An architect from the University of Navarra and a PhD with highest honors, he pursued postgraduate studies at the Bartlett School of Architecture and completed a Master's degree in Urban Planning at Harvard University. He is a professor of design at the Boston Architectural Center. He was a professor of urban planning at the School of Architecture of A Coruña (UDC) and deputy director from 2000 to 2003. His main areas of research and publication are urban agendas and strategies, and smart cities. He served as Director General of Urban Planning and Land Management in the Galician Government (2003-2005). He was a City Councilor in A Coruña (from 2011 to 2019 and again in 2020), responsible for urban planning, housing, and infrastructure (2011-2015). Since December 2020, he has been President of the Port Authority of A Coruña.
Interview from CruisesNews magazine no. 66 – September 2023
What position does the Port of A Coruña currently hold in the Spanish cruise traffic? Within the Atlantic arc, competing with Ferrol, Vigo, Leixões, etc., what would you say is A Coruña's main competitive advantage?
The evolution of the Port of A Coruña as a cruise destination has been a marathon, not a sprint. In 2009, we barely exceeded 50,000 passengers, and in less than a decade, we have tripled that figure, which continues to grow, with a record number of cruise passengers last year, exceeding 222,000, and the expectation of surpassing that mark this year. The enormous effort made by both the Port Authority and Corunna Cruise Terminal, the shipping agents, and all the other stakeholders involved in serving ships and passengers has positioned us as leaders on the Cantabrian-Atlantic coast, from Lisbon to Brittany, France.
We hope to be one of the first ports in Spain to electrify the Transatlantic Dock.
Our competitive advantages are numerous. From our strategic location on the Atlantic routes, with a seamless connection to Southampton, to our exceptional customer service and high-quality onboard amenities. Of course, A Coruña's appeal as a destination is also fundamental, because otherwise, cruise lines wouldn't return, and they are, in fact, very loyal. The proximity of the transatlantic terminal to the city center is a key factor. Passengers find themselves in the heart of the city, with its wide range of cultural, leisure, shopping, and dining options, right from the moment they disembark.
The Arvia, the largest and most modern cruise ship dedicated to the British market, recently made a stop in A Coruña. Looking at port calls from previous years, A Coruña has two major source markets: the British and the German. Does the Port Authority specifically promote these markets? How will they consolidate this relationship?
One of the keys to our growth is that we have been able to leverage our complementary relationship with the port of Southampton, both in terms of sailing times and the understanding we have developed with them. It is the home port for many cruise lines targeting the British market, which offer a significant range of transatlantic itineraries.
Regarding the German market, it is strongly linked to two shipping companies with which we have a very solid relationship: Aida Cruises and Tui Cruises, which have included the Port of A Coruña in their routes to southern Spain and Portugal or to the Canary Islands for years, as well as in their repositioning trips to Northern Europe during the summer season.
Which cruise segment are you focusing your promotional efforts on? And specifically, do you intend to increase the number of calls by luxury cruise ships?
The Port Authority of A Coruña maintains a close relationship and ongoing commercial monitoring with all cruise lines, taking into account the versatility of the city and its surroundings to offer all kinds of destination experiences and satisfy different market niches.
In 2022 we broke our record for cruise passengers and the forecast is to surpass it again this year.
Obviously, one of our priorities, considering the economic impact it has on the city, is the luxury and ultra-luxury segment. We are making a concerted effort to attract cruise stopovers from these brands, even exploring potential turnaround packages with pre- and post-cruise stays. To this end, we are developing a range of unique excursions tailored to a clientele seeking exclusive experiences, with customized proposals and personalized attention. We are working closely with the Xunta de Galicia (Galician Regional Government), tour operators, the Tourism Consortium, and innovative resources such as the Estrella Galicia Museum (MEGA), which offers highly successful gastronomic experiences pairing local products with different types of beer.
What is the opinion of cruise line companies regarding the infrastructure for cruise ships at the Port of A Coruña?
The feedback we receive from our trade missions and through our ongoing contact with them in other forums is very positive. Our infrastructure is well-suited to their needs, both in terms of docks and the available space and services for ships. The proximity of the Transatlantic Dock to the city center, via a beautiful pedestrian walkway with the basin and the glass galleries of the Marina as a backdrop, is a key factor. Furthermore, we are constantly working to adapt to the growing demand of the sector, investing in the improvement and modernization of our facilities.
Does the Port Authority have the electrification of its cruise ship pier among its projects, like other ports in the Spanish port system?
We are working to implement the electrification of the Transatlantic Pier as soon as possible, to provide service to ships via an onshore power supply (OPS) connection during their berth in our port. In fact, we have already contracted the preliminary work for the necessary conduit and commissioned the preliminary design for the elements and resources that will be required. We expect to be one of the first ports in Spain to electrify the pier.
This project is part of our commitment to energy efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint, which we are already applying in all our areas of activity.
What other actions or projects is the Port Authority developing to enhance the sustainability of its activity?
Sustainability is at the heart of our strategic plan through the A Coruña Green Port project, which encompasses two fundamental objectives: to serve as a catalyst for energy innovation in the industrial sector through the use of renewable energies with zero emissions, and to create an energy and marine industrial hub in the Outer Port. To this end, we have the involvement of major companies, such as Inditex, which will build a wind farm in Punta Langosteira to supply not only its facilities in the Sabón industrial park, but also the Port itself and the operators working there. Furthermore, we have significant companies planning to install their generation, storage, and distribution plants for new energies, such as hydrogen and green ammonia, within the port area. Regarding offshore wind, we have become a strategic port for the offshore wind export industry, in the context of growing demand in Europe for the manufacture of components destined for the plants being built in various countries.
We work continuously to meet the demand in the face of the sector's growth.
In the case of cruise ships, we support the industry and the ships in their firm commitment to sustainability and offer, for example, the MARPOL waste collection service and all the requirements that may arise in this area.
The presence of the Mugardos regasification plant could enable the port of A Coruña to become a LNG bunkering hub. How will A Coruña position itself in this area with the arrival of new eco-friendly fuels like hydrogen, which will be used by the new generation of cruise ships?
Initially, the hydrogen and green ammonia generation, storage, and distribution plants planned for the Outer Port are intended for export and to supply energy to industrial vehicles, but that's just the beginning. There are no limits to the development and potential applications, and I'm sure that serving ships will be one of them.
Finally, in your capacity as an urban planner, do you believe that the most central docks of the Port of A Coruña could have a more urban use, within a process of port-city integration, especially with the opening of the outer harbor? Could they eventually be used by cruise ships?
The most central docks are already the main berthing point for cruise ships, and this is combined with an increasingly strong port-city relationship. This conviction has guided all the actions we have been developing since Easter 2021, when we opened the Transatlantic Dock, the most central and one of the most emblematic, to the public. Following this, the Batería and Calvo Sotelo docks were opened, and they are now fully integrated as major centers for leisure, culture, and sports in our city. In this short period, we have already hosted internationally renowned exhibitions such as those of the Marta Ortega Foundation, several music festivals, exhibitions, and sporting events. And we hope that in the very near future the major redevelopment that will completely transform the seafront of A Coruña with criteria of excellence will be addressed, a process in which all administrations will participate, from the state to the local.
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