The Port Authority of Valencia (APV) has begun the site preparation and adaptation work for the new public passenger terminal at the Port of Valencia. Specifically, the dismantling and restoration of the buildings and the cleanup of the area of the former Unión Naval shipyard are underway. The new passenger terminal, which will be located between the Poniente Wharf and the Perfecto Palacio Wharf in the area formerly occupied by the shipyard, will cover an area of approximately 100,000 square meters.
The design of this infrastructure will preserve all the 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 include the water tank, the shipbuilding slipway, two cranes, and Sub-Hall A of Hall III. The Port Authority of Valencia (APV) is undertaking the rehabilitation of the structure, façade, and roofs of this building, while the concessionaire will handle the rest of the renovation to adapt it to its new intended use, respecting the architecture of the hall and its west façade. It will be a historic and emblematic building of maritime Valencia that will continue to serve the city and its citizens—more than a hundred years after its construction—now with the most modern environmental technologies.
According to the refurbishment project, the following will be dismantled: Building 2 (Workshop) of 6,326 m²,Building 4 (Prefabrication Workshop) of 2,591 m²,and two smaller buildings intended for industrial, administrative, and healthcare use, measuring 129 m²and 293 m²respectively. The dismantling of Warehouse 7 (144.3 m²), Warehouse 8 (240.7 m²), the cantilever crane, the party wall, and Building 3, which is divided into two parts, one with a total constructed area of 1,674.4 m²and the other with 5,835 m²,. Likewise, the project estimates the disposal of reusable goods from the steel block manufacturing area, metallic materials present in the rest of the building, or the tiles that form the roof.
The works are being carried out under special conditions due to the removal of materials such as asbestos, in accordance with the safety and health regulations applicable to work with a risk of exposure to this material.
The new station will allow cruise ships to shut down their engines and connect to the electrical grid when they are working in port.
Sustainable Terminal Serving the City:
The new passenger terminal is designed to handle 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 guarantees that 100% of the electricity needed to operate the terminal will be generated on-site from renewable sources. According to the project presented by the Port Authority of Valencia (APV), which incorporated environmental input from the Valencia City Council, the passenger terminal will operate with zero emissions and will embrace the circular economy. To this end, all berths will be equipped with a power supply network for docked vessels, allowing them to shut down their engines and reduce emissions while 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; and it will 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 passenger services.
