Thank to the willingness and efficient management of the port's professionals, the port has been working as an essential and critical infrastructure, with all its services fully functional. We have managed to offset the effect of the crisis on the economy of our catchment area, minimise its impact on the production fabric and helped to lay the foundations for the subsequent revival of the economy as quickly and robustly as possible.
In this year marked by the pandemic, I must first thank the port’s professionals for their willingness and efficient management. The port has been working as an essential and critical infrastructure with all its services fully functional to offset the effect of the crisis on the economy of our economic area of influence and minimise its impact on production capacity. On the other hand, we have helped to lay the foundations for the subsequent revival of the economy as quickly and robustly as possible. Thus, we have always offered our operators and concessionaires the best operational facilities and economic conditions to better weather the crisis.
The Port of Huelva has continued to implement its business diversification strategy, as reflected in the general freight traffic figures, recording growth of 13.49% in 2020, along with an increase in RO-RO traffic of 14.29%. Furthermore, we exceeded 83,000 TEUs for the first time ever and rose to 5th place in the port system in terms of total traffic, despite the pandemic.
Within this line of business diversification and consolidation of our traditional traffic, we have carried out multiple projects and construction works throughout the port. We have thus increased our infrastructures qualitatively and quantitatively as the leading logistics hub in the south-west of mainland Spain and Portugal.
We are called on to drive the economy and industry. We are therefore going to continue to help to boost our territory economically by constantly striving to attract traffic and streamline the freight import and export logistic flows. We likewise support our surroundings thanks to our Corporate Social Responsibility policy.
As part of our local social development work, we are restoring the hallmarks of Huelva’s identity within the port environs, such as the Monument to Colon and the Tharsis Dock, where restoration work will begin shortly. In 2020, we also awarded grants to co-fund 76 out of a total of 78 projects submitted by non-profit entities and organisations from the city of Huelva and its province. This means we approved a total of 97.4% of the applications, involving a total budget of €200,000.
During this year marked by the health and economic crisis, we have also focused on supporting Huelva’s social fabric, by sponsoring 108 projects to reach out to the public and their needs.
The Port has posted excellent results in an unusual year that has been very complicated for logistic and economic activity and also for the social fabric. It has shown its closeness to the citizens and the strength of its diversification strategy in order to be one of the main drivers of the economic recovery and a key logistic hub to supply the country.
María del Pilar Miranda Plata
Chair of Huelva Port Authority