MED MOSAIC
Issue 13
HOT SEAT:
Interview with Catalan Ports Agency – Member Port
The Challenge of Managing Almost 50 Small and Very Diverse Ports
- How many ports does the Catalan agency of ports manage?
The public company Ports de la Generalitat manages 45 ports owned by the Generalitat of Catalonia, along the 580 kilometers of the coast. Of these 45, five ports host commercial activity, two are industrial, Alcanar and Vallcarca, and the other three are directly managed, Palamós, Vilanova and la Geltrú and la Ràpita. These ports mainly operate general cargo, which is not transported in containers, bulk and project cargo pieces. In 2023 these five ports moved a total of 1,175,000 tonnes of goods.
- Which are the main challenges your ports face?
One of the main challenges is the consolidation of goods activity and the services offered by the five ports to economically energize the territory and generate jobs. Strategic lines have been created to publicize these ports, their characteristics and their potential to the local industrial fabric and its hinterland, with the aim of capturing new traffic and increasing export and import lines to boost the whole of the territory.
- How is the relation with the main ports in your region, Barcelona & Tarragona?
The five commercial ports under the jurisdiction of the Generalitat and the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona are part of the Catalan port system. Work is underway on a new port front to look for road, sea, air and rail access that favors the transport of goods all over the Catalan coast. We work to find synergies to carry forward joint projects that benefit the ports of general interest and the ports of the Generalitat. They are seven ports that complement each other.
- What do you expect from your membership in MEDPorts?
The consolidation of commercial activity in these five ports is linked to promotion and dissemination. Being part of this great family that is MEDPorts gives us the opportunity to make ourselves more known in this great sector and, at the same time, seek collaborations, coalitions and synergies of common interest with other ports to enhance the channels of transport of goods.
