Infrastructures and capacity
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I_07
General technical characteristics of the port (I_07)
One of Huelva Port Authority’s priorities is to optimise the layout and state of its infrastructures so they adequately meet its customers’ needs.
The general characteristics of the Port of Huelva are as follows:
The port is located where the Tinto and Odiel rivers meet and its land service area has a surface area of 1,716 Ha and an area of 524 Ha that can be used for concessions. The right boundary of that Service Area is the Juan Carlos I breakwater, which is 13 km long, while two parts of the port - the Inner Port and Outer Port - make up the left-hand boundary.
Inner Port
The Inner Port can be divided into two port-use areas (industrial and commercial):
- The area of the Levante Wharf and the North Fishing Industrial Estate, where the main uses are general freight traffic, small-draught cruise ships, fishing industry, service and commercial facilities, and machinery storage and maintenance facilities.
- The Punta de Sebo cross-street area, where until recently the main uses were the basic chemical industry and complementary activities to that sector. Given the drop in the number of basic chemical factories, the auxiliary industry is gradually becoming established there.
In addition to the aforementioned facilities, the Tinto Wetlands come within the port and are a free space where restoration and conservation actions have been carried out.
Outer Port
The Outer Port can also be divided into different areas differentiated by the type of activities:
- The Ingeniero Juan Gonzalo Wharf and its surrounding area, mainly used for solid bulk traffic.
- The concession docks, mainly use for energy liquid bulk traffic.
- The South Wharf, used for container, passenger, Ro-Ro general freight traffic.
- The Monobuoy used for loading and unloading liquid bulk.
Navigatable zones
As regards the waterways, special mention should be made of the entrance channel whose main features are set out in the following table:
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Longitude (Greenwich) | 6º 49’ 32.8” W |
| Latitude | 37º 8’ 6.6” N |
| Tides | |
| Maximum tidal range | 3.84 |
| LLW with respect to port zero | 0.01 |
| HHW with respect to port zero | 4.11 |
| Prevailing winds | SW and NW |
| Entrances | |
| Entrance channel | |
| Width | 200 - 300 m |
| Draught referred to LLW | 13 m* |
| Bottom | Sand and sludge |
| Length | 15,000 m |
| Entrance mouth | |
| Orientation | 339º |
| Width | 300 m |
| Draught | 13 m |
| Maximum current recorded | 5 knots |
| Breakwaters | |
| Juan Carlos I Breakwater | Length 13,000 m |
*Draught of the project.
Docks and terminals
The following table summarises the characteristics of the wharfs and terminals that Huelva Port Authority, as the supplier of port infrastructures, provides for maritime trade.
| Docks, Piers and Mooring | Length (m) | Draught (m) | Width (m) | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service | ||||
| Ingeniero Juan Gonzalo Dock | 942.00 | 13.00 | 230.00 | General goods and bulk goods |
| Ciudad de Palos Dock | 492.00 | 13.00 | 320.00 | General goods and bulk goods |
| Levante Sur Dock | 400.00 | 8.00 | 80.00 | General goods and cruise ships |
| Levante Central Dock | 90.00 | 8.00 | 80.00 | Local and ancillary transit |
| Levante Norte Dock | 710.00 | 8.00 | 80.00 | Fishing and internal traffic |
| Petroleros T. Arenillas Dock | 460.00 | 12.60 | - | Bulk liquids (2 berths) |
| Minerals Dock | 374.00 | 13.00 | 50.00 | General goods and bulk goods |
| Southern Dock | 750.00 | 13.00 | 300.00 | Transit, general goods, ro-ro and containers |
| Tharsis Dock | 280.00 | - | - | Non-operational |
| Northern mooring buoys | 200.00 | 7.00 | - | - |
| Central mooring buoys | 200.00 | 6.00 | - | - |
| Southern mooring buoys | 150.00 | 5.00 | - | - |
| TOTAL SERVICE | 5,048.00 | |||
| Private | ||||
| Maximum length permitted (m) |
||||
| Nuevo Astillero de Huelva, S.A. Dock | 337.00 (**) | - | Fittings, repairs, breaking | |
| Riotinto Dock | 390.00 (**) | - | Non-operational | |
| Fertiberia, S.L. Pier (phosphorous) | 180.00 | 8.10 | Liquid bulks | |
| Atlantic Copper, S.L.U. North Pier | 140.00 | 6.50 (maximum ship draught regardless of tide) | Liquid bulks | |
| Fertiberia, S.L. Pier (Fertilisers) | 150.00 | 8.10 | Liquid and solid bulks | |
| Impala Terminal | 550.00 (**) | 14.00 | Solid bulks | |
| Levantino-Aragonesa de Tránsitos, S.A. | 120.00 | 9.70 | Liquid bulks | |
| Atlantic Copper, S.L.U. Pier, TNP1 | 175.00 | 10.00 (M: 27.5 m) | Liquid bulks | |
| Atlantic Copper, S.L.U. Pier, TNP2 | 159.00 | 8.00 (Displacement 20.000 Tm) | Liquid bulks | |
| Saltés FPS Dock | 200.00 | 5.50 | Fittings, repairs, breaking | |
| Reina Sofía E Pier, CEPSA | 190.00 | 10.00 | Liquid bulks | |
| Reina Sofía C Pier, CEPSA | 128.00 | 8.50 | Liquid bulks | |
| Reina Sofía W Pier, CEPSA | 150,00 | 9.00 | Liquid bulks | |
| Reina Sofía 4º Pier, CEPSA Mooring | 210.00 | 12.00 (Displacement in load 66,000 Tm) | Liquid bulks | |
| Enagás, S.A. Pier | 304.50 | 12,00 (LNG ships up to 180,000 m3) | Liquid bulks | |
| Decal North Pier | 210.00 | 11.50 | Liquid bulks | |
| Decal South Pier | 210.00 | 12.50 (Displacement in load 66,000 Tm) | Liquid bulks | |
| Decal South Pier 2 | 119.20 | 13,30 | Liquid bulks | |
| Huelva Royal Maritime Club | 8.00 | 2.00 | Miscellaneous | |
| La Rábida Dock | 20.00 | 2.00 | Auxiliary (1 mooring) | |
| Monobuoy | 275.00 | 16.50 | Liquid bulks | |
| TOTAL PRIVATE | 4.225,70 | |||
| TOTAL | 9.237,70 | |||
(*) The draught at any time shall be that of the minimum depth corresponding to the last bathymetric survey carried out and shall be consulted through the authorised agents.
(**) Total length of the dock.
Accesses
The main road connections to the Port of Huelva are the A-49 motorway (Seville-Huelva-Portugal), the N-441 (from the north), H-31 (from the east) and H-30 (Huelva’s eastern roundabout), which runs south as the N-442 to the Outer Port. The N-435 (from Badajoz and Zafra to Huelva) is also important for the Port of Huelva as it connects the port to Extremadura.
Huelva’s outer port is connected along a branch railway line to the general network from its rail terminal on the South Wharf to the Huelva freight rail terminal, the rail logistics centre where goods are shipped, received and classified. The Port of Huelva is connected from Huelva Freight to the Huelva-Zafra and Huelva-Seville railway lines. Since December 2016, the Port has had a terminal at Majarabique which is a traffic distribution hub with the rest of the European and Spanish railway network.
I_08
Infrastructures being built or in the pipeline and their purposes (I_08)
During 2021, Huelva Port Authority invested €31.9 million to refurbish its infrastructures to meet existing needs.
Completed actions
The following key actions were completed in 2021:
- Collecting water on the Ingeniero Juan Gonzalo and Ciudad de Palos Wharves.
- Reorganising access on the South Wharf
- Upgrading the Avenida Francisco Montenegro
- Installing a perimeter security system. 2nd phase
A brief description is included below:
Collecting water on the Ingeniero Juan Gonzalo and Ciudad de Palos Wharves
The work consisted of setting up a new rainwater drainage network on the wharves to prevent the rainwater from flowing directly into the river estuary.
New manifolds with decanting stormwater drains, new surface paving adapted to the new slopes needed, and a large stormwater tank to regularise the water have been built.
In turn, new piping to supply raw water has been installed to clean and flush the operations surface of the wharf, and the fibre optic and electricity piping has been retrofitted.
Collecting water on the Ingeniero Juan Gonzalo Wharf (after the works)
Holding Tank (after the works)
Reorganising access on the South Wharf
The works consisted of reorganising and developing a 50,197 m2 port area, including the access road to the loading area and to the future terminal, along with the prior inspection controls at the restricted loading area of the Maritime Terminal.
The road surface paving is hot bituminous concrete-type compounds, except for the area of the inspection controls prior to the restricted loading area which has concrete paving. The development was completed with the infrastructures required for the planned use of this area: drainage, sanitation and supply facilities, lighting, communications and control. Enclosures, signage and beaconing, and defining the control areas (concourses, control equipment, ancillary buildings) were also part of the work.
Reorganising the accesses (during the works)
Upgrading the Avenida Francisco Montenegro
Avenida Francisco Montenegro is the main road connecting the city of Huelva and the inner port to the outer port. The avenue is nearly 5 km long and was not suitable for pedestrians along its whole length.
The work consisted of refurbishing and developing this Avenue and the edge of the frontages of the adjoining plots in order to integrate it into the city and for it to no longer be an industrial avenue.
The upgrading of the Avenida Francisco Montenegro included the following actions:
- Making a new two-metre landscaped reservation for the avenue to better blend into the setting.
- Removing the existing railway line (recovering and reusing the materials).
- Laying pavements using the same surfacing as that on the righthand side of the avenue.
- Concrete pavement milling and laying a new bearing layer with SMA 11, with low noise impact and proven durability.
- Relaying the existing fibre cement pipes under the pavement to be demolished and rebuilt.
- Creating parking places, particularly in the area around Huelva Yacht Club.
- Refurbishing the timber walkway along the right side of the avenue as per the APH study.
- Adapting the electricity cables to the facilities, including lighting, while respecting the type of recently installed lamps in the area and LEDs.
- Aesthetics and landscaping, similar to the one to be found locally and "green screens" on the left side.
- Landscaping slopes and green areas and creating recreational spaces.
Upgrading the Avenida Francisco Montenegro (after the works)
Installing a perimeter security system. 2nd phase
In 2016, Huelva Port Authority instigated a prior assessment of its protection and security needs, which led to the tendering of works for the "Installation of a Perimeter Security System for the Port of Huelva. Phase 1”. The work was implemented during the first half of 2017 and basically consisted of conveniently demarcating and protecting the perimeter and entrances of the Outer Port.
Phase 2 of the Perimeter Security Project was carried out to complete the installation and provide the perimeter of the Outer Port Service Zone with a greater degree of protection. That involved installing a new fibre optic line, along with integrating new protection and surveillance elements with the existing ones.
Thus, the perimeter security of the port reflects a converging, global and integral approach; all the electronic and mechanical elements and systems are fully integrated. The goal is to protect the virtual, logical or physical perimeters in order to detect, stop and dissuade possible intrusion into their facilities.
Installing a perimeter security system – 2nd Phase
Actions in progress
Other projects started in previous years and which are ongoing:
- Upgrading and widening the access road to the South Wharf
- North Expansion of the South Wharf
- Multifunctional building on the South Wharf and surrounding areas
- Partial demolition of the fish auction unit and the exporters’ warehouses
Those actions are outlined below:
Upgrading and widening the access road to the South Wharf
The works consisted of upgrading the access road to the South Wharf between pk 0+000 and pk 3+640, along with widening the road from Pk 3+640 to Pk 7+380.
The road surface only needs to be treated in first section, except where the platform is widened to upgrade intersections. The second section requires the platform to be widened to a total width of 18 m so that there is room for 2 two-lane carriageways, separated by an 80 cm central reservation demarcated with curbs and markers. The lanes will be 3.30 m to keep the speed low.
On the other hand, a series of underpasses is planned as a solution for the intersection crossings, which will ensure that the road does not have any gauge limitations. The underpass at P.k. 4+328 will be strengthened for cranes and vehicles with special loads.
Finally, the power and telecommunications facilities will be connected and the lighting provided by 12m-high columns with LED lights.
Upgrading and widening the access road to the South Wharf (during the works)
North Expansion of the South Wharf
The works consists of expanding the current South Wharf of the Port of Huelva by 526 metres. The type of structure will be a screen wharf with a main screen anchored to an anchoring one on the base slab. Both screens will be sheet piles.
The work initially envisages two different draught areas, one 10m draught (southern half) and another with 6m draught (northern half). However, the wharf design allows its draught to be adapted to the future needs of Huelva Port Authority up to a maximum draught of 17 metres.
The crest elevation of the wharf is the elevation +6.50 m (approximately, given that the surface has drainage slopes). The capping beam and the back guideway of the container cranes are made out of reinforced concrete and they function as pier cap beams for the sheet pilling. The back guideway of the gantry crane is also made out of reinforced concrete and is anchored on reinforced concrete pillars.
Furthermore, an area has been paved and is 40.75 m wide including the capping beam and the guideways using 0.28m thick HP-40 reinforced concrete on a forecourt that is 1.00 m thick. The termination is provisional with a 1.25 m thick layer of quarry run.
North expansion of the South Wharf (during the works)
Multifunctional building on the South Wharf and surrounding areas
A new multipurpose building is needed due to the growth in Ro-Ro and passenger traffic in recent years. It will be used to manage the embarking and disembarking of passengers, and as the premises for the port services and police and customs control and inspection services. Therefore, the plan is to build a multipurpose building to act as a passenger terminal with a carpark adjacent to the building.
The three-storey Multipurpose Building will occupy a total surface area of 2,392.35 m2 on the South Wharf concourse next to the existing Ro-Ro ramp.
It will also be the base for port management, passenger control, telecommunication and security. Thus, the Civil Guard and National Police access security controls, passenger control and customs office will be in the new premises. There will also be different waiting areas for passengers, a café, information point, check-in and ticket sales, along with offices for the use of the shipping companies that operate the different regular lines to the South Wharf at the Port of Huelva.
The design will be one-off and innovative, with a large cantilever as the main passenger entrance and the whole of upper part will be covered with vegetation.
Multipurpose building (during the works)
Partial demolition of the fish auction unit and the exporters’ warehouses
Huelva Port Authority has placed great emphasis on the Port-City interface in recent years. The complete remodelling of the Levante Wharf is envisaged as part of that endeavour. The different actions include the partial demolition of the fish auction unit and the exporters’ premises, the construction of the new fish auction centre and new warehouses for fish and shellfish exporters.
The new fish auction centre and the exporters’ new warehouses are already completed. Therefore, this stage will involve the remaining demolition work, consisting of the partial demolition of the former fish auction unit and of the exporters’ premises still standing, in order to continue with the full remodelling of the wharf.
Demolition of the old fish auction unit (during the works)
Other started actions
The following work has also been started:
- Retrofitting to guarantee the structural stability of the Compañía Española de Minas de Tharsis loading dock
- Rebuilding the Fountain of Nations
- Port of Huelva Technological Innovation Hub
Retrofitting to guarantee the structural stability of the Compañía Española de Minas de Tharsis loading dock
The Compañía Española de Minas de Tharsis loading dock is symbolically iconic for the city of Huelva, given its important role in the economic and social evolution of the local area and the link with its recent history. It is a hallmark that local residents want to be returned to its former glory.
The work involves a set of actions needed to guarantee the structural stability and safety of the Loading Dock, as the dock structure is in a very poor state of repair.
Rebuilding the Fountain of Nations
As part of the Port-City interface, the project to rebuild the Fountain of the Nations, which no longer exists, is underway. Also known as the Bench of the American Nations, the fountain was originally on the left of the Avenida Francisco Montenegro and approximately 500 metres to the south of the Ore Loading Bay on the Riotinto Wharf.
Port of Huelva Technological Innovation Hub
This action aims to fit out the upper story of the fish auction unit to house the "Port of Huelva Technological Innovation Hub", as part of the APH’s development of technological innovation in the port and logistic field. This will facilitate the convergence of the different companies and give impetus instruments and instruments to contribute to this goal.
As regards the implementation of the aforementioned investments, work to prepare the following projects was completed in 2021:
- Construction project to allow 550m long trains to operate in the Majarabique complex
- South Wharf sanitation connection project
- Project to install CCTV for port operations at the Port of Huelva
- Project to remodel the area around the Monument to the Faith of the Explorer
Other started projects
Other projects that began in 2021 and which are still in drafting phrases are as follows:
- Project to adapt the channel to new traffic
- Project to upgrade and develop the Punta del Sebo land
- Project to build a warehouse for the Andalusian Health Service at the Punta del Sebo Industrial Estate
I_09
Logistic and Industrial promotion initiatives (I_09)
The mission and vision expressed in the Strategic Plan of the Port explicitly pinpoint improving the connectivity and intermodality of the Port as a determining factor for the Port to focus on its development, particularly in terms of rail transport.
The strategic relevance of intermodality at the Port of Huelva is currently based on four cornerstones:
- The Majarabique Intermodal Railway Platform, located in Seville and owned by the Huelva Port Authority.
- The Logistics Zone (ZAL), currently in the pipeline, and which will allow the convergence of different types of companies and activities to provide continuity, quality services, transformation and added value to the transport chains to be found in the port space.
- The Port's rail connectivity and infrastructure will ensure more sustainable and efficient access to the maritime transport. (See I_22)
- The Port of Huelva Multimodal Platform, co-funded by the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) Programme and located on the South Wharf at the Port with direct connection to the maritime container terminal. (See I_22)
Huelva Port Authority considers the Majarabique Railway Terminal a project integrated in and a true "extension" of its maritime terminal. It is located to the north of the city of Seville, in the Seville and La Rinconada municipal districts, next to the SE-20 and SE-40 ringroads and the northern access road to Seville. It is part of Seville's railway hub with Madrid and Extremadura. There is thus a direct and efficient rail connection between the Port of Huelva hinterland in the Mediterranean and Atlantic corridors and with Extremadura.
Consolidating, strengthen and specialising the terminal is a priority for the Port of Huelva, as its position makes the Port of Huelva even more attractive as the maritime route for rail container loads from central Spain (Cordoba, Linareas, Castilla La Mancha, Madrid and Zaragoza), to the Atlantic ports (including Canary Islands, West Africa, Central and South America, and North-Western Europe). This option offers optimised times and costs for the whole logistics chain
Special mention should be made of the Port Authority's investment in Majarabique and the Seville-Huelva rail section (€3 million in Majarabique and €11 million in the rail section) and with new sidings to streamline the transport of the freight to its destination.
On 23 January 2017, the ADIF (Spanish railway infrastructure manager) and Huelva Port Authority signed the Lease for a Plot of Land to build a Rail Freight Loading and Unloading Port at the Majarbique Facility in Seville. The plot has been extended several times and now has a total surface area of 67,550 m2.
The contract to run the railway terminal was awarded to the successful bidder, Termisur Eurocargo, S.A., who started operations in July 2017. The container rail traffic from Majarabique to the Port of Huelva is close to forty trains a month since then, with an average of twenty direct trains between Majarabique and the South Wharf of the Port of Huelva, along with the twenty trains a month directly from the Madrid hinterland.
According to the business plan of the companies involved, the traffic is expected to be consolidated this year, with thirty Majarabique-South Wharf direct trains a month. This would account for 75% of the Port of Huelva's container rail traffic and is therefore a decisive step in the consolidation of Majarbique as a key intermodal platform in the transporting of freight in south-west Europe.
Thanks to Majarabique's strategic importance, the Port of Huelva joined the Andalusian Logistics Network in November 2020. Given the Autonomous Government of Andalusia’s interest in developing that logistic area, its Cabinet approved and declared the project to be of general interest on 6 November 2018.
The intention is to extend the terminal track in 2022, which will allow 550-m-long trains to operate without needing to be split up. The work will involve not only extending the track length, but also the concrete slabbing to increase the capacity of the terminal.
A study of the terminal capacity was conducted in 2021. With the current operating schedule, an annual capacity of 147,288 TEUs is estimated once the extension has been completed. This is similar to the other leading terminals on the Iberian peninsula, such as the Barcelona Morrot and Madrid Dry Ports.
Railwy Connections
Twice a week:
- Majarabique – Port of Huelva
RENFE Multiclientes. Three times a week. Majarabique connection with:
- Madrid Abroñigal
- Barcelona Morrot
- Tarragona Constanti
- Bilbao Mercancías
- Bilbao Noatum
Once a week:
- Madrid-Majarabique.Port of Huelva
The Logistics Zone (ZAL), which is essential for the future development of the Port of Huelva and its whole catchment area, has a surface area of approximately 60 ha., with expansion possibilities. It is located at Punta del Sebo, an industrial area with plots with services available and good road and rail access.
The ZAL will be in a pivotal position between the Port of Huelva and the urban area. This will enable the convergence of different types of companies and activities to provide continuity, quality services, transformation and added value to the transport chains converging in the port area. It will also drive job creation, secure the loyalty of the current traffic and promote new future traffic.
This project is fundamental for generating added value in Huelva and to foster the development of the business fabric and the generation of stable employment, based on a clean transformation industry.
Furthermore, as regards industrial promotion, the work of the different task forces continued in 2021 with institutions such as AIQBE (Huelva Association of Energy, Basic and Chemical Industries), IDEA Agency and "Invest in Andalucía". The goal is to integrate the logistics and industrial projects of the Port Community companies in the planning of the Port, along with promoting the land available in the Service Area to attract new investments.
The Port of Huelva ZAL will provide an optimum service for the leading sectors and with greatest activity locally. Key business project sectors in specialised logistics activities have been identified:
- General Logistics.
- Agri-food Sector.
- Industrial-Logistics Sector.
- Healthcare Sector.
After holding the ZAL symposium in December 2020 as part of the FOCOMAR project, in conjunction with Huelva Chamber of Commerce, the Port of Huelva has continue to progress with its marketing plan to implement logistic companies within the sphere of those four strategic sectors considered to be of greatest potential, with special focus on a flourishing sector - e-commerce and urban goods distribution -, and with direct synergy with other sectors.
The marketing model will be based on efficiently fostering freight transport activities, by harnessing, on the one hand, the current concession of Huelva Área Logística Integral, S.L., and a dedicated transport service area within the ZAL. On the other hand, the full integration of the Port of Huelva in the Andalusian Logistics Network will allow all the activities between logistics centres to provide added value to the freight. Therefore, the Port of Huelva ZAL is seen as the backbone of the local social and business fabric and as an ideal framework for sustainable and innovative projects.
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