Andalusia

Photo : D.R.

“The region of Andalusia relies upon high-quality port installations, which are indicative of its economic activity and stra-tegic geographic situation.” These are the terms that Antonio Ponce Fernandez, president of the Andalusian Council of Chambers of Commerce, uses in referring to the strong dynamism of the ports of the autonomous Spanish community.
With 700 km of coastline spanning both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Andalusia falls naturally at the crossroads of the great global sea routes. The mother of all Andalusian ports, the bay of Algeciras alone takes in 68 % of the region’s port activity. “At the confluence of intercontinental lines that connect Europe, the Americas and Asia, Algeciras is the leader of the Spanish port system,” affirms Antonio Ponce Fernandez.  However, the hegemony of the Andalusian port over the Strait of Gibraltar is now increasingly challenged with the commissioning of Tanger Med 14 km from the Spanish coast. Concern about competition has driven Andalusian authorities to carry out large-scale construction on the ports, as well as motorway and railway connections. In Huelva, on the Atlantic coast, infrastructural overhauling has allowed for the diversification of the logistics offer. “The port of Huelva has undergone drastic improvement these past few years, and its role is absolutely vital for the regional economy,” according to Antonio Ponce Fernandez, who is also vice president of the APH, the authority of managing the port. In Huelva, activity is largely dependent on the chemical centre located in the neighbouring city of Palos, a regional economic powerhouse that employs 15,000 people, bringing together the major national energy groups, led by Cepsa, Endesa, Repsol and Union Fenosa.
For Antonio Ponce Fernandez, the future of the second-biggest Andalusian port is contingent upon its diversification, notably in providing an exit for the agro-food production of bordering regions, including Estrémadur. With the PISTA(1) programme, financed by Madrid and the Andalusian government, the Autonomous Commu-nity is modernising its logistics network, with a spotlight on intermodal transpor-tation : 16 autonomous ports have receiv-ed the IGE (State General Interest) label. Their modernisation is a priority in Spanish town and country planning policy.

(1) Infrastructure plan for Andalusian transportation sustainability (2007-2013).

Population: 8 046 131
Surface area: 87 597 km2
Maritime freight: 97 705 (total goods loaded and unloaded in thousands of tons in 2008)