Port accessThe Port Authority of Bilbao and UniportBilbao, together with a prominent delegation of companies from the multimodal logistics sector in Bilbao, will be at Breakbulk Europe, the world’s largest project cargo, ro-ro traffic, heavy lift and breakbulk event, to be held in Rotterdam from 6 to 8 June. The event will bring together industry professionals from more than 120 countries.
The representatives of the Port of Bilbao will hold meetings and interviews with shipowners, logistics operators, shipping agents, importers, exporters and traders in Hall 1 1E25-F24, where they will showcase the specialisation of the port and its community. The facilities and services on offer, a high degree of digitalisation and the extensive and wide-ranging experience of the port are all factors which make Bilbao a benchmark for the transport, stowage, handling and lashing of this type of goods, with a degree of responsiveness and flexibility which enables Bilbao companies to meet all kinds of customer demands and offer all types of services to the different players along the logistics value chain, from the exporter to the importer.
Furthermore, a series of major public and private sector projects related to sustainability and decarbonisation are also being taken forward in the port of Bilbao. One such stand-out initiative is the BilbOPS project to equip the terminals, such as those for ro-ro traffic, with OPS technology by 2025. The project, which includes a PV solar plant for self-consumption, comprises a total investment of EUR 51.8 million, co-funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the EC through the CEF Transport 2021-2027 programme.
The port of Bilbao also offers shipping companies an LNG bunkering service and/or LNG provision from a quayside terminal, and Petronor/Repsol is building a plant for the production of synfuels using green hydrogen, produced with renewable energy, as feedstock.
An important type of traffic
Breakbulk accounts for 10% of traffic in the Port of Bilbao, with more than 3 million tonnes handled in 2022. Within this type of traffic, ro-ro, in particular, continues to show an upward trend, up by 16%. The main markets are the United Kingdom and Ireland, while the main goods are iron and steel products, paper and pulp, machinery and tools, building materials and fruit and vegetables.
Project cargo is also of particular importance. The Port of Bilbao has a highly industrialised catchment area, with several companies specialised in project cargo with production plants on port premises. Alongside these companies, stevedoring companies specialised in handling and project cargo such as Bergé, Toro y Betolaza and Servicios Logísticos Portuarios (SLP), together with CSP Iberian Terminal Bilbao, provide a service for all the main container shipping lines that offer space for oversized cargo.
