The board of directors of the Port Authority of A Coruña awarded the construction and management of the electrical supply system for cruise ships to the specialized company Regenera OPS Dos SL, whose proposal received the highest rating. Furthermore, it agreed to grant Hostelería Punta Langosteira S.L. a concession to set up a cafeteria-restaurant in the Outer Port of Punta Langosteira.
Regenera will invest more than 10 million euros in the installation of the system, known as OPS by its English name (Onshore power supply). It will be installed both at the Trasatlánticos wharf and at the Calvo Sotelo Sur wharf, which is used in the case of multiple calls, and will allow ships to turn off their engines during their stay in the city, thus avoiding emissions into the atmosphere. It is expected to be operational throughout 2027. The concession has a term of 32 years, according to the offer of the awarded company.
The works will include the connection to the distribution grid, a transformation and frequency conversion center, connection towers at both wharves, an underground medium voltage network, two electric cable management vehicles that allow simultaneous supply at both wharves and other facilities, equipment and systems. The main criterion for selecting the concessionaire, with a 40% score, has been the tariff structure and the maximum rates proposed for the provision of the service, so that they are attractive to shipping companies.
Commitment to OPS
With the awarding of the service, the port of A Coruña will be one of the first in Spain to offer electrical energy to cruise ships. It will thus significantly increase its competitiveness in the sector, given that shipping companies are making a firm commitment to sustainability and highly value having OPS available, for which the majority of ships are being adapted. Close to 60% of cruise ships are already prepared to use the service in ports, and this percentage grows every year.
The Port Authority thus continues with its actions aimed at favoring cruise calls in A Coruña, understanding that they are very beneficial for the city as a whole. The economic impact is calculated at 40 million euros per year, considering the direct spending of passengers and crew and the impact on port and tourism service companies, commerce, hospitality, transport, security, etc.
Currently, the improvement works at the Trasatlánticos wharf to adapt its structure and fenders to the current size of the fleet are very advanced, with an investment of 1.3 million euros. These works already include the installation of the conduit through which the OPS infrastructure will run.
The board members gave the green light to the construction of a cafeteria-restaurant in the Outer Port. The concession has been granted to the A Coruña-based company Hostelería Punta Langosteira S.L., after having passed the corresponding processing. The company will invest 165,000 euros in the construction of the establishment, which will enter into service at the beginning of 2027.
The cafeteria will be a building of 238 square meters, with an attached terrace, at wharf A-3, on a 540 square meter plot.
Its opening will respond to a growing demand from companies and professionals working in the Outer Port, both from the concessionaires and from the ships, carriers, port services, and the construction and auxiliary companies of the different works being carried out in the facility.
The council was also informed of the evolution of the Coruña Marítima project. Thus, the Port Authority expressed its satisfaction with the high number of proposals submitted to the international competition to develop the Master Plan. Fifteen applications to participate in the process were received, which are expected to bring together in UTES leading international, local, and national firms with offices in A Coruña and with professionals from the city. The Contracting Board will meet in the coming days to open the envelopes with the offers, with a period of two months to select the five finalist candidates that will compete to draft the Master Plan and all complementary documents.
