News APB | Ports de Balears

The APB removes the barrier on Paseo de la Marina in the port of Ibiza and allows vehicles to park until March

28/11/2023

The Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) has decided to lift the access barrier to the Paseo de la Marina in the port of Ibiza to allow road traffic to pass through from 1st December until 1st March. This action is intended to facilitate mobility and parking in the area. Ibiza City Council has taken this initiative at the request of local residents and shopkeepers. Parking on the Paseo de la Marina will be allowed 24 hours a day, although from eight in the morning until ten at night it will be limited to a maximum of two hours in order to facilitate the rotation of vehicles. Drivers will be required to write down the time of parking on a piece of paper and display it clearly on their dashboard. The spaces set aside for loading and unloading will be preserved to facilitate commercial activity in the area. More parking zones An additional parking zone will also be set up over the same period of time on Avenida de Santa Eulària, next to the Ribera Poniente quay, and in front of the Formentera Maritime Station and the Ibiza Sailing Club, as had been established in previous years. However, this car park will not have a parking time limit. These two new zones will make parking more convenient for the city's residents and offer alternatives for parking in the city during the winter months.

Port-city

Agreement reached to reorganise construction work dates on Palma's seafront promenade to meet residents' and business owners' demands

24/11/2023

The Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) and Palma City Council have reached an agreement with local groups who have been affected by Palma's promenade remodelling works to reschedule construction work dates to fall in line with residents' and business owners' demands. The most important change involves the relocation of the urban waste containers to the seaward side of the promenade. The different stakeholders received information at a meeting held this morning in the port of Palma. The president, Javier Sanz, was in attendance as well as the councillor for Urban Planning, Housing and Projects, Óscar Fidalgo, to announce how the works are progressing on schedule and that they will be completed at the beginning of 2025. Javier Sanz explained that an agreement has been reached to move the six banks of underground waste collection containers to the opposite side of the promenade. This decision came following requests from business and neighbourhood associations, who have agreed to do so to avoid any inconvenience to customers and passers-by on the land side of the promenade. Sanz defended this decision based on the APB's initial commitment to this project, which was launched with an innovative approach to stakeholder relations. Javier Sanz added, “We have three clear objectives in this strategy: to engage them in the project, to provide them with the appropriate information at each stage and to welcome and respond to their concerns and needs.” Stakeholders connected with Palma's Nou Passeig Marítim (New Promenade) project were selected according to the main sectors involved, which include residential, commerce, tourism, business and Palma's general public. As such, the main associations involved are ACOIPAM, CAEB, CAEB Restauración, ABONE, Federación de Asociaciones de vecinos de Palma (Federation of Neighbourhood Associations of Palma), FEBT, Asociación de Vecinos del Paseo Marítimo (Association of Neighbours of the Promenade), ASHPAMA, AFEDECO, PIMECO, FEHM, AMTAT, AEVAB, PIMEM and APEAM. Previously completed work A major achievement over the first few months, and the least visible, is that 75% of the project's most costly installations have already been completed. These are EMAYA's main sewer mains and sewage and rainwater discharge networks. The Urban Planning Councillor, Óscar Fidalgo, thanked the municipal water company for its “diligence”. “We have stuck rigidly to the premise of listening to our neighbours in order to improve their lives,” he added. The APB covered the cost of private connections to the rainwater and sewage networks for shopkeepers, neighbours and hoteliers who have asked us to do so. Furthermore, this meeting announced that the first phase of the construction work is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2024, to avoid disruption during the Easter holidays and the start of the tourist season. At present, the pavements on the land side of the road are being laid in sections and based on each shop's requests for dates to avoid disrupting their business activities and to fit in with their closing and staff holiday schedules. A consensus has also been reached with shopkeepers on the type of sunshades and partitions for new terraces. In the coming weeks, the remaining furniture, such as chairs and tables, will be chosen to create a uniform style for the entire promenade. Finally, many requests for review and adaptation of terraces by shopkeepers and hoteliers have been dealt with, given the new distribution of terrace space by three square metre blocks. For more information, visit: noupasseigmaritimdepalma.portsdebalears.com

Port-city Transport and infrastructure

The APB is putting the shipyard adjacent to the fishing quay in the port of Ibiza out to tender for four years

22/11/2023

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has agreed at its last meeting, held yesterday in Palma, to put out to tender the concession to manage the shipyard adjacent to the fishing quay in the port of Ibiza, for a renewable period of four years and an exit fee of around 122,000 euros per year. The short duration of the concession is due to the planned rollout of the port's Special Plan, which envisages the relocation of this port activity to another quay. The APB's planning for this area of the port of Ibiza foresees an underground car park with some 700 parking spaces, the construction of the new maritime terminal for maritime traffic from Formentera, the remodelling of the nautical facilities currently occupied by the Club Náutico de Ibiza and the transfer of the fishing sector activity and the shipyard to the current Commercial Docks. In order to do this, the port's Special Plan must be approved, and Ibiza Town Council has assured the APB that it will make it a top priority and take all the necessary steps to restart the proceedings. The space subject to tender consists of nearly nine thousand square metres of public port domain destined for maintenance and repair work on boats. The duration of the concession also provides for the possibility of two extensions of one year each. Renewal denied At the same meeting yesterday, the APB's Board of Directors agreed to deny Tanit Ibiza Port, S.A. the nine-year extension requested to continue operating the shipyard, which it holds until 30 November 2023. The APB is processing a temporary occupation authorisation, which will allow the current company to continue operating until the new contract is awarded.

Port-city Transport and infrastructure

The APB will award Marina Deportiva Menorca the Colàrsega concession in the port of Mahon

22/11/2023

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has agreed at its last meeting, held yesterday in Palma, to propose the company Marina Deportiva Menorca, S.L., as the most advantageous solution in the public tender for the concession to manage the recreational moorings in the Colàrsega area of the port of Mahon. The decision will see the contract re-awarded to the company currently running the nautical facility, which guarantees mooring fees for small boats at subsidised prices. The tender specifications established an initial occupancy tax of 109,000 euros per year and an activity tax of 4% of turnover. In addition, Marina Deportiva Menorca proposed a fixed annual amount of 350,000 euros to supplement the occupancy and activity fees. The future concessionaire will invest more than six million euros in a part of the public port domain that covers more than 20,000 square metres of water surface, and will hold the contract for a period of 13 years.

Transport and infrastructure

Approval of the agreement between the APB and the CIME regarding the use of Isla Plana in the port of Mahon for marine sports

22/11/2023

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has agreed at its last meeting, held yesterday in Palma, to approve the text of the agreement with the Island Council of Menorca (CIME) concerning the management of spaces and facilities on Isla Plana in the port of Mahon for use in marine sports. The agreement allows the CIME to enter into agreements with entities, sailing clubs and non-profit associations that wish to use these spaces. The APB and the CIME hope that the new accord will convert the area in the centre of the port of Mahon into a dedicated hub for the activities offered by nautical schools, such as sailing and canoeing, and other aquatic pursuits like scuba diving, among other sports. In addition, plans are underway to provide a benchmark centre for adapted water sports, with specialist facilities to meet the needs of users from this group. Under the agreement, the island administration will have access to a thousand square metre building and more than two thousand square metres of quay surface belonging to the APB, which it may use for marine water sports. The term of the agreement is six years, with the possibility of three one-year renewals.

Port-city Socio-economic development

The APB guarantees moorings for small pleasure craft at the El Molinar dock

22/11/2023

The Board of Directors of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has agreed at its last meeting, held yesterday in Palma, to select Nautic Assets Developers Team, S.L. as the most advantageous solution in the public tender for the concession to manage the moorings for small boats of up to eight metres in length at the El Molinar dock. The tender specifications established an initial occupancy tax of 58,500 euros per year and an activity tax of 4% of turnover. In addition, Nautic Assets Developers Team have proposed a fixed annual amount of 68,000 euros to supplement the occupancy and activity fees. The future concessionaire will invest 672,000 euros to install new jetties and other facilities and will manage the concession for a term of 18 years. It will also take over the building, which will host a bar-cafeteria-restaurant on the ground floor and social and cultural activities on the first floor. The decision fulfils APB's commitment to maintaining the dimensions of El Molinar and the type of boats moored there, improving the integration between the port and the city, strengthening the port's sports facilities and continuing to offer subsidised moorings. Training centre Within the same dock, a 2,500 square metre area, known as Caló d'en Rigo, is occupied by newly constructed 600 square metre building, along with an esplanade and dry dock ramp that has been ceded to the Government of the Balearic Islands for the future construction of a marine sports training centre. The APB is currently waiting to receive the building project from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports. In regard to the building in the El Molinar marina, the refurbishment works are due for completion next spring. As it stands, the APB has already completed the slowest phase of strengthening the structure and has now begun to put the new installations in place. From the outset, the APB's intention has been to conserve the structure of the historic building, taking into account the urban planning conditions stipulated in the Special Plan for the Port of Palma, as well as the building's significant historical heritage and construction style. The actual state of the structure – which was much worse than expected – led to a slowdown in the works and forced an increase in the budget to 1.2 million euros. Lastly, the APB will soon put out to tender, as a matter of urgency, the contract to dredge the seabed of the El Molinar dock to extract the 1,400 cubic metres of rock and sand that have been awaiting removal since the completion of the works in 2020.

Port-city Transport and infrastructure

New landscaped area with shade and seating on the Ribera Quay in the Port of Ibiza

20/11/2023

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has begun work to renovate the area around the storm tank on the Ribera Quay in the Port of Ibiza as part of an overarching project to improve the integration between the port and the city, upgrade the surroundings, and provide new spaces for the public. The initiative is intended to enhance the attractiveness of the space around the storm tank, which was installed by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge and is managed by the Balearic Islands’ Water and Environmental Quality Agency (ABAQUA). Specifically, green spaces made up of large planters filled with foliage will be created in the area close to the Gent de la Mar monument. Elsewhere on the quay, modular concrete benches will be installed to form a large raised bed that will be planted with native shrubs, and three metal-framed pergolas with wooden roofs will be added to provide more shade for the area, along with other urban fixtures and fittings, such as litter bins. The project has a budget of 227,718.12 euros plus VAT and is scheduled for completion by the 1st of March 2024.

Port-city

More than 8.5 tonnes of waste removed from Eivissa port waters over the last three years

03/11/2023

Since the launch of a special water surface cleaning service in October 2020, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB as per its Spanish acronym) has collected 8.5 tonnes of waste from Eivissa port's waters. The port has three energy self-sufficient, cutting-edge vessels which maintain the water surface clean, while promoting carbon footprint reduction. From October 2020 to July 2023, 4,500 kilos (53%) of the nearly 8,500 kilos of waste removed from Eivissa port waters is refuse-type material (paper, wood and others), while 2,300 kilos (27%) of the waste is organic. Plastics made up 1,700 kilos, just over 20 percent of the total amount collected. By way of illustration, the amount of plastics collected over this period of time from Eivissa port waters would fill 28 igloo-type street recycling containers. Sorting by origin For the first time, this innovative waste collection system makes it possible to determine where the waste arriving at Eivissa port comes from. As such, the data show that the majority, almost 40%, is land-based. This normally refers to waste which is blown into the port waters by the wind or which has been intentionally dumped. 24% of the waste originates offshore, which includes material that been carried by wind or currents into the sheltered waters of the port. This may come from ships or from other land-based areas outside the port. Waste from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) comes in third place, with more than 19%. This is represented by waste from the sewage network or from existing wastewater treatment plants that flow into the port and cause unpleasant odours. Around 16% of the waste collected comes from recreational boating, and finally 4 % is generated by fishing activities. Three vessels Patena Pitiusas is the company in charge of cleaning an area of approximately 818,000 square metres of water surface in Eivissa port and 53,000 square metres in La Savina port. The cleaning equipment has three energy self-sufficient vessels. One of them is equipped with a large hydraulic central scoop, which can pick up objects ranging from 10 millimetres to one tonne. The second is a fast-action hybrid inflatable dinghy. The fleet is enhanced by a two-metre surface cleaning drone and a 250-litre marine waste collection basket with an 8-hour operating time, designed to reach the most difficult-to-access areas between jetties and boats.

Environment and CSR Technology and innovation

The APB has been named the third most transparent port authority by Dyntra

25/10/2023

In an effort to comply with and step up its commitment to managing the general interest ports and lighthouses of the Balearic Islands more transparently, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) today presented its new Transparency Portal to the public. The launch of the website comes after the Dyntra platform rated the APB as the third most transparent port authority in the Spanish port system, behind Castellón and Valencia. The president of the APB, Javier Sanz, welcomed the assessment and expressed his expectation of further improvement in the transparency indicators during his term of office. In this context, he stressed the importance of deepening relations with stakeholders. "We have to listen to people, because that's what really matters", he remarked, "and the APB has to incentivise the companies who work with us to invest in sustainability by offering them advantages such as reduced fees and other benefits". In the latest transparency report on the Spanish port authorities compiled by the Dyntra platform, the APB obtained a score of 51.2% by complying with 64 of the 125 indicators, which are based on the legal framework and proposed best practices for transparency in the management of ports on a national and international scale. Meanwhile, another transparency evaluation system, Mesta, assessed the APB as having met 96 per cent of the indicators. Both Dyntra and Mesta are dedicated to assessing and comparing the transparency of public institutions at a national and international level through a set of indicators and metrics aimed at rating the level of openness and accountability of these institutions. Sustainability report The public unveiling of the APB's Transparency Portal took place during an event that saw the presentation of the 2022 Sustainability Report to the port community, as well as the environmental innovation projects subsidised by the PUERTOS 4.0 fund: PORTNET,

Environment and CSR

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) organises the first edition of the Port of Palma Open Day

25/09/2023

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is organising the first edition of the Port of Palma Open Day on Saturday 30 September, with a series of free activities for all ages. Numerous port community members have been heavily involved in this event, and other ports are planning to host it in the future. Activities that will be offered by the APB and up to 27 collaborating companies and institutions this coming Saturday, in the morning and afternoon, include access to port areas normally closed to the public, such as the shipyards or the fishing dock, excursions in pleasure boats, group and nautical sports, environmental and marine knot workshops, falconry exhibitions, documentary films on marine sustainability, storytelling, and many more. All the information has been compiled on the Viu el Port website! The event, under the title Port &amp Festa-Viu el port! Is an initiative arising from a desire to strengthen the relationship between the APB and the city, to raise awareness of the importance of port activities and to bring the port and its facilities closer to the public.Javier Sanz, president of the APB, sees it as an extraordinary opportunity to highlight how important the ports are for the islands and to promote the APB's image as the managing body of the ports serving the community. Various venues The Open Day has several locations and includes activities open to the public, all of which are free of charge. Most of the activities will take place at the Muelle Viejo quay, which will be the focal point of the event. For the most part, activities will take place in the morning from 11am to 2pm, although both the Muelle Viejo quay and the Muelle de Golondrinas quay will also have activities in the afternoon until the evening. The Open Day will be inaugurated at 12:45pm at the Muelle Viejo quay by Javier Sanz, APB's President, and Jaime Martínez, the Mayor of Palma. In the morning, there will be activities for the youngest visitors, such as storytelling, sports activities, 360° videos of the APB ports, regional dance exhibitions, etc. In the evening, the closing ceremony of the Wipe Out Festival 2023: surfing and sustainability in Palma will take place, with live music and short films related to surfing, sustainability, and marine environment preservation. The APB's institutional headquarters, the Port Centre, will host talks related to the New Seafront Promenade project, job opportunities in the nautical world and family-friendly environmental workshops. The Palma Fire Brigade and the Local Police will set up a space on camino de la Escollera to showcase their vehicles and teach children how to drive on a road safety education circuit. STP will open its shipyard doors to the public and the Museu Marítim de Mallorca (Maritime Museum of Mallorca) will show the work done by the Council of Mallorca in Ses Voltes del Parc de la Mar to preserve and share its maritime heritage accumulated over the centuries and up to the present day. The Balear fishing boat from the Mallorcan Council's mestres d'aixa workshop and the SOCIB vessel can be visited at the Lonja quay, where the Port Police will be showcasing its fleet of electric vehicles and raising awareness about the work carried out by APB staff. The San Pedro Fishermen's Guild will also open its Fishing Quay so that the public can have a closer look at its vessels. In the San Telmo gardens, the RCNP is organising an activity workshop to give children an introduction to the exciting world of sailing, while the IME is organising Zumba and fitness sessions. Astilleros de Mallorca is organising guided tours of its facilities at Contramuelle-Mollet. Daytime and evening activities The Muelle de Golondrinas quay, together with the Muelle Viejo quay, is another place where the activities will extend into the evening. While in the morning you can take a ride on a pleasure boat and María Bimbolles will entertain the little ones with her show, at midday there will be a modern dance exhibition by the Show Academia J&ampS Música dance school. At night, the space will become a stage dedicated to live music by Radio Mallorca - Cadena SER. Club de Mar will be running introductory workshops on canoeing and maritime knot skills at the Ca'n Barbarà dock. Meanwhile, at the San Carlos Castle, in addition to having its military museum open, there will be recreational activities such as workshops on painting miniature soldiers, and an exhibition by Fundació Natura Parc on the Port of Palma's falconry service. Finally, the third-oldest lighthouse in the world in operation, the Portopí lighthouse, is open to both experts and those unfamiliar with the fascinating world of lighthouses, with guided tours of the Exhibition of Maritime Signals, featuring unique pieces preserved and restored by the APB.

Port-city

Javier Sanz takes office as president of the Balearic Islands Port Authority

14/09/2023

The order of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda has been published today in the Official State Gazette (BOE) announcing the appointment of José Javier Sanz Fernández as the new president of the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB), replacing Jaume Colom Adrover, who is stepping down from the post. The Government Council of the Balearic Islands named Javier Sanz as the new president of the APB on 1 September 2023. Once the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda had been informed of the appointment, it was published in the BOE (Official State Gazette). Born in Madrid in 1949, Javier Sanz has a degree in Economics and an MBA. His professional career has been closely linked to private enterprise in senior management positions. He has also served as president of the Real Club Náutico de Palma and is currently president of the Real Federación Española de Vela (Royal Spanish Sailing Federation).

History Environment and CSR Port-city Technology and innovation Transport and infrastructure Socio-economic development

19,000 cruise passengers have been using the City Boat maritime transport service in the port of Eivissa during a period of three months

21/07/2023

The City Boat line, which runs from the Botafoc area to the centre of Eivissa town (es Martell), carried 19,000 cruise passengers during the months of April, May and June 2023. Considering the outbound and return journeys, 38,000 passengers have been transported by sea, providing an alternative to land transport, with the consequent relief of traffic congestion and pollution. Thus, with an occupancy rate of approximately 50 passengers per bus, during these three months of high season, the implementation of the City Boat has eliminated 760 bus journeys (380 outbound and 380 return). All this has been possible thanks to the institutional collaboration of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) with the Consell Insular d’Eivissa, Eivissa City Council and PIMEEF which, within the framework of the Technical Working Group for the Improvement of Mobility in the port of Eivissa, are working together to adapt the means available to users’ needs. In addition to this measure to coordinate and adapt the supply of inland maritime transport to the needs of cruise passengers, the Port Bus service provided by the Sagales company has also been reinforced on the days with the greatest influx of cruise passengers. In addition, an extension of the Consell de Eivissa L45 bus has started operating and the Taxi Federation has improved its service by having an on-site coordinator at the taxi rank in front of the new Botafoc maritime station. This coordination has proved to be effective on days such as yesterday, when three cruise ships docked at the port of Eivissa, with a total of 12,485 passengers, without any significant impacts on mobility.

Environment and CSR Port-city Transport and infrastructure