The Government delegate in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego, attended today the inauguration in the Port of Santander of the works carried out at the docks of Raos 7 and 8 that will allow to increase the berthing line and speed up the loading and unloading operations of the road traffic.
In statements to the media, Gómez de Diego stressed that the work carried out, which has involved an investment of more than 2 million euros, are "another tangible example of what can be achieved when institutions, companies and workers work together for a common objective" which, in this case, is that "the Port of Santander is a reference in the logistics of transport and maritime goods".
Thus, the Government delegate referred to the 56.4 million euros recently achieved by the Port Authority of the European Fund for Adaptation to Brexit thanks to the performance of the Ministry of Finance and Public Function. A part of this fund, just over 800,000 euros, has been used precisely to pay for the works that have been inaugurated this Friday.
Gómez de Diego has affirmed that the Port of Santander "has been charting an upward trajectory in recent years" and that these works "represent a step forward in that growing line that we all want to continue". “They are a good sign of our commitment to the future of the Port of Santander and the region,” he added.
Benefits for Cantabria
Gómez de Diego has assured that the new infrastructures will allow "to increase the operational capacity of the port, improve logistics efficiency and reduce waiting times".
"In short, these works are an investment in the future of Cantabria," the government delegate concluded. "An investment that will allow us to create jobs, generate wealth and improve the quality of life of all Cantabrians."
Finally, the representative of the State in the region has valued “the sweet moment that the port and maritime sector is living in Spain” and has praised the good progress of the Spanish economy, which is “the fastest growing in Europe”. “We are growing more than any country in the European Union and we have broken record of affiliation to Social Security, but the Government of Spain is not satisfied and we are going to continue working to improve the competitiveness of our country and Cantabria,” he said.
The event was attended by the president of the Port Authority of Santander (APS), César Díaz; the councillors of Development and Industry, Roberto Medio and Eduardo Arasti; the mayor of Santander, Gema Igual,and various authorities and representatives of the maritime sector.
The works, which have been financed with Brexit Adaptation Reserve Funds, have involved an investment of 2.8 million euros and an execution period of nine months. They have been awarded to the UTE COPSESA-CIOMAR, S.L.
More docking and greater flexibility
The main performance has been the extension of the docking line at Raos 8 West, which has gained 23 meters in length. This will allow two deep-sea ships of 229 and 200 meters in length to operate simultaneously, compared to the current situation that only allows the docking of two ships of 200 meters, or a single ship if it exceeds this measure.
In addition, a roro ramp has been installed in Raos 7 to increase the service offer to roro ships with ramp in stern. This will allow us to offer greater flexibility to this type of traffic.
HÖEGH TROTTER
Höegh Trotter The Höegh Trotter, the world’s largest Pure Truck and Car Carrier with its twin ships, has today been able to dock at the extended pier of Raos 8 thanks to this performance and the reduced norais that included the inaugurated work.
The director of Höegh Autoliners Spain, Iñaki Echevarría, was also present at the event and invited the authorities to make a visit to the interior of the ship.
With 71,400 square meters of decks and 6.5 meters of height on the main deck, the Höegh Trotter, which will depart for Port Elizabeth at 11 p.m., has a capacity on the main ramp of 12 meters wide and 375 tons, which allows the shipment of loads of all kinds, whether oversized or project.
During its stopover in Santander, within the regular Europe-Africa-Oceania line, the vessel will load some 2,000 new vehicles for South Africa and Australia, in addition to a two-section tram bound for Australia.