The Port Authority of Huelva manages the second biggest port in Andalusia, and after 150 years of successful operations, the Port of Huelva is now entering a new chapter. Business Development & Commercial Director Jaime Beltrán explained what this means for the port. Report by Imogen Ward.
Under the management of The Port Authority of Huelva, the port is a bustling hub of commercial activity and a crucial player in the movement of goods within Europe, with an annual throughput of over 32 million tonnes of cargo. Now, it is focused on a gamechanging transition to global status.
“Every day, we utilise a perfect balance of our three pillars of activity to progress our strategy of becoming a global port,” said Business Development & Commercia l Director Jaime Beltrán. “We plan to achieve this through diversification.”
Currently the port’s operations are split between three main areas: the mining sector accounts for 13% of the company’s operations, with grain and general cargo absorbing 12%, and a further 75% from industrial and energy. Unsurprisingly,
jaime.beltran@puertohuelva.comthe Port of Huelva is the largest industrial cluster in Andalusia and the second largest in Spain.
Energising a new sector
The Port of Huelva is an industrial hub in the production and use of hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and biofuels. Projects have been announced totalling a private investment of €7 billion over the next five to seven years, which will place the Port of Huelva in a leading position in the production and distribution of new clean fuels based on the hydrogen economy, as part of the transition towards green energy.
“Our vision as a global port, aligned with our 2023-2030 strategic plan, is to play an important role in the new energy transition,” Mr Beltrán explained. “Currently, green hydrogen is not used directly as
maritime fuel, nor are alternatives such as green ammonia and green methanol, as well as second-generation hydrogenated biofuels which are also considered clean fuels.
“Currently the industries of the Port of Huelva are the biggest consumers of Hydrogen in Spain, and it is already used for the production of ammonia, methanol, other fuels and chemical products. However; this private investment of €7 billion will enable them to develop it (greenly) in the near future.”
Biofuels are an important element of this investment – with €1.5 billion dedicated to the construction of a second-generation biofuel plant, thanks to the collaboration between two great energy production companies located in Huelva.
According to Mr Beltrán, the Port Authority sees these fuels as an extremely important aspect of the energy transition: “An emerging concept, which is not as well-known, is the importance of biofuels. These fuels will be crucial for a faster transition to a cleaner fuel
“The market considers us to be a very customer focused port, and we are very happy with this analysis, because our main goal is to help our customers”
scenario. That is why the Port of Huelva is involved in both the development of green fuels, and also the second-gen biofuels - specifically, hydrogen vegetable oil (HVO). It is very clean, environmentally friendly, and generates a net zero carbon footprint, thanks to the fact that production is based on circular economy processes and renewable energy.”
Efficient cold logistics
Due to a large area of available land to continue growth, the Port Authority has an ambitious investment plan for developing this space.
“Over the next two years, we plan to invest more than €250 million into the port, creating new facilities and infrastructure to meet the demands of the new
energy sector and the growth of general cargo,” said Mr Beltrán. “We have enough space to accommodate this expansion, allowing our clients to design logistics projects without space restrictions.”
As part of the port’s transition to global status it has also committed to crucial diversification of traffic. Included in this is the progression of general cargo. Still new to this sector, the port has several projects planned to really boost its position in this market.
One of the most substantial projects is a Cold Logistics Hub. Located in a privileged position on the South Wharf, between the container, ro-ro traffic and freight rail port terminals, it is a clear example of a private and public cooperation project.
Using residual cold energy produced from regasification at Enagas’ LNG plant, the company plans to pour this leftover energy into a refrigerated goods storage facility. With a predicted finish date of 2024, the project is being built in two phases: Phase one sees a capacity for 20,000 refrigerated pallets; this figure doubles upon the completion of the second phase. An increase in refrigerated cargo capabilities significantly progresses the port’s vision for globalisation, plus refrigerated and frozen cargo expansion.
“Five years ago, we embarked on a project promoting the circular economy,” Mr Beltrán explained. “We launched a public tender to build a storage facility dedicated to refrigerated cargo, which was granted to Friportsur. Once complete,
the LNG plant and the storage facility will connect via a port-owned cold pipeline, enabling us to refrigerate cargo without any impact on the environment.”
Building logistics
With general cargo logistics (containers and ro-ro traffic) accounting for the fastest growing port activity in recent years, the Port Authority is delving further into this sector to really advance its globalisation efforts.
“The logistics sector has evolved, with the door-to-door concept becoming more popular,” Mr Beltrán explained. “However, for this concept to work, the logistics chain must be strengthened, and suppliers become more efficient. The Port of Huelva is a great location for this global logistics
chain to concentrate the cargo and reinforce a reputation for reliability.”
Aiming to provide excellence in doorto-door service, the Port Authority has trademarked a new brand: Route 1400 Huelva-Canarias. “Route 1400 involves all the stakeholders in the logistics chain between Port of Huelva and the Canary Islands,” Mr Beltrán said. “This is a clear example of what collaboration can accomplish, because all involved –although usually competitors – united to prioritise the customer.
“So far, Route 1400 has been a resounding success, having increased passenger traffic by 50 per cent and cargo movements by 25 per cent.”
Following the positive outcome of this endeavour, Mr Beltrán hopes to involve more companies in the brand, including those from land logistics: “I want all participants in the logistics sector involved in Route 1400. Although the initiative is financed by the Port Authority, the results arise from the collaborative effort of all stakeholders.”
The Port Authority also intends to extrapolate this example of collaboration into other current regular maritime services
(Rotterdam, Tilbury, Casablanca), so as to promote the potential services of maximum interest. Potential partners include ports in the north of Morocco, around the Mediterranean and in the southern UK.
Finally, Mr Beltrán highlighted the importance of the recent shift to land and rail services: “The last five years have witnessed a huge growth in cargo delivery via trains. Thus, we now promote rolling motorways – where lorries are conveyed by rail: although common in other countries, this is a first for the Spanish section of the EU Atlantic Corridor. The implementation of the rolling motorway is a strategic one, as it really helps expand our cargo traffic.”
Despite the exciting new developments in place, customers remain the number one priority at the port. “The market considers us to be a very customer focused port, and we are very happy with this analysis, because our main goal is to help our customers” Mr Beltrán concluded.
“Being a global port will allow us to i ncrease this support, and being part of this transition motivates me every day.” n
Find out more about the Port of Huelva by visiting: www.puertohuelva.com
