The Government is reclaiming concessions to boost public works

BarcelonaThe Catalan government wants to move away from the model that has been used to build and manage large public infrastructure projects over the last 14 years. This model is characterized by two elements: the payment for road use by the administration, popularly known as shadow tolling, and the possibility for private companies to buy back part or all of the completed infrastructure from the administration. This "Copernican" shift, according to sources in the Department of Territory, Housing, and Ecological Transition, seeks to resolve the problems of underinvestment in infrastructure maintenance by linking investment, replacement, and maintenance. Therefore, as the head of the department, Silvia Paneque, announced on February 6, the Catalan government has launched a preliminary market consultation (CPM) to explore public works concessions with availability-based payments, meaning payment is based on the condition of the infrastructure rather than its usage. This will be done in three major areas of mobility: roads, electric vehicle charging, and Metro Line L9. All of this with a planned investment exceeding €1.2 billion. The expectation is to begin bidding this year.

The last major infrastructure dispute for the Catalan government was with Cedinsa, the concessionaire that operated the Eix Transversal (C-25). In 2022, the Catalan administration decided to terminate its concession agreement with the company and assume its management. The operation was approved last year by the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC). Experts believe that the burden of shadow tolls on Catalan roads negatively impacts the capacity to invest in new infrastructure.

Alternating lane roads

The revival of this concession model, known as the German model, aims to promote projects worth €666 million – more than half of the planned budget – to transform several sections of Catalan roads, totaling 430 kilometers, into a 2+1 format by 2030, which consists of a safe, three-lane road. Under this model, the administration pays a fee based on the quality and availability of the road, without tolls or additional costs for the user, nor any demand/traffic risk for the concessionaire. In this context, the objective of the preliminary consultation is to determine the potential scope of the concession routes that may be of interest. The 2+1 program includes investments in various roads, and the definition of the routes, explained sources from the department, should incorporate those sections where these projects allow for the creation of these alternative corridors.

These sections, totaling 430 kilometers, comprise 12 road segments, including the C-12 from Amposta to Lleida (81.5 km), the C-14 from Alcover to Montblanc (14.8 km), the C-66 from Girona to Palafrugell (22.3 km), and the C-31 from Palafrugell to the Empordà lighthouse (26.5 km), among others.

€18 million for ultra-fast charging

Part of the planned investment will be allocated to the deployment of ultra-fast charging infrastructure in publicly owned service areas managed by the Department of Territory. This work will be carried out by Cimalsa, a public company of the Generalitat (Catalan government) responsible for the promotion, development, and management of infrastructure. The investments will be concentrated primarily in the Barcelona area, at various points along highways such as the C-32, in the Tordera, Maresme, and Gavà areas, as well as in the Montcada area of ​​the C-33, the La Roca area of ​​the C-60, and the Montserrat area of ​​the C-60. The goal is to guarantee charging coverage at least every 60 km on the trans-European transport network and other service lines, with a power output of 150 kW per charging point.

The consultation is a regulated process to prepare for a future tender and assess the technical and economic feasibility of the program. In the case of, for example, electric vehicle charging points, this allows operators, manufacturers, energy retailers, and mobility service providers to consult the terms of the new tenders.

Complete Metro Line 9

The third area is Metro Line 9 (L9), for which the Generalitat (Catalan government) intends to award the completion of the remaining stations—known as the central section—of which there are nine, some of which are already built. The estimated investment is €500 million, including the initial allocation and reinvestments during the concession period. This model, in which a private operator assumes the construction, installation, and maintenance of infrastructure for a period of time with payments linked to its availability, will focus on the stations themselves—that is, facilities, escalators, and elevators—and excludes tunnels or tracks, which are part of the civil engineering work. This model is already in place at the currently operational stations of L9 and also L10.