Noticias APB | Ports de Balears

The first Botafoc dock’s dolphin becomes operational

14/06/2016

The first of the three dolphins that are being built in the southern pier of Botafoc docks, where the first berthing line for large ships is being lengthened, became operational yesterday. The first cruise ship to use this dolphin yesterday was the Mein Schiff 3, which could make an ordinary and safe mooring and berthing in the commercial dock of Ibiza's Port. This cruise ship happened to meet another vessel at the port, the Costa Favolosa. The main objective of the works carried out by the Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB) through the awardee Joint Venture Copcisa-Olives is to improve the capacity for cruise ship traffic and the efficiency of the moorings at the commercial docks of Ibiza's Port, sheltered by Botafoc dock. A total of three dolphins are being built, which will allow for the increase of the mooring length to up to 328 and 375 metres at both sides of the pier. This will allow the simultaneous berthing of two vessels of up to 335 and 290 metres long. The lengthening of the piers will also improve the operation of the port, as at present large cruise ships happen to meet the oil tankers that unload fuel at Botafoc dock's alignment. Besides, current moorings have a limited capacity for long cruise ships when there are adverse weather conditions. The structural design used by the building Joint Venture allows for the optimisation of the quantities of concrete and steel to be used, which in turn has allowed for a reduction of the cost of the works and of the execution time. It is also an adequate solution from an environmental point of view, as it allows for the renewal of the port's water.

Baptism of the cruise ship Tui Discovery in Palma's Port

10/06/2016

Thomson Cruises has chosen Majorca for the baptism of its new cruise ship Tui Discovery, which will call at Palma's Port all Saturdays until October. The company's intention is to maintain the calls for the next year once cruise ships' high season starts. The nautical baptism ceremony was celebrated in the ship with a great party attended by more than 1.200 guests, mainly British tourist agents. The main event was a concert by the British Grammy Award-winning artist Jess Glynne, and a fireworks show in the bay. The CEO of Thomson Holidays, David Burling, the General Manager of TUI, Hellen Caron, and the captain of the Tui Discovery, John Westgarth-Pratt participated in the event, among others. The TUI Discovery has a maximum capacity for 1.800 passengers and its routes include Palma's and Ibiza's Ports.

Maó’s Poniente dock has become a boulevard

08/06/2016

The improvement works at Maó's Port for the transformation of Poniente dock into a boulevard have already finished. The pedestrians and dealers of the area will find that pavements have been widened and that walking between the port's terraces and the road is now easier. The improvement works have been made possible by the urban redesign carried out by the Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB), consisting in the transfer of the traffic of regular shipping lines to Cós Nou and in the reserve of this area to cruise ships. This has allowed for the elimination of the dock's Ro-Ro ramp and for the use of the space previously devoted to lorries' manoeuvres. The APB has made an investment of 330.000 € in these works. Pavements have been cobbled, new pieces of urban furniture have been incorporated and more palm trees have been sown along the promenade. The ultimate objective is to foster the economic activity of the area, where there a lot of establishments, especially bars and restaurants. The APB has precisely applied a bonus to the concessions to compensate for the months in which the establishments haven been unable to use their terraces.

The APB and the Government work together to promote the ports

02/06/2016

The Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB) and the Government of the Balearic Islands have announced today the collaboration agreement between both entities for the unification of the standards of administrative management of the ports of the archipelago. This agreement aims at improving and strengthening the services offered and at benefitting the commercial sector of the community. The president of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, and the Minister of Land, Energy and Transport of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Marc Pons, have stated that, on the basis of respect for the autonomy of both institutions, the "wisest thing to do" is to increase coordination between them to offer a better service to both residents and tourists. According to the APB, we are talking about an only user who does not distinguish two administrations offering the same service. "One of the consequences of this agreement is having a single criterion for a single user", notwithstanding that it is applied by two different institutions. As Marc Pons has stated, it is a way forward together "for the improvement of the services offered by the different ports to those who visit us". According to the minister, "setting the same quality criteria and deciding to make an international coordinated promotion will unite us and will strengthen the nautical sector, and consequently, the economy of the Balearic Islands". Specific agreements Among the first agreements there is a compromise to coordinate the international promotion of the ports as a tourist destination, by creating a homogeneous offer of high-quality nautical services in the different port facilities of the islands. There is also a plan to simplify the administrative procedures for obtaining a mooring. At a local level, the institutions have agreed to define the commercial role of Ibiza with Sant Antoni de Portmany, in the island of Ibiza, and that of Mahon with Ciutadella, in Minorca, complementing them despite being managed by different administrations. There is also the intention, in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Labour, to promote professional training in order to strengthen the sectors in need of qualified local professionals. And finally, to study Algeria's demand to create a maritime line between Barcelona, Palma and Algiers. The APB is a public institution, clustered around State Ports and belonging to the Ministry of Development, which manages the ports of general interest of Palma, Alcudia, Mahon, Ibiza and La Savina. On the other hand, the Government of the Balearic Islands, through the public institution Ports IB, is responsible for the executive competences and functions of the ports managed by the autonomous community.

A visit to the lighthouses of the Balearic Islands

26/05/2016

The Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB) manages 34 lighthouses located in the islands of Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Formentera, Cabrera and Dragonera. Many of them are photographed from land and sea, giving us stunning images for posterity. Although most of the lighthouses are closed to the public —as they are active tools for maritime safety—, some of them can be visited, especially the ones holding exhibitions or featuring small cafeterias. In Majorca, we highlight the complete exhibition of maritime signals held in Portopi lighthouse (Palma), displayed in five different rooms of the lighthouse's building. The visiting hours are 12:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Visits must be arranged in advance through the e-mail fardeportopi@portsdebalears.com or calling to 971 402175. Also thanks to the APB's initiative, an interesting exhibition about the lighthouse, its construction, its use and the maritime lifestyle from the time can be visited at Favaritx lighthouse of Mao, in Minorca. An interpreting centre has been open in Cavalleria, the oldest Minorcan lighthouse and probably one of the most photographed lighthouses of the island. The initiative has also been prompted by the APB in collaboration with Mercadal's city council, which manages Talaia Cultural. Exhibitions are also held in Tramuntana lighthouse, in Sa Dragonera, an island bought by Majorca Council in 1987 and declared natural park in 1995 by the Government of the Balearic Islands. This lighthouse features an interpreting centre that allows us to learn more about lighthouse-keepers' lifestyle until a few years ago. In Ibiza we highlight Coves Blanques lighthouse, which ceased to render service as a maritime signal in the 60's of the previous century, and which now houses the Maritime Interpreting Centre, managed by Sant Antoni de Portmany's city council. Unlike the others, Formentor (Majorca) and Artrutx (Minorca) lighthouses have become cafeterias where to park and rest after visiting the surroundings. Today the APB is carrying out improvement works in ten lighthouses of the islands and in different buoys with an investment of 260.000 euros. For more information about the lighthouses that can be visited, please check out http://www.portsdebalears.com/en. The reference website with all the information about our lighthouses is http://www.farsdebalears.org/en/.

#RetrataUnFaro, photo contest of lighthouses of the Balearic Islands on social networks

24/05/2016

Palma, 24th May 2016. The Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB) has set up the photo contest #RetrataUnFaro (photograph a lighthouse) through its profiles of Lighthouses of the Balearic Islands on the social networksFacebook, Instagram y Twitter. The aim of the contest is to photograph the 34 active lighthouses managed by the APB in the islands of Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Cabrera and in the islets of the Balearic Islands, like Dragonera, with the aim of promoting the knowledge of lighthouses among the users of these networks. The APB will design a poster with the best 34 photos which will be used as promotional material. For one month, the participants will be able to send their photographs, whenever they do not photograph the same lighthouse more than 3 times. The contest finishes the 21st of June and a jury formed by staff of the APB will select the best photographs on the 28th of June. The award for the winners will be the book History of the lighthouses of the Balearic Islands, written by Javier Pérez de Arévalo and edited by Lunwerg Editores / Editorial Planeta. The winners will also receive the poster of the lighthouses of the Balearic Islands designed with the awarded photos, which will bear the name of the author. All the information of the lighthouses of the Balearic Islands is available on the websitewww.farsdebalears.com.

The firm Varadero Ibiza will be granted a deduction for good environmental practices

23/05/2016

The Board of Directors of the Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB) has resolved to offer a discount to the company Tanit Ibiza Port, responsible of the management of Varadero Ibiza, for the application of good environmental practices in its facilities at Ibiza's Port, where maintenance services and ship repairing activities are offered. Discounts are precisely the tool that the APB uses in order to promote good environmental practices among the companies which make use of the port facilities. In general, the APB requires bidder companies to present an environmental management and security management project that includes aspects such as the sorting of waste and liquid waste, liquids and oil waste, including their delivery to an authorised manager. Varadero Ibiza applies an integrated system of environmental management, quality and occupational risk prevention which has earned it the certifications ISO 9001-2008, ISO 14001-2004 and OHSAS 18001-2007.

Marina Port de Mallorca extends the concession period

23/05/2016

The Board of Directors of the Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB) has agreed to extend the concession period to the company IP3M, which manages port services for recreational boats at Marina Port de Mallorca, located on Palma's seaside promenade. The extension of the period is for 5,6 years, and it is subject to the licensee executing the works included in the investment commitment, in the amount of 3.2 million euros. These investments concern the improvement of port activities. The licensee company must pay an annual fee of 788.000 euros.

Marina Aucanada Group will manage Alcudia’s former naval industrial estate moorings

19/05/2016

Balearic Island’s Port Authority (APB) management board has selected Marina Aucanada Group, SL as the most advantageous tender to manage dock moorings of former naval industrial estate of Alcudia port. Four companies participated in the contest. Total invest is up to EUR twelve million and offered annual rate is EUR 906.592, 63. APB wants to increase relation between port and the city with these moorings and also wants to offer new port services in this area. Concessionary company will provide mooring services for recreational crafts, water supply, electric power supply, telephony and data transmission, together with a guard and custody service for vessels in dry marina. It will also have a combustible service station and will be able to allocate two of the existing buildings into commercial stores and offices for commercial service provisioning. Marina Aucanada Group will be responsible for 42.021 square meters of port public domain area, where 30.139 square meters belong to water mirror and 11.882 square meters belong to land area.

The institutions of the Balearic Islands and the private sector will work in a joint strategic plan for cruise ships

12/05/2016

The public institutions of the Balearic Islands and the private sector have agreed to work in a joint strategic plan to develop the cruise tourism in a sustainable manner and for the benefit of the economy of the islands. The decision has been taken in a meeting celebrated this morning in the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce of Majorca and organised by the Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB) and the Cruise Lines International Association CLIA. This meeting has been attended by around 50 people from different sectors related to the tourism of the islands, including institutional representatives such as the vice president and Minister of Tourism of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Gabriel Barceló the president of Ibiza Island Council, Vicent Torres the Councillor of Tourism of Palma's city council, Joana Adrover the first deputy mayor of Mahon's council, Vicenç Tur or the Councillor of Tourism of Alcudia, Joan Vallori. The private companies have been represented by shipping lines such as Pullmantur, Aida, Carnival or MSC tour operators such as TUI, hotel associations of Playa de Palma and Alcudia, the Provincial Association of Enterprisers of Balearic Maritime Activities APEAM, the Restoration Association of Majorca, associations of taxi drivers, etc. All of them have been analysing for almost five hours the social and economic impact of cruise ships, and have agreed on their importance for the social structures of the Balearic Islands. Therefore they have decided to organise work groups in order to collaborate and set up a joint strategy with a main aim: to strengthen the tourist product represented by cruise tourism in a sustainable manner. Joint support The president of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, has highlighted that cruise ships are a com-plementary product of the tourist offer of the Balearic Islands which benefits the global econ-omy of the islands. The vice president of the Government of the Balearic Islands and Minister of Tourism, Gabriel Barceló, has expressed his opinion along the same lines and has supported the sector, highlighting the fact that it must be a sustainable product "from two points of view", the environmental and for the need to continuously regulate the passenger traffic. For his part, Raphael von Heereman, the Secretary General of CLIA Europa, which comprises 50 cruise companies, has put the spotlight on the satisfaction level of tourists who visit the island and become the target public of the destination, and has highlighted the need to celebrate a meeting such as this in order to offer a sustainable future to cruise ships and tourism in the Balearic Islands. The president of CLIA in Spain, Alfredo Serrano, has also stated that "regions such as the Balearic Islands are essential for the development of the cruise industry, with doorways such as Palma, one of the most important ports of Europe, and other ports of the archipelago which have grown considerably in the last few years and have a great growth potential”. From CLIA they have offered their full collaboration with the authorities, ports, travel agencies and shipping companies "with the aim of promoting the sustainable development of the Balearic Islands and of strengthening the cruise industry so that it keeps being beneficial to the economy of the area". Some figures The ports of the Balearic Islands managed by the APB are the third ones in the Mediterranean in number of cruise passengers —with almost two millions— and the second ones in number of calls registered in 2015, with almost 790, only surpassed by the Italian port of Civitavecchia. Regarding the economic and social impact, according to a study carried out by the UIB and the CAEB in 2011, the impact of cruise ships on the economy of the Balearic Islands is of 290 million euros in annual turnover, 146 million euros of GDP contribution and 3.000 jobs. Nonetheless, cruise tourism only represents the 3% of the annual tourism of the Balearic Islands. Palma's Port is positioned as a base port in the Mediterranean, Alcudia for smaller and more exclusive cruise ships. Mahon is positioned as a boutique port in the Mediterranean, although it can receive ships of more than 200 metres in length. And Ibiza's Port will be the one to grow the most and to receive the longest stays this season, as cruise passengers spend the night in the island.

The MSC Armonia, the largest cruise ship to date, berths at Maó

10/05/2016

The MSC Armonia berthed at Maó's Port coming from Marseille the last 9th of May, after 6 a.m. It is the largest cruise ship in Minorca to date, a vessel of 276 metres in length which transports almost 2.000 passengers. The commander of the MSC Armonia, Pietro Escarpato, received a commemorative metope of the visit and he gave a souvenir of the day to the president of the Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB), Joan Gual de Torrella to Rosa Cardona, of the company Transcoma, agent of the vessel to Santiago Florit, Minister for Regional Planning of Minorca Council, and to Maó's mayor, Conxa Juanola. All the institutions have worked together to position Maó as a boutique port in the Mediterranean and to spread the natural and cultural values of Minorca internationally. But the arrival of a vessel of this nature has been possible thanks to the improvement works of the port conducted by the APB, which include the elimination of the ro-ro ramp of the Cruise Dock (before the Passengers Dock) and the dredging done in 2014. Besides, in order to guarantee the security of the port and the manoeuvrability of the ship, tests were done with a simulator at the Centro de Seguridad Marítima Integral Jovellanos of Gijón, in which the captain of the MSC Armonia himself participated. The berthing of the ship was approved by the pilots of Maó's port and the Maritime Authority. According to forecasts, the MSC Armonia will visit Minorca 9 more times (the original estimate was of 11, but two calls before the 9th of May had to be cancelled due to high winds), so this ship will bring more than 20.000 people to the island throughout the ship cruise season.

12 KNOTS, MAXIMUM SPEED FOR IBIZA'S PORT

05/05/2016

From May 1st on, transiting vessels may not exceed the speed restriction of 12 knots applied all over Ibiza port. Stated by maritime Captain of Ibiza and Formentera, Luis Gascón, whose decision has been published in the April 30th BOIB (Official Balearic Islands’ Gazette). This speed limitation will be kept during APB works, performed to extend south pier of Botafoc, be-cause ships’ strong surf impedes performing the needed works undisturbed. A mile away from Botafoc pier and as per the green light of it, reducing speed is mandatory, exclusively for those in port’s access direction. Only in case of exceptional weather conditions this speed restriction will be exceeded. Maritime Authority’s resolution was undertaken following the request of the company in charge of works’ execution, warming of the danger for both people and infrastructure caused by waves. After the meeting with APB representatives, shipping companies in regular traffic, Ibiza port’s pilots and the personnel responsible for prevention of labour risks of the company, it was subsequently found that speed must be reduced during access manoeuvring into Ibiza Port.