
The port will exceed again 100 million tons of total throughput in 2020
Despite the effect of the crisis caused by the global pandemic, the Port of Algeciras Bay Authority will overcome this barrier for the fifth consecutive year
The Port of Algeciras will close the year surpassing 100 million tons of goods, despite the crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. This is confirmed by the year-to-day figures, with almost 90 million tons until October. These data let Algeciras Port remain among the first ports in the continent, as well as first in Spain.
During the month of October 2020, the Port of Algeciras Bay Authority moved a total of 9.3 million tons, just 0.07% below October last year. This month has registered the highest volume in total throughput since January, thanks to the recovery of the liquid and solid bulks, the bunkering sales or the ro-ro traffic. In the case of the latter, the traffic across the Strait of Gibraltar totalled 34,327 trucks and semitrailers, the highest volume since March.
The year-to-day figure has reached 89.8 million tons, 2.74% below the same period last year. Month after month, the port traffic was regaining ground in the second trimester, when the impact of the pandemic and the confinements were especially severe.
During these ten months, the container traffic has totalled 4,235,049 TEUs (-1.8%), although the containerized goods were 54.5 million tons (+0.44%), due to the lower rate in empty containers, while the general goods touched the 62 million tons, pushed, as well, by the ro-ro traffic. The traffic across the Strait of Gibraltar exceeded the amount of 300,000 trucks (-0.7%), 277,091 out of which, used Algeciras – Tanger Med regular line (+3.6%). With regards to the bulk traffic, despite the growth in October, liquid bulks register an accumulated figure of 24.4 million tons (-5.7%) and solid bulks, 446,205 tons (-51.7%).
With regards to the bunkering sales, the port has totalled 1.5 million tons (-21.1%) in the period January-October, with a fall of the supply at berth by 66% and a rise in the deliveries at anchorage by 31%. The discharge of fresh fish in Algeciras and Tarifa resulted in 717 tons (-4%) offered for sale at auction.
The Chairman of the Port Authority, Mr. Gerardo Landaluce, has taken a positive view of the evolution of these results, which indicate that the total throughput of the Port of Algeciras will exceed the 100-million-ton figure for the fifth consecutive year. This volume is only achieved in Europe by the ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp.
These results have closed a fruitful fortnight for the Port of Algeciras, during which, the port has received the ESPO 2020 Award by the European Sea Ports Organization in recognition of the integration of innovative companies, it has also received the green light to continue with the final proposal of the infrastructure Master Plan. In addition, it has been laid the foundation stone for the intermodal terminal of the Algeciras Bay Logistics Area in the San Roque sector and also, TTIA container terminal has received the first call of the CMA CGM Jacques Saadé, largest containership in the world powered by Liquified Natural Gas.
SOURCE: EUROPASUR