By
Amber Hickman |
Valenciaport has approved the construction of a new public passenger terminal at the Port of Valencia, Spain.
Baleària Eurolineas Marítimas (Baleària) will build the facility, which will have a surface area of approximately 107,000 square metres. The total investment will be around €100 million ($102.8 million), which will be provided by both public and private funding.
The terminal will be equipped with new technologies to enable it to operate sustainably. The electrical energy needed to operate the facility will be produced in-house from either photovoltaic, wind, renewable hydrogen or biofuel sources.
Ships will also be able to connect to shore power, enabling them to switch off their engines and eliminate emissions while docked. The terminal will also have a biomethane plant to recycle 100 per cent of the waste it generates and turn it into biogas.
The facility will serve cruise ships, passenger ferries that run regular sailing to the Balearic Islands and Algeria, and ro-ro traffic, with separate areas serving each type of traffic. It will also have four berths, the largest of which will accommodate a 360-metre-long cruise ship. There will also be a central, 215-metre-long pier for ferries and another berth that will be at least 250 metres long.
Balèaria will collaborate with Global Ports Holding, the world’s largest cruise port operator, when designing the cruise area.
Valenciaport estimates the facility will handle a minimum of 370,000 cruise and ferry passengers in the first year of operation, with this number increasing to 472,000 in the fifth year.