“Our destinations are diverse, different and very attractive for cruise passengers.”.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 69 – June 2024
A graduate in Law from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, she is the president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, a position she has held since June 2023.
Since 1999 she has held various positions in the Canary Islands administration while also practicing her profession as a lawyer, providing legal assistance in municipal, island and regional initiatives of urban planning, land management and planning.
In 1999 she was elected councilor of the Gran Canaria Island Council, where she managed the Youth Department. In 2015 she was appointed CEO of the public company Gesplan SA (Territorial and Environmental Management and Planning) of the Government of the Canary Islands.
Subsequently, in 2019, she was elected deputy to the Parliament of the Canary Islands for the autonomous constituency, where she also served as spokesperson for the Nationalist Group in Education and Territorial Planning.
Global Ports' new terminal in the Port of Las Palmas is scheduled to become operational in 2025
Although the stop in the Port of Las Palmas was for years a mandatory stop on the routes of the large transatlantic liners of British shipping companies, it was not until 2008 that cruise traffic began to take off in the ports dependent on the Port Authority of Las Palmas, that is, Puerto de la Luz (Las Palmas, Gran Canaria), Puerto de Arrecife (Lanzarote), and Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura), in addition to Salinetas and Arinaga.
Since then, the number of cruise passengers has increased from 576,000 annually to over 1.6 million today. This enormous growth has posed a significant infrastructure challenge, which the Port Authority has been addressing in recent years. The culmination of this effort will be the completion of the new cruise terminals awarded to Global Ports, and the remaining berth expansions.
The ports of Las Palmas are on track to break their cruise passenger record this season, with over 1.6 million cruise passengers visiting their docks. What is your assessment of these figures?
From July 2023 to April 2024, 1.6 million cruise passengers visited the province of Las Palmas, representing a 12% increase compared to the previous season. These are excellent figures that demonstrate the high value placed on our ports for the quality of our services, our multi-service facilities, and our safety. Cruise lines appreciate these qualities, especially in these times.
But our destinations also come into play, which are diverse, different and very attractive to cruise passengers, with a wide range of places to visit on our islands.
What are your projections for port calls and passengers in the coming years?
Our projections indicate a 10% growth for the 2024-2025 season, although this figure may be exceeded. Furthermore, those visiting us from next year onwards will benefit from the opening of the new, more efficient and sustainable cruise terminals, which will offer improved passenger services and enhance their overall experience.
It is worth remembering that Las Palmas is the second Spanish province in cruise tourism, which highlights the importance of this sector in our region.
What investment plans do you have for berthing facilities to accommodate current and medium-term growth?
We currently have two expansion projects at the Santa Catalina Wharf. On the one hand, we have already drafted and are awaiting tender for the Santa Catalina South expansion project, which has a planned investment of two million euros, one million for 2024 and another for 2025.
Furthermore, we are currently drafting the project to expand the berthing lines on both the east and west sides of the Passenger Wharf. This project is specifically for cruise ships and would allow us to berth two vessels on the east side. It has two annual funding allocations: €2.8 million for 2026 and €200,000 for 2027.
In addition to these works to extend the berth line, the Port Authority of Las Palmas will invest almost 6.5 million euros in the next three years in the conditioning and urbanization of the esplanades surrounding the new maritime station (boulevard, paving, landscaping, etc.), in addition to the works to improve the berth line that is currently being carried out with an investment of 1.5 million euros.
Our forecasts point to a 10% growth for the 2024-2025 season, although this figure may be exceeded
Global Ports was awarded the contract to build four new cruise terminals in ports under the jurisdiction of the Port Authority of Las Palmas. How are the works progressing, and what are the expected completion dates?
The works are progressing well. Once they began, they are meeting all deadlines, and the forecast indicates that the two terminals in the Port of Arrecife, Lanzarote, and the one in the Port of Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura, will be operational by next winter (2024-2025 season). The Global Ports terminal in the Port of Las Palmas will take a few more months to complete and is scheduled to become operational in 2025.
Most mainland ports have projects underway to supply electricity from land to cruise ships, but I understand that the Canary Islands' electrical grid may not be able to handle this additional load. How is this challenge being addressed?
Electrifying all our docks, including the cruise ship dock, is one of the major challenges facing the Port Authority of Las Palmas. We are currently in the planning stages of this electrification, and in fact, we have already begun electrifying some docks, such as the Muelle Grande (Main Dock) and the Muelle Pesquero (Fishing Dock). We are aware that these projects are essential, and we will proceed according to our budget as it allows.
Furthermore, while we are planning the electrification and carrying out the works, we are working to guarantee the electricity supply that would be needed so that the ships can connect with all the guarantees.
Similarly, more LNG-powered cruise ships are being built each year. Does the Port of Las Palmas offer LNG refueling services to cruise ships?
The Port of Las Palmas does not have LNG storage facilities. However, if a ship powered by this fuel arrives and needs to refuel, it would be possible to supply it via barge, as is done in other ports.
What other decarbonization and sustainability initiatives are the ports of Las Palmas undertaking?
The electrification of all the docks is one of the main objectives of the Port Authority of Las Palmas. The Fishing Dock is already electrified, and we are finalizing the electrification work on the Main Dock. In addition, we are working on enabling energy distribution at the Cambulloneros Dock. Next, we will electrify the docks where our inter-island ferry lines operate, followed by the docks where container transshipment companies operate, and then the cruise ship docks.
To achieve our goal, we have a plan in place and, in addition, we have already reported our future electricity needs to Red Eléctrica de España.
The Strategic Plan 2035 will be completed in the first quarter of 2025
We have also launched several sustainability campaigns, such as the self-consumption of renewable energy in the Port Authority's buildings. In fact, we have already installed photovoltaic panels on some of them, and we will soon begin installing them on the roof of the Port Authority building to further advance this self-consumption, as well as on the roof of a new parking garage that we will build soon. To this end, Europe has approved funding for the installation of renewable energy systems, especially photovoltaic panels.
In addition to this, we have renewed our fleet of vehicles with 100% electric, zero-emission cars, and we have installed charging points that supply 100% renewable energy, certified with Guarantees of Origin issued by the National Commission of Markets and Competition.
Furthermore, we have already approved some renewable energy generation projects, such as the generation of green hydrogen, a project that we will carry out in conjunction with the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands (ITC) and the company Megaturbinas, and which will allow us to advance in this sustainability.
We also carry out environmental actions, such as monitoring the cleanliness of our waters.
One of the top priorities of your term is the approval of the 2035 Strategic Plan, which you recently presented. What is its current status?
The Strategic Plan for the Port Authority of Las Palmas has already begun with initial meetings with the port community and its presentation to the public. We are currently in the participation phase. Meetings have already been held with various administrations and entities, along with the port community, to gather their opinions and contributions, as this will be fundamental in designing our Strategic Plan.
This Plan will be the effective planning instrument for our ports until 2035, but with a vision extending to 2045. The intention is for it to be completed in the first quarter of 2025 and, from then on, to have this tool that will help us make the most appropriate decisions, always thinking about the future of our ports, because we will all decide that future together.
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