo, an increase of 35%, and one million TEU, a rise of 40%, with gains in general break-bulk, roll-on roll-off, containerised cargo, and bulk goods.
New concessions are foreseen: €430 million for the container terminal with a capacity of 1.6 million TEU, €85 million for general cargo with 4.5 million tonnes, and €50 million for roll-on roll-off with 3.0 million tonnes.
In 2024, the port of Leixões saw a 2% decline in cargo handled, from 14.7 million tonnes in 2023 to 14.4 million, and lost its position as the leading port in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula to the port of A Coruña in Galicia.
The government also intends to increase cruise ship passenger numbers to 260,000 by 2035, compared with 196,000 in 2024.
The Administration of the Ports of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo (APDL) and the Matosinhos City Council were questioned by Lusa about the planned investments and have not yet responded.
Administration of the Ports of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo (APDL) is a Portuguese state-owned company responsible for the management, operation, and development of the ports of Douro, Leixões, and Viana do Castelo. Its activities are regulated by national port legislation, and it operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing.
Porto 5+ strategy is a government-adopted national investment strategy aimed at strengthening Portugal’s port infrastructure over a ten-year period. The program, approved by cabinet resolution, defines investment priorities, funding sources, and concession policies for maritime and logistics development. The Porto 5+ strategy foresees €4 billion in national investment by 2035, 75% of which will be private, with the launch of 15 new concessions.