The Port Authority of A Coruña announced at Seatrade Miami the upcoming installation of the cruise ship power supply system (OPS), which will allow ships' engines to be switched off during their stop in port and will promote the sector's commitment to sustainability.
The Port Authority is participating this week in Seatrade with a delegation headed by its president, Martín Fernández Prado, along with executives from the public entity and Corunna Cruise Terminal. The city councilor for Culture and Tourism of A Coruña, Gonzalo Castro, also attended to promote the city as a cruise destination at what is considered the leading international convention dedicated to this sector.
The Port of A Coruña, which has its own space at the State Ports Authority stand at the event, presented its latest initiatives to operators, aimed at attracting cruise ships to the city. It highlighted the upcoming start of construction on the Operations Platform (OPS), which was very well received by all stakeholders in the sector. A key benefit is that the OPS will be available not only at the Transatlantic Dock but also at Calvo Sotelo Sur, which is used as a cruise ship berth for double-call cruises. Following the Port of Cádiz, which recently launched its OPS, A Coruña will likely be the second Spanish port to offer this service, by the end of 2027, significantly enhancing its competitiveness and appeal.
Fernández Prado emphasized that, after several years of record-breaking growth in cruise ship arrivals, the Port Authority is now focusing its efforts on the quality of service for both ships and passengers, striving to improve the destination experience from an environmental, economic, and social perspective, with initiatives aimed at involving local entities. Thus, in addition to the OPS system, other improvements are underway at Trasatlánticos and Calvo Sotelo.
The most striking moment of the presentation, which included the participation of the president of State Ports, Gustavo Santana, focused on the upcoming solar eclipse on August 12. A video was shown specifically about this phenomenon, which will prompt nine cruise ships to call at the port of A Coruña between August 11 and 12, as A Coruña is one of the best places in the world to observe the total eclipse of the sun. The Port Authority will deploy an unprecedented operation on both days and will collaborate with other institutions to ensure the event is a success in the city.
During the presentation at the Spanish ports' stand, the delegation from A Coruña distributed certified eclipse glasses to attendees, featuring an evocative image created specifically for the occasion to highlight the "Atlantic Eclipse." In addition to Gustavo Santana, presidents of port authorities and industry executives, those also present at the presentation included the Consul General of Spain in Miami, Belén Alfaro; the President of the Spain-United States Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Abanca USA, Mónica Vázquez; and the Director of the Spanish Tourism Office in Miami, Elvira Marcos.
Among the new additions to the offerings for cruise passengers, the president also highlighted the Deportivo La Coruña Museum, which opened in February and, like the Estrella Galicia Museum, is being promoted as a point of interest for international tourism, given that Deportivo is a team recognized throughout Europe for its league championship and its years of participation in the Champions League. Martín Fernández Prado noted that “Deportivo is the most beloved club in Spain,” and expressed his satisfaction that Estrella Galicia is once again the official beer of the State Ports Pavilion.
Finally, he announced that the Port of A Coruña is preparing numerous activities for the events that will coincide in 2027: the Tall Ships Regatta, in mid-July; the centenary of the Royal Nautical Club; the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Port Works Board; and the stopover of the Spanish training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano on the occasion of its centenary, which will be accompanied by a gathering of training ships from Latin countries.
The Port of A Coruña has established itself as the leading port in the Cantabrian-Atlantic region, handling over 160 ship calls and more than 400,000 passengers in recent years. The economic impact is estimated at over €40 million annually for the city and metropolitan area, including direct spending by tourists and crew members, as well as the overall impact on port services, shipping agents, security, transportation, tour guides, healthcare, supplies, and other related sectors.
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