A port based on collaboration, efficient, with a reference railway infrastructure and with renewable energies as a pillar of development. This is the port that the Port Authority of Ferrol-San Cibrao is working on and which the president of the port authority, Francisco Barea, presented at the V Port-Company Conference. The meeting brought together, for the first time in the Prioriño Building, about 200 people representing the port community, the business fabric, technology centers and public administrations. The president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, and the mayor of Ferrol, José Manuel Rey Varela, inaugurated the conference, which was also attended by the Conselleira do Mar, Marta Villaverde, among other authorities.
The energy of the future was the focus of this year’s conference: ‘The port, an energy community’. Under this heading, Francisco Barea presented the work carried out so far but, above all, the results and projects that are underway and will soon become a reality: “We are one of the most advanced ports in Europe in energy transition. We are developing an innovative ecosystem that will transform the port into a green energy hub, with large-scale photovoltaics, with hydrogen and its derivatives. With production and storage. With a shared self-consumption model for the port community and ships.”
He also wanted, on this occasion, to share the steps taken so far in the transformation of the Ferrol docks: “That enthusiasm we have tried to share with you in recent years remains intact. But I believe the time has come to take a step further. The time for certainties has arrived. Because certainties are what companies are looking for, what attracts investments and what reinforces the feeling of pride in what we are and what we can become. So, in the face of uncertainty, from the Port Authority we want to give you certainties.”
And among those certainties, one particularly stands out: “The certainty that yes, we will have a railway. It has been our great endeavor. To guarantee that our ports will be connected by rail. Today, that infrastructure is already in its final stretch. In the second half of 2026, the railway connection between the inner and outer ports will be put into service.” Barea emphasized the challenge that this project has represented, which will be one of the most important milestones since the construction of the inner port. A technical challenge, but also an economic one, as it will involve an investment of around 120 million euros, mostly financed with its own funds. For this reason, he once again demanded more support from the central Government, similar to what other similar ports receive, with works of these same characteristics financed almost entirely with European funds. He also emphasized the work that the Port Authority is carrying out with all the complementary railway works executed or under execution, pending ADIF beginning the renewal of the branch line from the port to the station on the land that is under its ownership.
Railway connection
“We deliver. The railway connection will be a reality. The internal track of this outer port is finished. And the complementary works in the inner port that depend on the Port Authority are underway. Total investment: 166 million.”
And here we demand to know when ADIF will fulfill its part and begin the works for the branch line to the station on its land, so that the track closure it will entail does not prevent trains from passing. And we ask, once again, for Ferrol to have the train it deserves from the station towards the Meseta. Because the only certainty we have here is that nothing is going to be done. And Ferrol cannot remain isolated, and the Government must understand this and settle the historical debt with the city and the region. Ferrol needs and deserves a 21st-century railway,” claimed the president of the port authority.
And the fact is that the railway will be key for the development of the other three pillars of the port of the future: liquid bulks, the container terminal, and renewable energies, with a special focus on offshore wind. The railway is, without a doubt, a key piece that will drive a port of the future that is already taking shape. “Because I give you more certainties. The certainty that we will have two liquid terminals that will be completed next year. That, together with Reganosa and Forestal del Atlántico, will be another of our great pillars of development. We also have the certainty that the railway will boost our container terminal as the reference terminal in northern Galicia. Because Yilport has ratified its commitment to Ferrol. And I also convey to you the certainty that Ferrol will continue to be a benchmark in offshore wind, both fixed and floating. We have already demonstrated our capacity, the experience of our companies, and the ideal conditions of our ports. And in this sector, we reinforce our commitment with the help of new allies like WindWaves or Proinlosa who are joining our port community,” conveyed
Francisco Barea, who also referred to the arrival of Global Ports Holding as the new cruise terminal operator, thus giving a boost to the city: “With an initial investment of 1.7 million euros that will triple the number of passengers in the next 3 years. And that traffic, the cruise traffic, will generate great added value in the city and throughout northern Galicia.”
“This is the port of the future that we want and that we will have. A port based on collaboration. With projection. With a reference railway infrastructure. A green, sustainable, and efficient port, committed to technological innovation. A port that will regain its leadership position. We maintain the hope. And we have the certainty that we will have a competitive and reference port. As I always say, we have a great port. We continue with our hand extended to all those who want to join the work for the economic and social development of Ferrol. Thank you all again. Because the business fabric, the university, the technology centers, and the support of the administrations are key to achieving that goal. We continue moving forward. We continue working for Ferrol,” concluded the president of the Ferrol-San Cibrao Port Authority.
The conference, which addressed the various aspects surrounding an energy community, concluded with another novelty of this year: the presentation of the distinction for collaboration in the Port-City relationship. This year it was awarded to the Amarradores del Puerto y Ría de Ferrol, for their work in providing port services but also for their involvement in all those initiatives that directly impact the citizens. The V Port-Company Conference was moderated on this occasion by the manager of Cluergal, Oriol Sarmiento.
