The Port of Barcelona puts the multipurpose terminal at the Príncipe de España dock out to tender

BarcelonaThe board of directors of the Port of Barcelona gave the green light this Wednesday to the tender for a multipurpose public maritime terminal, located on the Príncipe de España dock, to be awarded through a concession. This tender is being launched following the expiration of the current concession later this year. The new terminal will ensure the continuity of general cargo activity, not contained within containers, traffic that is "essential for the Port's strategic positioning." According to a statement from the port authority, without this tender, the service would be monopolized. "The objective is to guarantee a competitive service, open to third parties and aligned with the logistical and industrial needs of the region," the organization stated. The future facility will have an area of ​​87,425 square meters, in addition to the office buildings and parking, which will be maintained, while the remaining structures may be renovated or replaced according to the winning bidder's proposal.

Investment in facilities

This tender anticipates an estimated investment of approximately €3.6 million in civil works and facilities. The terminal must have at least three mobile cranes (two of which must be less than five years old at the start of the concession) and six pieces of auxiliary equipment for handling cargo. If traffic exceeds certain thresholds (15,000 TEUs annually or 50,000 tons of roll-on/roll-off cargo), additional investments in specialized machinery will be required. The concession will be granted for a period of 16 years, with the possibility of early termination after year 10 if it becomes necessary to reorganize activities within the port area. In that scenario, the concessionaire will be entitled to compensation for unamortized investments. The tender specifications for this multipurpose terminal stipulate that it can handle general cargo and certain mixed traffic, but exclude specialized traffic such as passengers (except professional drivers), and bulk solids and liquids. "It also establishes a minimum volume of non-containerized general cargo to avoid the exclusive handling of container ships that can be served at other existing terminals," the Port explained.