Port accessThe Port of Bilbao and Mercabilbao will showcase their capacity to manage the transport and logistics of fruit and vegetables at Fruit Logistica Berlin, the world’s leading trade fair for the fruit and vegetable sector. Exhibitors from more than 90 countries will be taking part in the event, to be held in Berlin from 7 to 9 February, with professionals from 140 countries, mainly those responsible for the logistics of perishable products in their respective organisations, expected to attend.
From Stand 61 (Hall 25), and using a large screen to show promotional videos, the Port Authority will highlight the qualities of Bilbao as an ally in the internationalisation of the fruit and vegetable sector, especially for the markets of Northern Europe and the British Isles, with facilities and services specifically designed to offer the sector fast, safe and traceable logistics solutions.
Port facilities for fruit and vegetable traffic include the container terminal, equipped with 540 plug-in power points for reefer containers and automated access, the modern Border Control Post, operational 24 hours/day with 16 loading and unloading bays which provide for fast and efficient logistics management, and the e–puertobilbao online platform, with specific paper-free services to speed up processes and streamline operations, thereby enhancing the traceability of goods and improving security at the entrance gates to the port itself.
The companies of the port community have a wealth of experience in managing the traffic of perishable goods, with a storage, maintenance and repair service for refrigerated containers 365 days a year, thereby preventing waiting times and potential breaks in the cold chain, as well as ro-ro and multi-purpose terminals and perishable goods warehouses. Frioport extends over 4,800 m², has two -25º C freezer units with a total capacity of 16,300 m³ and three positive cold chambers with a capacity of 7,500 m³. Progeco, for its part, has two facilities for the storage and transfer of goods, providing a total of 6,000 m² of positive cold storage.
To contribute to the decarbonisation of the fruit and vegetable transport sector, the Port Authority is developing green shipping corridors and improving intermodality and rail-port services. With this in mind, the Port Authority is working to provide a universal, neutral and competitive service in the port, and is taking different actions to speed up and improve operations. Bilbao has rail connections with Abroñigal, Agoncillo, Arasur, Azuqueca, Barcelona, Coslada, Jundiz, La Rioja, Noáin, Nonduermas, Pancorbo, Seville, Silla, Valencia, Vicálvaro, Villafría and Zaragoza, which has made it possible in 2023 for 29% of containers to enter or leave the port by rail.
Another initiative currently being rolled out in the Port of Bilbao is the electrification of the docks, scheduled to be operational by 2026. This project also provides for the production of renewable energy in the port, to ensure that at least part of the energy consumed in the port is of sustainable origin. The Port
Authority has already tendered and awarded the works to build the new electrical infrastructure at Dock A-5 of the Central Breakwater, which has received a grant of 4.3 million euros through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – funded by NextGenerationEU. The first phase of the operation requires an investment of 78 million euros, of which 14.2 million euros will be subsidised by the European Commission under the CEF Transport 2021-2027 grant programme.
The Port of Bilbao and Mercabilbao, the largest distribution centre for perishable foodstuffs in the north of Spain and the south of France, together form the largest food hub in the north of Spain. In 2023, over 123,000 tons of fruit and vegetables were handled by the port, of which around 90% was destined for export. The most common consignments in this respect were onions, garlic, leeks and citrus fruits.
Mercabilbao, ideally located for a strategy of internationalisation
Mercabilbao is not only the largest distribution centre for perishable foodstuffs in the north of Spain and the south of France, but also a driving force behind the transformation of the agri-food sector. This can be attributed to its strategic location, less than 20 kilometres from the Port of Bilbao and Bilbao International Airport, and very close to the intersection of the Paris-Hendaia-Madrid axis. These factors, amongst others, enable Mercabilbao and the Port of Bilbao to pursue a joint and effective internationalisation strategy, and makes them an attractive and ideal proposition for logistics operators in the fruit and vegetable sector in terms of resources, economics, time, available infrastructure and existing logistics warehouses.
The partnership of Mercabilbao with the Port of Bilbao gives the market a further competitive advantage in attracting traffic in fruit and vegetable products, enabling it to connect with other European and American markets, especially within the framework of the development of the joint Euro-Region of the Basque Country-Aquitaine. Mercabilbao and the Central Market of Bordeaux collaborate closely to develop joint activities and provide a better service to the community.
In this sense, in 2023, Mercabilbao traded a total of 234,578.6 tonnes of fruit, vegetables, potatoes and produce from producers, a figure that consolidates its position as a benchmark food market.
