WHY IS THE PORT OF VALENCIA THE BEST IN THESE TIMES OF PANDEMIC?

DEFINITION OF VALENCIA PORT: 

The Port Authority of Valencia (APV), under the commercial name of Valenciaport, is the public body responsible for the management of three state-owned ports located along 80 kilometres on the eastern edge of the Spanish Mediterranean: Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía.

Valenciaport is the leading Spanish port in the Mediterranean for commercial traffic, mainly containerised goods, thanks above all to a dynamic area of influence and an extensive network of connections with the world's main ports.

Valencia leads the growth of urban tourism in Europe:

Located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Valencia perfectly combines tradition and modernity and has evolved without giving up its historical roots. With mild temperatures all year round, the city surprises with the coexistence of its millenary architecture with the most avant-garde, the Marina de València, the kilometres of beaches and green pedestrian areas that cross the city from east to west, the natural parks just 15 minutes from the centre or its delicious gastronomy, which with fresh and quality products, seduces both with its traditional dishes and those prepared by chefs awarded with Michelin Stars.

All this, together with the Mediterranean lifestyle of the Valencians and events such as the Fallas, the diverse cultural programme or the gastronomic festivals, make Valencia an unforgettable stopover.

The cruise sector has experienced a period of spectacular growth as a result of the combined efforts of Turismo Valencia and the Port Authority over the last few years: in 2016 the city received 181 calls and a total of 403,264 passengers.

HISTORY OF THE PORT OF VALENCIA:

Throughout the 20th century, improvement works were carried out on the buildings and warehouses and the extension of the quays continued until they reached their current configuration, with specialised facilities for each type of merchandise. These extensions, linked to the appearance of container traffic in recent years, have enabled Valenciaport to reach its current position of leadership among the commercial ports of the western Mediterranean. The Port of Valencia is currently in the execution phase of an expansion that will allow it to handle container traffic of up to 10 million TEUs and to have state-of-the-art facilities for tourist cruise traffic.

On the other hand, as far as the management of the port is concerned, since 1880 this has been the responsibility of the Junta de Obras del Puerto de Valencia, a body that was replaced by the Junta del Puerto de Valencia in 1968. With the granting of the statute of autonomy in 1978, management was transferred to the Autonomous Port of Valencia which, with the entry into force of the 1992 Port Law, was renamed the Port Authority of Valencia - a name that is still used today.

VIDEO ON THE HISTORY OF THE PORT OF VALENCIA.


Respect for the ADVANTAGES of this port, we can highlight:

Valenciaport is the first and last port of call for the main inter-oceanic liner services in the Western Mediterranean, which translates into the following advantages:

-Closest commercial port to the Suez-Gibraltar axis, the route of the main inter-oceanic lines.

-Great facility for the concentration and distribution of traffic in the Western Mediterranean.

Likewise, our geostrategic position in the Iberian Peninsula makes us the natural port for inter-oceanic goods traffic, providing:

-Reduced time in land transport.

-Wide possibility for the redistribution of goods with origin and destination in the Peninsula.

Valenciaport is an excellent choice for any line of navigation, as it has a powerful direct area of influence that is among the most dynamic in Europe and is a short distance from the countries of Southern Europe and North Africa.

The area of direct influence of Valenciaport covers a radius of 350 km, where 51% of the Spanish GDP is produced and half of the active population lives.

Valenciaport, apart from being in the heart of the Valencian Community, has unbeatable road and rail connections with the centre of Spain, making it the natural port of Madrid and one of the essential platforms for the Iberian Peninsula.

As a hub port for the Western Mediterranean, from Valenciaport goods can be efficiently distributed within a radius of 2,000 km, not only in the southern countries of the European Union but also in the countries of North Africa - Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya - which represent an immense market of 270 million consumers.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HIS PORT?

Valenciaport is characterised by a cohesive Port Community, through innovative elements such as the Guarantee Brand or the valenciaportpcs.net technological platform and formed by all the public and private agents that provide their services through the ports of Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía.

THE MISSION OF THE PORT OF VALENCIA IS TO:

-Economically sustainable: optimisation of in*come, costs and investments to ensure the short and long-term self-financing of the VCT.

-Socially sustainable: coordination for the adequate remuneration and coexistence of the different agents of the Port Community.

-Environmentally sustainable: minimisation of negative impacts on the quality of water, air and noise.

THE CARGO TERMINALS AND FACILITIES:

The port spaces are structured in areas that have the necessary characteristics to house and handle each type of traffic.

Some areas are articulated in specialized terminals. Other installations are characterised by their multipurpose nature for different types of traffic.

TOURIST INFORMATION:

Valencia leads the growth of urban tourism in Europe:

Located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Valencia perfectly combines tradition and modernity and has evolved without giving up its historical roots. With mild temperatures all year round, the city surprises with the coexistence of its millenary architecture with the most avant-garde, the Marina de València, the kilometres of beaches and green pedestrian areas that cross the city from east to west, the natural parks just 15 minutes from the centre or its delicious gastronomy, which with fresh and quality products, seduces both with its traditional dishes and those prepared by chefs awarded with Michelin Stars.

All this, together with the Mediterranean lifestyle of the Valencians and events such as the Fallas, the diverse cultural programme or the gastronomic festivals, make Valencia an unforgettable stopover.

The cruise sector has experienced a period of spectacular growth as a result of the combined efforts of Turismo Valencia and the Port Authority over the last few years: in 2016 the city received 181 calls and a total of 403,264 passengers.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT:

The economic impact studies of infrastructures make it possible to determine the effect on production that their own activity generates in the rest of the economy. From the accounting information of the companies which operate in this infrastructure, the dragging effect originating in the productive network of the geographical area where it is located is calculated, and it is possible to quantify the participation in the main macro-magnitudes of the geographical space which is to be studied (GDP, employment, tax income, employee remuneration, among others).

The present study by Valenciaport analyses the impact of activity directly and exclusively linked to goods moved in 2016, omitting passenger transport, fishing and sporting activities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0UA2wQwn-E&feature=youtu.be

VALENCIA CONTAINERISED FREIGHT INDEX:

The VCFI is the index created by the Valencia Port Authority to reflect the evolution of market rates for the export of complete containers by sea from Valenciaport. VCFI stands for Valencia Containerized Freight Index. This index will serve carriers as a tool to predict the evolution of freight rates within their markets of interest, which is a key determinant of the cost of their export operations. On the other hand, it will also be useful for operators offering this type of service, providing a reference point for the evolution of their own freight rates and those of the market.

FORELAND VALENCIAPORT 4.0:

FORELAND VALENCIAPORT 4.0 is a new tool that the Port Authority of Valencia places at your disposal so that you can find out the details of goods traffic in the ports of Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía.

The information is provided in three different reports depending on the type of goods: containerised, vehicles and a last global report of goods according to their form of presentation. Each report in turn presents the information on two different screens, the first with monthly data and the second with accumulated annual data.

Traffic according to the FORM OF PRESENTATION: It provides extensive information according to the form of presentation, traffic and/or port by geographical area, country or port of origin or destination as well as according to the nature and use of the goods transported. The data are expressed in tons.

TEU TRAFFIC: This second report offers the detail of the TEU moved by geographical area, country or port, as well as the nature or use of the goods transported. Some of the variables offer, in addition to the TEU, the data on the number of containers.

VEHICLE TRAFFIC: Provides the detail of vehicle and UTI traffic by geographical area, country and port of origin or destination, for each of the ports of Valencia and traffic in which it participates.

COVID-19: 18/11/2020. NEWS ABOUT THE ROLE OF VALENCIAPORT IN THE COVID-19 ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) analyzes in its latest report the experience of the PAV during the pandemic.

-Tools to guarantee real-time information or the campaign in the social field, advance payments to suppliers and port service providers to facilitate liquidity.

-In health matters, the application of security protocols, the use of protective equipment and the disinfection of the facilities stand out.

Port operations have been vitally important in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis as they have helped ensure that essential goods such as food or medical supplies, as well as raw materials and manufactured goods, reached their intended destinations and health and economic activity has been maintained. This is what he points out in his latest UNCTAD report, which has highlighted the work of the Port Authority of València during it.

The United Nations body has highlighted the strategy that Valenciaport has developed from an operational, health, economic and social point of view to value the activity of the port community to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on its activity.

Operational readiness and health protocols - This information is contained in the latest Maritime Transport 2020 report: 

Application of health and safety protocols : use of personal protective equipment, the way to interact with other workers or the disinfection of work areas.

Role of digitisation of the APV : information in real time to the port community operating in Valenciaport, an essential tool for port management during teleworking.

Aid to inject liquidity into port companies.

Fee reduction. 

Solidarity campaign #AlPieDelCañon.

Facilitating liquidity for companies:

The APV provided suppliers and service providers with 10 million euros in urgent and compensatory measures to alleviate the economic effects of the COVID-19.

The report also highlights the agility of the APV in establishing internal mechanisms to issue invoices as quickly as possible.

#The report also highlights the speed of the VPA to establish internal mechanisms to issue invoices as quickly as possible.

The crisis as an opportunity:

Digitalisation, innovation, social responsibility, resilience or decarbonisation for more sustainable and inclusive development, for possible pandemics or future problems.

NEWS about: Container traffic in the port of Valencia has suffered since the serious accident a fortnight ago: Date: 25/09/20.Published by SER.

NEWS RELATED TO THE PORT OF VALENCIA.

Container traffic in the port of Valencia has suffered since the serious accident that took place almost a fortnight ago at the MSC terminal.

The accident caused serious material damage in the terminal that will take quite some time to repair. There are 60 quays affected in addition to the crane that collapsed will take almost a year to replace and may cost some 10 million euros. Next week, technicians from the international organisation studying this type of accident will visit the port and draw up a report with recommendations for safety improvements. But what is certain is that until the end of the year, the port will not be able to operate at one hundred percent and this will affect the container traffic which, we recall, broke absolute records in August in spite of the pandemic.

With regard to the measures to deal with these accidents, some improvements have been proposed to the Balearic Islands, which presented the only offer, and meetings are also being held with the Town Hall to specify new connections and accesses. Something else will have to wait before TIL can be granted the northern extension. The deadline has been extended so that the MSC subsidiary can study how the modifications proposed by the port to extend the dyke and the dredging of the access channel to the port in front of the Saler affect the initial project.

In addition, the port continues to extend its network of air control cabins which are already connected in real time with the ministry. And according to the data, a reflection. During the state of alarm, traffic in the port fell by 25% and that of vehicles in the city by 70% and the overall pollution in Valencia was reduced by 68%, so that, according to Aurelio Martinez, it is clear that it is not the port that is causing the pollution in the city.

NEWS about:Aurelio Martínez highlights the commitment of Valenciaport and Grimaldi for sustainable projects and zero emissions in port: 24/11/2020.

NEWS ABOUT THE COMMITMENT OF VALENCIAPORT.

The Port of València receives the Eco Valencia, a vessel that guarantees zero emissions during the stop at the docks thanks to the electricity stored by lithium batteries that are recharged during navigation and the photovoltaic panels

Aurelio Martínez highlights the eco-efficient infrastructures of Valenciaport such as the Grimaldi car silo, which will have photovoltaic panels on its roof

The president of the PAV has given the commander of Eco Valencia the traditional "socarrat" with which Valenciaport presents to ships that arrive at the port for the first time

The president of the València Port Authority (APV), Aurelio Martínez, and the CEO of the Grimaldi Group in Spain, Mario Massarotti, have received the Eco Valencia, the first hybrid ship of the Italian company that guarantees zero emissions in port. The president of the PAV has pointed out that “Grimaldi's Eco Valencia is the most ecological line of ships that we are always defending in Valenciaport, a ship that will not make emissions in the port because it has lithium batteries that recharge it during navigation . These new generation ships are aligned with our sustainable commitment, which is what we want in the future for all ships that come to Valencia ”.

The president of the PAV has indicated that “Valenciaport together with the companies that operate in the Port are working on sustainable facilities. We have an example in the car silo recently inaugurated by Grimaldi, which is the largest in Spain, because the company's spirit is to increase car traffic and it represents a clear commitment by the company to Valencia ”, Aurelio Martínez pointed out. "In addition," he continued, "we reached an agreement so that the roof of the building is covered with photovoltaic panels that will allow the generation of a significant percentage of green energy. This project is in line with the commitment of both organizations to sustainable projects ”.

In this sense, Mario Massarotti has pointed out that "we are going to have zero emissions in operations in the Port of Valencia, a novelty of which we are very proud". The CEO of the Grimaldi Group in Spain explained that the Eco Valencia, "is a unique boat and a clear commitment of our company to sustainability and zero emissions in port, with a load capacity double than the previous ones but with the same fuel consumption and several technological solutions that improve the boat's emissions ”. Massarotti thanked "clients, transporters and automobile companies for the work carried out over many years in this project, which shows that sustainable transport is very important".

The new GG5G class ships are equipped with state-of-the-art electronically controlled engines, and use fossil fuels in navigation and electricity while they are parked in port, guaranteeing “Zero Emission in Port®”. During the stop at the dock, the energy needs of the activities on board can be satisfied thanks to the electricity stored by lithium batteries that are recharged during navigation thanks to the shaft generators and 600 square meters of solar panels. On board the GG5G ships, exhaust gas purification systems are also installed to reduce sulfur and particulate emissions.

The Italian Naval Registry (RINA) has awarded Eco Valencia the "Green Plus" class, the highest level RINA certification in the field of environmental sustainability. The "Green Plus" recognizes the design solutions, the on-board systems and the operational procedures implemented, both during the construction phase and during the operational phase. All this, with the aim of improving environmental performance beyond the minimum levels required by international regulations.

Carla Bernaschina and María Martinez.