The Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, has announced more than 130 million euros in investments in ports of general interest in Asturias from 2025 to 2029, This will allow these strategic infrastructures of the State to improve their competitiveness and boost their growth. Specifically, 72.8 million euros will go to the port of Avilés, and 60.6 million to the port of Gijón.
This is stated in the investment plan of State Ports which was presented this Thursday by the minister during the informative breakfast organized by Diario del Puerto in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. State Ports is the public agency under the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility responsible for coordinating the Spanish port system, which is composed of 46 ports of general interest managed by 28 Port Authorities.
According to the data collected in the ‘Horizon 2030’ investment framework of the Spanish port system, Asturias is the tenth Autonomous Community in volume of investment in this period, after Catalonia, Andalusia, the Valencian Community, Galicia, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Murcia, the Basque Country and Cantabria.
Of the total investment of more than 133 million euros in these two Asturian ports, the majority (93 million euros) will go to the improvement and adaptation of infrastructures and facilities to the demand and challenges of the future, which represents almost 70% of the total.
Another 18 million are to promote the sustainability of these ports, reaffirming the fundamental role of these infrastructures as the spearhead of the energy transition in Spain.
Some 11 million are for the development and improvement of its access, since guaranteeing its connectivity is fundamental to boost competitiveness; 5 million are for port-city projects, planned to bring ports closer to citizens and improve their quality of life; and another 5 million for the digitization of these infrastructures and facilities.
The annual breakdown of the more than 133 million euros in these two Asturian ports of the state-owned port system is as follows:
- About 20.3 million in 2025.
- About 31.6 in 2026.
- About 30 in 2027.
- About 27.5 in 2028.
- About 24.3 in 2029.
Port of Avilés
The port of Avilés will receive a total of 72.8 million euros, of which 56 million are for the infrastructure chapter, for the expansion and improvement of facilities. Another $11.6 million will go to sustainability; $3.7 million to port-city projects; $1 million to digitization; and $516,000 to boost port access.
In Avilés, the main projects are the two phases of the union of the docks of Arcelor and Valliniello and rampa roro, which will generate a new esplanade for logistics activities with 32,000 square meters gained to the sea.
Port of Gijón
The port of Gijón will receive up to 2029 about 60.6 million euros, of which 37 million are for the development of infrastructures, as well as the expansion and improvement of facilities. To improve access to the port, it will receive 10.2 million; and to develop sustainability projects, another 6.2 million. Finally, 4.6 million are contemplated for the digitization item, 1.7 million for port-city; and 800,000 euros for security.
In Gijón, the actions under way for the implementation of OPS services at docks for container ships stand out, which will allow docked ships to turn off auxiliary engines reducing noise and emissions to the atmosphere.