Der Hafen von Bilbao schließt das Jahr mit einem positiven Ergebnis ab, da er seine letzte große Erweiterung vorbereitet und die Arbeiten zur Elektrifizierung der Docks beginnen

• Die Ergebnisse sind besser als der Durchschnitt der Staatshäfen, da Bilbao ein Mehrzweckhafen mit Schwerpunkt auf Logistik- und Industrieaktivitäten ist, der sein Hinterland bedient und nicht auf Durchgangsverkehr angewiesen ist.
• Die Zahlen für flüssige und feste Massengüter sind gestiegen, und der Hafen festigt seine Position als Drehscheibe für Spezialtransporte mit 3.600 Ankünften.
• Das Bekenntnis zur Schiene bleibt bestehen: Der Anteil der auf der Schiene ein- oder ausgehenden Container liegt mittlerweile bei 29 %.
• Die Hafengebühren bleiben im vierten Jahr in Folge unverändert, um Unternehmen und ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit zu unterstützen.
• Im kommenden Sommer wird die Hafenbehörde von Bilbao die Arbeiten für die letzte Phase der Hafenerweiterung vergeben, um die Nachfrage nach Grundstücken zur Steigerung der Geschäfts- und/oder Industrietätigkeit zu decken.
• Wirtschaftlich-finanzielle Nachhaltigkeit ermöglicht auch die weitere Förderung von Nachhaltigkeitsprojekten, wie etwa der Elektrifizierung der Hafenanlagen.

(WK-intern) – Die Verkehrszahlen zum Jahresende 2023 für den Hafen von Bilbao beliefen sich auf insgesamt 32,8 Millionen Tonnen, was einem Anstieg von 0,11 % gegenüber den Zahlen von 2022 entspricht und hauptsächlich auf flüssige und feste Massengüter zurückzuführen ist.

Dieser Anstieg wurde durch einen außergewöhnlich schwierigen Monat Dezember aufgrund des schlechten Wetters behindert, was zu Verzögerungen bei der Ankunft der Schiffe führte.

Konkret gingen im Laufe des Monats mehr als eine halbe Million Tonnen und 21 Hafenanläufe verloren. Allein am 1. und 2. Januar liefen dreizehn Schiffe in den Hafen ein, die im Dezember anlegen sollten. Ohne diese Verzögerungen hätte der Jahresendwert bei 1,7 % gelegen.

Trotz dieses Rückschlags hat der Hafen von Bilbao von seinem vielseitigen Charakter profitiert, von seiner Spezialisierung auf den Umschlag aller Arten von Gütern, unabhängig von ihrer Art, ihrem Volumen, ihrem Gewicht oder ihrer Komplexität. Infolgedessen liegen die Zahlen für den Gesamtverkehr um 3,3 % über dem Durchschnitt der Staatshäfen, wobei die Ergebnisse in acht der zwölf Haupthäfen zurückgingen. Auch die Zahlen für den Containerverkehr (0,9 % weniger als im Vorjahr) liegen über dem Durchschnitt der Häfen des spanischen Hafensystems (5,5 % weniger als im Vorjahr).

Es ist wichtig zu beachten, dass der Hafen von Bilbao im Gegensatz zu anderen großen Häfen kein Transithafen ist. Bei den Exporten liegt Bilbao mit 8,3 Millionen Tonnen an dritter Stelle, nur hinter Valencia und Barcelona und vor Cartagena und Algeciras. Auch bei den Importen liegt es mit 21,3 Millionen an dritter Stelle, hinter Cartagena und Tarragona und vor Barcelona und Valencia. Diese Zahlen bestätigen seine Bedeutung für die Wirtschaft seines Hinterlandes und seine Stärke als logistisch-industrieller Hafen. In diesem Sinne werden 38 % der konzessionierten Hafenfläche von Industrieunternehmen genutzt, die vor allem im Energie- und Windenergiesektor Materialien am Hafen herstellen oder in Endprodukte umwandeln.

Abgesehen davon, dass es sich um einen Hafen handelt, der über die Kapazität und Erfahrung verfügt, alle Arten von Verkehr abzuwickeln, in dem Transport, Dienstleistungen, Logistik und Industrie Hand in Hand gehen, räumt der Hafenbetrieb in seiner Geschäftspolitik, auch im Dienste seines Hinterlandes, dem Verkehr Vorrang ein Hoher strategischer Wert, auch wenn er weniger Tonnen ausmacht, etwa Projektladungen, unter denen Windkraftkomponenten eine herausragende Rolle spielen. Im Jahr 2023 liefen 3.600 Sondertransportsendungen im Hafen ein, durchschnittlich zehn pro Tag.

Anstieg der Massengüter
Bezogen auf die Ladungsart sind die Zahlen für flüssige Massengüter trotz des Produktionsrückgangs in der Petronor-Raffinerie aufgrund der vorübergehenden technischen Stilllegung um 1 % gestiegen. Die Schüttgüter stiegen um 4,4 %, wobei der Export von Petrolkoks und der Import von Getreide und deren Mehlen von besonderer Bedeutung sind.

Bei Stückgütern sanken die Zahlen um fast 4 %. Bei der konventionellen Fracht sind die Zahlen für Maschinen und Baumaterialien gestiegen, während die Containergüter mit der besten Leistung auch Baumaterialien sind. Trotz eines Gesamtrückgangs von 3 % liegen diese Zahlen auch über dem Durchschnitt des Landeshafensystems, der um fast 5 % zurückging.

In absoluten Zahlen schnitten Dieselöl, Getreide, Baustoffe, Biokraftstoffe, Sojabohnen sowie Futter- und Futtermittel am besten ab. Auffällige negative Zahlen wurden hingegen bei Rohöl, Heizöl, Chemieprodukten, Getränken, Zement und Klinker sowie Papier und Zellstoff verzeichnet.

Port of Bilbao: Annual Report 2023

Main markets in overall traffic (including bulk liquids)

The Port of Bilbao closes the year with a positive result, as it prepares its last major extension and work begins on the electrification of the docks

• Results are better than the average of the State Ports because Bilbao is a multi-purpose port with a major focus on logistic and industrial activities, servicing its hinterland and with no reliance on through traffic.
• Figures for bulk liquids and solids are up, and the port consolidates its position as a hub for special transport, with 3,600 arrivals.
• The commitment to rail is maintained, with the share of containers entering or leaving by rail now standing at 29%.
• Port charges remain unchanged for the fourth year running to support businesses and their competitiveness.
• This coming summer, the Port Authority of Bilbao will award the works for the last phase of the extension of the port, with a view to meeting demand for land to increase business and/or industrial activity.
• Economic-financial sustainability also enables sustainability projects, such as the electrification of the docks, to continue to be promoted.

End-of-year traffic figures for 2023 for the Port of Bilbao totalled 32.8 million tonnes, up 0.11% on 2022 figures and attributable mainly to bulk liquids and solids.

This increase has been hindered by an exceptionally complicated month of December due to bad weather, which has caused delays in the arrival of vessels. Specifically, more than half a million tonnes and 21 port calls were lost during the month. On 1 and 2 January alone, thirteen vessels entered the port that were due to have berthed in December. If it weren’t for these delays, the end-of-year figure would have been 1.7%.

Despite this setback, the Port of Bilbao has benefited from its multi-purpose nature, from its specialisation in handling all types of goods regardless of their nature, volume, weight or complexity. As a result, figures for total traffic are 3.3% higher than the average for State Ports, with results down in eight of the twelve main ports. Likewise, figures for container traffic (0.9% down on the previous year) are better than the average for the ports of the Spanish port system (5.5% down on the previous year).

It is important to note that the Port of Bilbao, unlike other major ports, is not a port of transit. Bilbao ranks third in exports with 8.3 million tonnes, behind only Valencia and Barcelona, and ahead of Cartagena and Algeciras. It is also third in terms of imports with 21.3 million, behind Cartagena and Tarragona, and ahead of Barcelona and Valencia. These figures confirm its importance for the economy of its hinterland, and its strength as a logistical-industrial port. In this sense, 38% of the port surface area under concession is used by industrial companies, which manufacture or transform materials dockside into end products, mainly in the energy and wind energy sectors.

In addition to being a port with the capacity and experience to handle all types of traffic, where transport, services, logistics and industry go hand in hand, the Port Authority’s commercial policy, also at the service of its hinterland, gives priority to traffic of high strategic value, even if it adds up to fewer tonnes, such as project cargoes, among which wind power components feature prominently. In 2023, 3,600 special transport consignments entered the port, an average of ten a day.

Increase in bulk cargo
In terms of cargo type, figures for bulk liquids, despite the fall in production at the Petronor refinery due to its temporary technical shutdown, are up 1%. Bulk solids are up 4.4%, with petroleum coke exports and imports of cereals and their flours of particular relevance.
Figures for general cargo fell by almost 4%. Within conventional cargo, figures for machinery and construction materials are up, whilst the best performing containerised goods are also construction materials. Despite a 3% fall overall, these figures also outperform the average for the state port system, which fell by almost 5%.
In absolute terms, the best performing cargo types were diesel oil, cereals, construction materials, biofuels, soya beans and animal feed and fodder. On the other hand, stand-out negative figures were recorded for crude oil, fuel oil, chemical products, beverages, cement and clinker, and paper and pulp.

Market leaders with the UK and Ireland
The main markets in terms of overall traffic, including liquids, are the United States (12% of traffic), Brazil (9%), Russia (8%), the United Kingdom (7%) and Mexico (6%). The countries showing the greatest growth are Norway (imports of oil and gas), Brazil (imports of oil), Nigeria (imports of gas), Belgium (exports of oil and mineral products), India (imports of diesel and steel products) and Mexico (imports of oil and exports of steel products). The Port of Bilbao continues to lead the market in terms of traffic with the United Kingdom and Ireland, and 33% of Spanish traffic passes through the port.

More vessels and passengers
Vessel movements closed at 2,738 calls, an increase of 96 vessels (+3.6%). Vessel size (GTs) is up 9% due to the increase in the number of container ships, cruise ships and the new and more sustainable roll-on/roll-off vessels of Finnlines and Brittany Ferries.

Passenger numbers are up 26.5% to 270,771. The number of regular line passengers (ferries with the United Kingdom and Ireland) is up 16%, i.e. 17,059 more passengers than in 2022, while figures for cruise passenger traffic, with 80 cruise ship calls, stand at a total of 149,032 (+36%) tourists, a record for the Port of Bilbao.

29% of containers transported by rail
In 2023, 4,238 trains operated in the Port of Bilbao, a figure similar to that of 2022, representing an average of almost 12 trains per day. The share of containers entering or leaving by rail has once again increased from 27% to 29%, consolidating the position of the port of Bilbao as the leader in the port system. This growth and the commitment to rail is in line with one of the EU’s key objectives to promote decarbonisation.
In this respect, and with a view to improving rail operations, the Port Authority has been managing rail traffic and manoeuvres in the port area since 2022, and has signed another agreement with Adif in 2023 for the container terminal that the Spanish state-owned company still manages. Specifically, an order has been signed for the Port Authority to manage operations related to cargo handling, access control and telephone and telematic services for operators, thus reinforcing the collaboration between the two administrations and continuing the strategy of further improving service provision in the port.
The Port Authority is also taking active part in the initiatives of the Basque Government and the Chambers of Commerce to combine efforts to progress with the Atlantic Corridor project. Similarly, the project for the southern goods rail bypass is expected to be taken forward in the near future.

Port charges remain unchanged for the fourth year running
At the end of 2023, turnover stood at EUR 68.8 million, up 5.93% on 2022 figures of EUR 64.9 million. This EUR 3.8 million increase is attributable to the increased occupation rate of the port, to the larger size of the vessels and to the greater number of calls.
To support business competitiveness, port charges have remained unchanged over the period 2021-2023, despite an accumulated general inflation of 15.3% over this three-year period. In 2024, the prices charged to port customers will also remain unchanged.
Furthermore, in 2023, 50% discounts on vessel charges have been applied for the first time to pioneering vessels powered by alternative fuels (LNG and hybrid vessels).

The debt with the European Investment Bank stands at EUR 40.4 million and cash balances amount to EUR 55.9 million. Cash and cash equivalents (EBITDA) stand at EUR 31.7 million. In accordance with the above figures, this economic-financial situation will enable the Port Authority to make new and important investments in 2024 in the areas of energy transition, basic infrastructure, intermodality, digitalisation, innovation and port-town relations.
Works on the final stage of the port extension and the electrification of the docks to begin in 2024.

Total investment made by the Port Authority during 2023 amounted to EUR 18.7 million. Foremost among this investment has been the extension of Dock AZ1 (EUR 4.3 million), the filling at the central breakwater (EUR 3.15 million), the reinforcement of the bridge structure on the N644 at the Iberdrola intake site (EUR 2.2 million), Port-Town relations (EUR 1.9 million) and the vacuum sewerage network in the Outer Abra (EUR 1.78 million, of the EUR 20 million investment scheduled up to 2025).

The investment forecast for 2024 is EUR 77.8 million, a high figure due, amongst other things, to the start of the second phase of the central breakwater which will provide 30 new hectares of space in a port with a high degree of occupation and great demand for land. The full development and use of the Outer Abra will thus enter its final phase. The works are expected to be put out to tender at Easter, once the project has been approved by the Council of Ministers, for an amount of EUR 54.4 million and a completion period of 26 months. The contract could be awarded in the summer and works could potentially begin in the last quarter of the year.
At the same time, within the framework of the Port of Bilbao Energy Transition Plan and with a view to delivering defined emission reduction targets, works on the electrification of the docks are being done so that ships can be connected to the onshore power grid and switch off their auxiliary engines, thereby reducing CO2 emissions and noise and vibration levels. The first phase of the BilbOPS project, focusing on the A-5 Dock of the Central Breakwater, was awarded in December for EUR 4.7 million, and is supported by a EUR 4.3 million grant from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The BilbOPS initiative, which is expected to be operational in 2026, requires an investment of EUR 78 million, of which EUR 14.2 million will be subsidised by the European Commission under the CEF Transport 2021-2027 grant programme. The project also entails that 20% of the power generated be from renewable sources, with the intention of increasing this figure to 50% by 2028.

PR: PORT AUTHORITY OF BILBAO 

PB: Main markets in overall traffic (including bulk liquids)