The new public passenger terminal is taking its first steps with the start of the bidding process for the "refurbishment of the site of the former shipyard in the Port of Valencia." The Valencia Port Authority (APV) will publish the tender details in the coming days, with a budget of approximately €900,000. This project includes the demolition of some of the warehouses and other buildings on the site, as well as the slipway of the northern slipway. It also involves dismantling all equipment and installations, including the prefabrication facilities for the steel blocks. The process also includes the sale of reusable materials, such as roof tiles and metal parts, with an estimated value exceeding €400,000.
The new passenger terminal project, to be located between the Poniente Wharf and the Perfecto Palacio Wharf in the area formerly occupied by the Unión Naval de Valencia shipyard, will cover approximately 100,000 square meters. The design of this infrastructure will preserve the four elements of the old shipyard, cataloged by the Demetrio Ribes Chair of Industrial Archaeology at the University of Valencia as pieces of historical and artistic value. Specifically, these are the water reservoir, the shipbuilding slipway, two cranes, and Sub-Hall A of Hall III. It will be a historic and emblematic building of maritime Valencia that will continue to serve the city and its residents—more than a century after its construction—now with the most modern environmental technologies.
According to the refurbishment plan, the following will be demolished: Building 2 (the stonemasonry workshop), measuring 6,326 m²;Building 4 (the prefabrication workshop), measuring 2,591 m²;and two smaller buildings intended for industrial, administrative, and healthcare use, measuring 129 m²and 293 m²,respectively. The plan also includes the dismantling of the steel block prefabrication facilities. Furthermore, the project anticipates the disposal of reusable assets from the steel block manufacturing area, metal materials present in the rest of the building, and the roof tiles.
This action is not affected by the concession for the construction of a new building to Corporación Marítima Boluda, which has been partially suspended by the Secretary of State for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, pursuant to agreement number 2 of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) dated December 20, 2018. This resolution of the Secretary of State, dated August 3, 2021, concerns the provision to Boluda Corporación Marítima of the land necessary for the construction of the new building and parking facilities, which have not yet begun, while maintaining its effects on the use of the existing building, under the terms established in the approved terms of the concession, thus allowing the continuation of the works and actions of the APV.
Sustainable terminal serving the city
The new passenger terminal is designed to serve cruise ship traffic, regular ferry services to the Balearic Islands and Algeria, as well as roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo traffic (platforms or vehicles that access ships under their own power). This infrastructure, for which the Baleària shipping company submitted a bid, guarantees that 100% of the electricity needed to operate the terminal will be generated on-site from renewable sources. According to the project submitted to the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) tender, which incorporated environmental input from the Valencia City Council, the passenger terminal will operate with zero emissions and will promote a circular economy. In this regard, all berths will be equipped with a network for supplying electricity to docked vessels, thus facilitating the shutdown of engines and the reduction of emissions when they are in port; and all roofs and decks of existing buildings will be designed for the installation of photovoltaic solar panels.
The terminal will recycle 100% of the waste it generates in a biomethane plant to be built specifically for this purpose; it will also treat waste from ships and the building itself to produce biogas. The station's interior design will ensure independent operations for cruise ship passengers and regular ferry passengers. Among other new features of the project are the planned development of an Innovation and Eco-efficiency Center and a space for cultural activities. The project presented by the shipping company also includes a training center for the Baleària Business School (EdEB), offering courses in various areas of the maritime sector and specifically aimed at the Nazaret neighborhood, as part of an action plan to engage key stakeholders and interest groups.
